Twist Purchase

It's been a while since I've dedicated some time to playing some video games. It's been a luxurious time thus far, and it's helping me stay sane and happy. Well, a lot of things help me stay sane and happy, but video games... they're a class of their own. The sheer amount of enjoyment I get from turning on a game console, popping in a disc or cartridge and letting it load, and then experiencing the fun, the intensity, and the challenge it offers me... there's not much else in the world than can offer that kind of entertainment.

Gods... the watercolor style used in Valkyria Chronicles just amazes me. It makes an already-beautiful game even more beautiful.

Last week I got my hands on a Sony PlayStation 3, but it's only now that I've had some time to get it installed and ready to play stuff.

Now, I know some of you out there who know me well enough are asking if this was such a wise decision - at least from a financial standpoint. I'm going to cut to the chase and say: "Yes. It was a wise decision." I had been looking to buy a PlayStation 3 for a while now, and with my current scenario, I had some leftover funds that I figured would be good to spend on myself. (I think I deserve it.)

If you're still doubting my words, then I think the rest of this entry ought to ease your worries somewhat - because they will show that this was money well spent. (The experience, on the other hand...?)



At the time of purchase and the time of writing this entry out, GameStop had a special promotion going on with the sale of used seventh-generation video game consoles. (For those unfamiliar with the jargon, the "seventh-generation consoles" include the Microsoft Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii, and the Sony PlayStation 3.) You would get the game console as it would've been bought if it was new (meaning all the necessary wires and a controller was included), two low-priced used games, and a one-year warranty - all for a pretty low price.

I thought to myself, "Eh. Interesting. Maybe I should check this out." So I went over to the GameStop next to the Target where I work and chatted with the employees/friends inside about it. They said it was a great bundle for anyone who was eyeing one of the seventh-gens and had a budget to keep to.

What they said next surprised me. Some customer had come in a few... I want to say "days" prior to my recent visit... and baffled the GameStop staff by turning in a first-generation PlayStation 3. Those of you who're tech-savvy or know a few things about the PS3's hardware probably just widened their eyes in surprise. Those not knowledgeable in these things (which is just about half of you out there) are wondering why the others look so shocked. I'll explain why.



The original PS3 models (released all the way back in 2006) have long since been considered as one of the best renditions of the seventh-gen console. It featured many features and perks that the current models - the fourth-generation PS3 "Slims" - lack, including (but not limited to):

• Linux support
• flash memory card readers
• backward compatibility

That last one was a real treat for Sony fans and is a primary argument over why the first-generation PS3 is the best. Many a video game player will cite at least one positive experience with a PlayStation 2, and of those players, virtually all of them have a decent library of PS2 games. While the second-generation PS3 models (released 2007) also featured the ability to play PS2 games, they used a software-based emulation system as opposed to using actual hardware. So, to the gamers who grew up with a PS2, it's a no-brainer to select first-gen.

(Author's Note: Here's a handy PS3 generation comparison chart in case you got lost.)

The problem with that is that the first-gens are obviously no longer in production. As such, those gamers who bought the PS3 when it officially launched and know what they have have refused to part ways with their console. Not only was it a pricey investment ($500USD for the 20GB model and $600USD for the 60GB), but it was also one that causes newer PS3 owners to go green with envy for.

Oh, yeah, everypony - I'mma be having some fun tonight! Now the question is: which war do I fight in? Or do I just say "screw it" to war and pop in a Blu-Ray movie?

Now that you know a bit of the technical specs, let's go back to the story at hand. This guy was turning in a 60GB first-generation PlayStation 3 for store credit, and the GameStop employees were baffled at this person's poor decision. Did he not know what he was about to let go of forever? Possibly - that's what the staff were thinking. After retelling the story to me, I was also flabbergasted. Every single person I know that owns a first-gen PS3 has kept that PS3, and for the most part, they're all still functioning at optimum strength nearly eight years later.

As a longtime customer of this particular GameStop (I've been frequenting it since high school and I'm one of the regulars they love), the staff has come to know my particular taste in games and consoles. They always rag on me in good taste whenever a new Pokémon or Metal Gear game is announced (mostly because I'm almost guaranteed to place a pre-order for it), and they always recommend me to try out games that I've found were very good. More recently, they've been a good source of 3DS StreetPass data and general news (at least half the staff there has a 3DS).

With that in mind, it would be fair to say that they knew of my dreams of owning a first-gen PS3. Sure, the hard drive space is utter crap compared to the massive plethora on the fourth-gen "Slims," but I'm one of those guys who appreciates the fact that I can still play PS2 games in lieu of not owning a PS2 (though that won't stop me from keeping my PS2 anyway). And that's when the GameStop manager got an idea. She suggested that I get the 60GB PS3 right then and there via the bundle deal.

I mulled it over for some time, and as can be seen with the picture above, I decided to go through with it. I went home to check on some things and then came back, ready to claim my awesome new used-yet-surprisingly-well-taken-care-of 60GB first-gen PS3. I ended up getting Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Heavy Rain as my two freebie games - the former because I wouldn't be a Metal Gear fan without it (it was also a game that was on my "must buy" list for the PS3), and the latter because the employees suggested it to me (and because Valkyria Chronicles' price wasn't low enough to be included in the bundle deal).

You can picture the scene - it's about 1700 and people are coming in. Parents and whiny whelps complaining about how the parents don't have the gall to buy the next-hottest mature-rated game; regulars who're stopping by after work to pick up the game that just got released that day; passersby wanting to browse the store and see what was on special; numerous amounts of staff present (not to handle the rush, but because there was a changing of the guard). And then there we have... me - this 22-year-old elated Filipino getting his very first PlayStation 3.

Truth be told: the GameStop employees were also pretty happy for me. Not only was I getting a big console (and therefore a big purchase - hey, I know how retail works: big sales = big hours), but I was buying an excellent console and I was someone who knew and appreciated what he was getting out of the purchase. That made them happy with me and cancelled out that horrible feeling they had with the guy who turned this awesome thing in.



So as they were ringing me up, I began to reach for my wallet in my left pocket - and that's where things began to go wrong. As I pulled out my credit card, I felt something cold and uncomfortable. I look down and notice that there's spaghetti falling out of my pants. Just... just picture it, will you? Me, standing in line at GameStop with about fifteen people total in the store... with spaghetti dropping from my pockets.

I felt as if the entire world was staring at me, waiting to see what I would do next. I honestly was waiting for a response myself - I had never dropped spaghetti like this. And now... now, there was spaghetti all over the floor. Immediately I took off my windbreaker and began to gather all the spaghetti up, but then I realized I was just smearing spaghetti all over the carpet. It was virtually impossible to pick up at that state, and now I had just messed up my friends' store. In front of them. And about ten random strangers. Strangers who were staring at me with shock and confusion.

I turned red with embarrassment and grabbed my credit card back as the transaction finished. I stuffed as much spaghetti as I could back into my pockets, grabbed my purchase, and ran out of there, hiding my face inside my newly-acquired PS3's box. I had never felt as humiliated as I did then... and I dare say that this might have been the most humiliating experience I'll ever have. To be even more honest: I don't know why I even told you this story. It's just embarrassing for this to have happened.

Even the Princess of the Night has her embarrassing moments.

S-So, if you'll excuse me, I, uh... I think I'm going to go hide for the rest of the day. Yeahhhh...