A lot of gaming-related websites that have comments sections and forums fall victim to the "console wars." I see it a lot here on GameSpot.

A lot of gamers are competitive, so it makes sense that some people would apply this to brand loyalty. However, it is inappropriate and inaccurate to claim that one console or service is better than the other.

Justification of Claim:

There are a few factors that govern someone's decisions on their gaming purchases:

• Life Style
• Resources
• Time

Life Style: Life style plays are large role. If you are a very social gamer, you are going to want to use the social features of a console. If you are not social, then you have no need for those social features. If you like having all of the latest and greatest devices and games, then you are likely to have all of the major consoles and several games for each. From these examples, you may be able to get an idea of how life style plays a role in a gamers purchasing decisions and playing habits.

Resources: Resources mostly restrict purchase decisions. Someone on a tight budget might have to decide on a single console for the entire generation of consoles. Once they've made their decision, it may be difficult to switch or even harder to purchase one of the other consoles. This also ties into life style.

Someone who has a social personality and whose friends all have a certain console will strongly be influenced into choosing the console that their friends play on. However, if that person's budget does not allow room for them to purchase said console, they may choose the more affordable console; even if it prevents them from enjoying certain aspects of social gaming. On top of that, if the systems services require a premium to be paid for a subscription to the social features, the person may get the console but stay away from the social services until an opportunity arrives that allows them the ability to pay.

Time: Time influences gamers' decisions as well. If you are young, work minimal hours, and parents pay for your hobbies, then you have plenty of time for yourself and those hobbies. This means that you will play more games and you will use more of the services provided by the consoles. So a service that costs money is not a concern for you because your resources are there and you spend more time using the services so the cost is justified.

A parent has less time than an adolescent. Adolescents have nearly endless amounts of time in a week to spend playing games, even if they have a part-time job and are still in school (I know it doesn't feel that way when you're that young). Parents who are involved in their children's lives and have a strong relationship with the other parent have much less time. Adding school activities, friends, and family activities eliminates a lot of game time. A parent who does not spend as much time on their console is less likely to use certain services provided by a console and will sometimes avoid games that take a long time to beat (for example: an RPG).

Conclusion:

Don't run around the internet, school, work, the gym, et cetera arguing with people about why one console is better than the other. If they are arguing with you it's because they have different life constraints, they have different preferences (most likely influenced by their life constraints), or they don't care much for games.

What you can do is be proud to be a gamer. As long as you are happy with the services, games and hardware that you decide to purchase there is no reason to attempt to invalidate someone else's viewpoint or purchase decisions. If you are in a situation where someone is asking you to provide a recommendation for a console, don't just spit out your favorite console just because you feel you owe some sort of loyalty to the company. Provide a logical answer by investigating and understanding that persons constraints and which console will bring them and their family the most joy. You can use the social services for your interaction with them (a.k.a. if you want to play online with friends) as a bullet point, but don't fabricate or knock the other consoles.

Gaming is an exciting hobby and I am glad to be a part of it through playing the role of a gaming consumer. My current situation has allowed me the resources to own all 3 of the current generation consoles (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii). It has allowed me and my family to experience all that each console has to offer. With the struggling economy I have had some constraints added to my life that have made me nail down my preferences. While this limits my total experience, it has not limited my ability to see that being a gamer is not defined by the consoles you own, the games you play or the services you use.

In my eyes all gamers should celebrate the growth of the gaming industry no matter which console manufacturer comes out on top. To gamers, it's a win no matter what. If you have opinions about how services are charged for, what games are on what console, or any other complaint about a console or it's services, address the manufacturer and make your voice be heard. Just don't take it to the forums where your voice fades as fast as you click "submit."

Here's the specs of the computer: 1.8 GHz AMD Turion64, 1GB DDR RAM, 80GB 5200 RPM HDD, 128MB ATI Radeon X200M. HP Pavilion DV5020us is the model.

Windows 7 Professional 32bit is the Operating System.

Programs installed at time of test:

• Adobe Design Premiere CS4 (all programs installed from package)
• Microsoft Office 2007 (including Access, Excel, Groove, InfoPath, OneNote, PowerPOint, Project, Publisher, Viso, and Word)
• SQL Server 2005
• Visual Studio 2008 Team Suite
• Symantec Endpoint Protection
• 7-Zip
• PowerISO

MSCONFIG Startup Services:

• PowerISO Virtual Drive Manager
• Java Platform SE6 U17
• Symantec Technologies
• Synaptics Pointing Devices

And the Results:

• Completely off to login screen: 1:20:15
• Completely off to completely logged in and services started: 2:58:34
• Hibernate to login: 0:38:12
• Hibernate to completely logged in and services started: 0:44:56

So it takes a while to do anything when the computer has been completely shut down. However, returning from Sleep and Hibernate is very quick (especially when compared to Vista) and I only restart my computer when there are updates and probably once or twice a week.

IMO - Windows 7 loads very quickly on this machine and is on par with Windows XP.

Today marks the release of Windows 7. If you haven't already heard...

I've had a great experience with Windows 7 and wanted to share my recommendation with anyone running any version of Vista. Go out and upgrade if you can afford to. It's well worth it.

My 4-year-old laptop is running the Windows 7 Release Candidate. It's amazing that this laptop chugged along with Vista Business Edition, yet it is fast and smooth running Windows 7.

Curious about the specs on the laptop? 1.8 GHz AMD Turion64, 1GB DDR RAM, 80GB 5200 RPM HDD, 128MB ATI Radeon X200M. HP Pavilion DV5020us is the model.

Granted, this machine was fairly powerful when I got it. However, Vista would take 5-6 minutes to boot when powered completely down and 2-5 minutes to boot when returning from hibernate or sleep. Vista also took up nearly all of my RAM so it was difficult to run multiple programs and or windows. I went back to XP until Windows 7 Beta released earlier this year.

My desktop is currently running the retail release of Windows 7 Professional 64bit. Boot times, again, are greatly improved. Application compatibility is not a problem. The new features in Windows 7 are a blast to play with and definitely help me move from Window to window faster and easier.

Desktop is custom - 2.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.5GB DDR2 RAM, ATI Radeon X1600 PCI-e Pro 512MB, 80GB 5200 RPM HDD (need to upgrade).

I have recommended to everyone to update to Win7. It's really "Vista done right." I only hope that Microsoft can carry on this success with future versions of the operating system.

Anybody else experienced Windows 7? What are your impressions?

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/05/rumor-playstation-motion-controller-codenamed-sphere/

Maybe someone at Sony listened to me? Or maybe I'm not the only one clambering for a name.

Sony announced it's game lineup for the upcoming motion controller this week at the Tokyo Game Show (TGS). They also announced that Japan would see the controller released in Spring 2010. What Sony didn't unveal was the still-pending title for the motion controller.

Sony's motion controller, Sony's Wand... People don't know how to easily reference the device. It's hard to spark conversation about a device that hasn't even been give a project title (E.G. Project Natal).

This is strange to me because of how close it is to the launch of the device. I think it's about time that Sony comes up with something. I don't care if it's a temporary name. Just give me one word that I can use to describe the device!

I'll wait await your response, Sony!

I've posted 4 new quizes to Game Quiz. I hope to have 4 more later this week. Check back!

Hello all!

I run a website I call Game Quiz. When I launched the site I was going to release bi-weekly quizes. Well, life got the best of me through school, work, kids, wife, and pregnancy. So, I haven't been able to keep up with the site as much as I would like.

I am looking for a couple people who would like to write some quizes that I can post on the site. You choose the name of the quiz, the questions, and the answers. I'll post them on the site and give you credit for it also (by posting name or link to your website).

The quizes should relate to the gaming industry and I typically keep them at 10 questions. However, it is possible to have more than 10 questions in a quiz. All answers should be backed up by fact and cannot be plagarized from another source. Feel free to be funny or serious, your choice, but remember that this is an E-for Everyone website (keep it clean).

Submit your quiz to me through GameSpot Private Message or service@kjaklive.com and I'll get back with you to let you know if/when your quiz will be posted.

I do this for fun and don't make any money on the site, so I currently have nothing to pay. Your participation will be voluntary.

If you don't want to submit quizes, you can still check out the site. There are currently 4 quizes available and you do not have to become a member to take them.

--Regards--

Game Quiz is a personal project I have been working on and am still refining. It's a website where gamers can gain knowledge of games as well as prove their existing knowledge to other gamers. Check out these little details about the site, then go to the site and give it a try. No registration is needed and there aren't any fees if you decide to join.

You've beaten every game out there. You know every story, character, weapon, spell and skill by heart. You're an encyclopedia of gaming knowledge. Do you have what it takes to be the king on Game Quiz? Take our quizes and build up your rank. See how you stack up against some of the most knowledgable gamers out there. Game Quiz tracks your scores and lets you compare them to other Game Quiz members as well as all the anonymous quiz takers.

• No membership required
• No friends list, messages or social networking needed
• Member registration is free and quick
• Individual Quiz IQ let's you see how well you stack up against the competition

Check out Game Quiz

Xbox Live - Time for a Change

I think I know something that could make a difference for Xbox Live. I propose a new payment plan for the service be put into place. One that is more flexible to customers that don't spend much time playing online multiplayer, but who also want to when they find those few moments in life that allow it.

Currently Microsoft offers a Gold membership for $50/year, $8/1 month and $20/3 months. When you break down the yearly subscription you see that the value is really $4.17/month. So let's just say $5.

Now let's look at the different demographics and the hours they may spend playing online:

* 17 and under --> Play Time: ~30-50 hours per week

* 18-25 --> Play Time: 20-40 hours (depending on where they are in life)

* 26 and older --> Play Time: unpredictable - guestimate that most only get 5-10 hours/week of total play time with online game time limited due to family (can't always play a game that can't be paused) - things come up.

The average age for a gamer is 30 (according to the ESA).

For everyone in the 17-25 age range, $50/year isn't so bad. Even the $8/month card every now and then seems okay...sort of.

But for the "average gamer", the cost doesn't seem justified. Microsoft seems to only be targeting the younger audience with it's online efforts.

In my case, I don't play many online games. Over the 2 years of Gold that I subscribed to, I possibly played an average of 2 hours/month (with some months of a lot of online and some months of none at all).

Why would I want to pay during the months that I am not playing? Also, why would I want to pay $8 to try out an online game only to find out I don't like it?

I propose that a new payment system be devised that is more flexible for people in my situation. So back to the $5/month...

Create the following plans:

* $0.25/day (~$7.75/month) - This will provide motivation for Silver members to try out a Gold membership. You can also get rid of the free month of Gold if you really want.

* $1.50/week (~$6+/month) - providing people the ability to pay a small price for more time online.

Both of these plans would bring in new customers and would also provide Microsoft with profits that they are not earning from members like me who have stopped paying for Gold because we do not play online enough to justify it.

Also consider the fact that we must purchase MS points in the bundles of 500 points (minimum) at a cost of $6.25. So, we can then get 25 days of gaming out of that, but we get to decide when we use those online hours instead of being forced to play within dates set by Microsoft.

As it stands now, I believe Microsoft is ignoring these demographics and potential customers. Adjusting XBL to be more flexible for people with busy on-the-go lives will make it more attractive to those who have not "Jumped In."

Please Microsoft. Help me out. I would enjoy supporting XBL if it fit my needs. Right now its just not working out.

Last week my wife brought me the Walmart sale add and pointed out to me that they were offering $100 gift card with the purchase of a PS3. She suggested that it would be a good idea to invest in the PS3 right now with this deal. We needed to get grocieries and would easily be spending $100 on food. This definitely validated the sale as a deal because we get groceries from Walmart anyway and that meant that the PS3 was costing only $300 (+ tax and 2 yr service agreement [$28.88 US]). After plenty of debating and missing the original sale deadline, I finally went a made the purchase.

Now I can finally make posts and comment on the PS3 from experience as a customer who owns the device. This also means I no longer have any current-gen consoles to look forward to getting since I now own all three of them. It's both sad and exciting at the same time.

What made me decide that the PS3 was a good purchasing decision?

Blu-Ray - I decided that Blu-ray was something that I definitely wanted. I don't see my PS3 as a movie player, but I do see it as a function of the console that I will use a lot.

Wireless Internet Built-in - A lot of the hardcore Xbox Live junkies out there will argue that wireless is not good enough for online gaming. I agree that there are limitations and additional frustrations to having a wireless connection, but I disagree that it is not good enough for online gaming. I have a great connection at my house and wireless runs what appears to run at similar speeds as compared to my wired devices with no interference (except when my wireless surround speaker is on in the background). I found this feature exciting since I didn't want to drop the $100 on the wireless add-on for my Xbox360.

Exclusive Games - Heavenly Sword, Ratchet & Clank, Drakes Fortune, Metal Gear Solid 4, Final Fantasy XIII - I have had my eye on Heavenly Sword since its debut at E3. I really like the combo focused gameplay and the story sounds intriguing. I'm really excited to get my hands on this title. Drakes Fortune really sounds like a great story to play through with some okay controls. I feel like it will provide the Tomb Raider type of experience that I am looking to get out of it. Metal Gear is a given. I never played MGS1, I didn't ever complete MGS2 or MGS3, but I have hopes that they have improved enough elements in the 4th game to make it worth a visit. I really liked the previous 2, but with MGS2 I needed a game guide and my MG3 got broke in half before I finished the game and I just never went back. So I have good excuses (at least I think they're good ^_^). I have high hopes for FFXIII, but I am staying cautious about the title because of the lackluster spin-off titles.

Motion Controls - I have my Wii, so I can definitely say that I like how the controls can work when implemented correctly. I think that the SixAxis controls in the PS3 controllers are a great topping for an already stacked cake. Some of the implementations have me excited to use the motion controls in a way that deepens the gameplay. I'm a little worried about my children using the controller, but I'll just have to trust my judgement on what games they play and how the motion is used.

Hard Drive Storage - I love the fact that every PS3 has built-on storage. I received the 40GB model, but I enjoy the thought that I can extend that storage space immensly by adding my own HDD's with higher capacity and faster read/write response times. This is something that trumps the Xbox360. I have been frustrated with the limited 20GB and I do not see any reason to spend $180 for 120GB of storage. In the same Walmart ad as the PS3 sale, I saw a 160GB USB powered HDD by Toshiba that was selling for $118. Sony is normally the proprietary format offenders, but Microsoft is the one who chose the wrong feature to go proprietary with this console generation. Home - Some people love the idea, some people hate the idea. I'm in the former group. I am really looking forward to Home. I believe that this is a "good-faith" offering by Playstation that will be used for many of their marketing purposes, but also adds a huge layer of interactivity and social interaction to our console experiences. Of course I want a quick-glance view of my "trophies", but the trophy room is going to be an impressive place to show off your achievements when making small talk while setting up a game or whatever else you might be doing.

PSP Connectivity - I have owned my PSP since it launched. One of the main features I was excited about is the connectivity between PSP and PS3. One of the soon-to-be most-used features of this connection is the ability to use the PSP to choose what music I am listening to without the need to go to my living room. When having parties, it will be nice to have the PSP right next to me to make the music listening experience the best it can be.

How is the PS3 stacking up to my expectations?

I felt right at home when I turned on my new console. Everything booted up quickly and the setup was fast and easy. I had heard rumors that the firmware updates were a pain when you first get your console, but it only took me about 10-15 minutes to update and I don't think that is bad. Having the PSP allowed me to quickly grasp the concept of how the XMB works on the PS3.

I didn't purchase any games with my PS3 yet. I am going on vacation soon and didn't really see a need to make any purchasing decisions. Instead I will use blockbuster rentals and downloadable demos to get a grip on what the system has to offer. During my first few hours with the system I was able to download quite a few demos both for my PSP and PS3.

I also have been having issues with my wireless router lately. I believe that I am going to have to return it to it's factory settings and run some tests before I can connect my PS3 wirelessly. This isn't just a problem with my PS3. My PSP, my daughters XO laptop, my Wii, and one of my PC's have been having connection problems as of late. I think it has to do with the fact that I changed the security settings on the router not too long ago. That's when things messed up. Hopefully I'll have those problems resolved before I go on vacation.

I only have one high-definition television in my home. It is a 37" Polaroid LCD 720p (1080i max) television. It has been a precious device in my home for over a year. Of course, it was just my luck that my TV stopped working two weeks ago. It turns on, but the screen stays completely black the entire time and it doesn't put out any sound. Gladly I purchased an extended warranty. I am shipping out the TV tomorrow and I expect it to return within a month. The problem with this is that I won't get to experience my PS3's HD output until I get my television back. Certainly a bummer, but at least not for too long.

Since I am having network problems, I was unable to get the Remote Play option to work properly with my PSP and PS3. I was able to register the device, but I couldn't get it connected via internet.

I played the following demos to get an idea of gameplay on the PS3:

* Dark Sector - I expected this to be mediocre and it was. While I had fun and the graphics looked pretty good (even on my SDTV), it just didn't seem like a game that appealed to me. Maybe good for a rent. I also couldn't beat the demo because I couldn't figure out how to get past the glowing chained gate.

* Lost Planet: Online Demo - This was a good game to give me an idea of how network play is on the PS3. I enjoyed the demo of the Lost Planey game when it released for Xbox360, so I was already familiar with how the game played. It was very similar on the PS3. I was impressed with how easy it was to set up and get a match going. No lag and good fun. I enjoyed this little demo.

* The Darkness - I downloaded this demo because I own The Darkness for Xbox360. I really love this game too. The graphics seem a little better on the PS3, but the character movement seemed a little choppy comparatively. Everything else about the game was the same and it was still a lot of fun.

* Rub A Dub - I can't remember if this is the name of this title, but I think PS3 owners will know what this is. The infamous rubber duck from Sony's E3 press conferences comes to life in this small 5 Tub (each tub is a level) downloadable game. This game was obviously put out just to show off the SixAxis motion controls. While I found it a little entertaining, my 5-year-old daughter really got into it. It's simple and fun for young children and I'm glad that the "Starter Pack" is free. For $6 I think I might go for the full version so my daughter can have something to enjoy with me.

* Echochrome - This is definitely one of the best and unique puzzle games I have played in a while. I didn't enjoy the music, but I did enjoy the different perceptions and how they effected the character and the environment. Definitely considering a purchase.

OVERALL - Yes. The PS3 has met my expectations for the features I was able to check out. I am overly excited about getting my HDTV back and testing out some Blu-ray videos and seeing the games as they should be. I'm also excited to get my network back up and running smoothly.

Out of all 3 current-generation consoles; which one is your favorite?

At this point I cannot pick a favorite. I have about 15 games on my Xbox360 and I enjoy most of them enough to play them frequently. My Wii is good for parties and family time, but gets used rarely. Although that doesn't push it off the list, it does mean that it is the lowest on my list at the moment. I guess I can also blame that on the fact that I only rented Mario Galaxy and Zelda instead of purchasing them. I don't have any games for my PS3, so there's no way it can come first, but it's features are on par with the 360 so far with the possibility of surpassing. Maybe I'll have a favorite later this year, but as for now I will continue to enjoy all of the consoles for each of the respective features, services and games.

So, here I am; posting my first Gamespot blog.... Yep...

Okay, so I just wanted to get this thing started and I don't have time to say much.

Let's just start with: According to the March 18, 2008 Gamespot Hotspot podcast, A Gamestop employee has received an e-mail about an Xbox360 Blu-ray disc player. Does this mean that the rumor is now truth? I don't know. I have seen plenty of times when a Gamestop employee sends an e-mail to a friend who posts it on the web. It can be "hit or miss" with these e-mails. In this case, I would suspect "miss." Why? I think Blu-ray is too much money for Microsoft to invest in right now.

Microsoft has the whole Video Marketplace thing going on and it is apparently working well for them. HD-DVD had low manufacturing costs and was with a neutral partner. Now Microsoft will have to pay a premium to the Blu-ray Association (headed by Sony) in order to release an add-on or internal drive for the Xbox360. I just can't imagine them wanting to pay that much.

There is the possibility that they would incur those costs in order to release an add-on to encourage people to go with Xbox instead of PS3 with a "me too" initiative. So, the possibility is surely there. If people are willing to pay a premium for PS3 because of the additional features, then maybe people will be willing to pay $300 - 500 for an add-on peripheral for the Xbox360.

My predictions at this point:

I assume that Microsoft will pass on Blu-ray for the Xbox360. They seem determined to push digital downloads and I suspect they will try to keep that as their main focus for movies. Will Microsoft release the Xbox1080 with a Blu-ray player? Maybe. Or maybe they will continue with their digital download (dare I say "Phantom" console) approach... Only time will tell. Those darn PR folks really are good at wording things in a way that keeps their options open.

PEACE