PS3

The first game I'm going to review isn't a video game. I thought this would be a great time to review the Sony PS3 video game console.

The PS3 Network has now been down 2 weeks as I write this. It's a major bummer. This is still the best gaming console right now. I say this with full confidence. I am disappointed how Sony handled the situation but I have to give them some credit for being straight-forward about the intrusion. Once everything is back up and running again, this system is the best console hands-down.

I'm not going to sit here and bash the XBOX 360. It's a great system as well. But it's also had it's own major downfalls, see Red Ring of Death. I know, I have seen this first hand. I bought a 360 brand new and got the Red Ring 2 weeks later in 2008.

This isn't about the 360 vs. the PS3. The first thing that is great about the PS3 is that it plays Blu Ray movies. It's almost like you are buying a high-end Blu Ray player and getting the gaming system for $150. Also, watching movies on the PS3 feels right. The system is quiet and the menu is setup nicely. People like to say the PS3 is expensive but it's actually cheaper than the 360 in many ways. You also get the online network for free. This does have it's drawbacks, and is probably a big reason why the network got hacked. Up until recently you had to pay extra for the WiFi adapter for the 360. The PS3 has always been free.

Blu Ray discs are hard coated with a protective film. This makes the discs more durable and scratch-resistant than standard DVDs and CDs. This is another reason I prefer PS3 games over XBOX games.

You can go online with the PS3 although it's pretty much useless. I haven't had any luck even navigating my facebook page with it. Many websites just don't work and even something as simple as checking your email seems like a chore. You know going into it you are not buying the system to replace your PC, just don't expect it to work that well if your computer is out of commission and you are looking for an alternative. My hard drive crashed and I tried using my PS3 for simple web browsing while my computer was in the shop and I finally gave up on it.
All in all I can forgive Sony. Microsoft let me down one too many times and they had years to fix the problem but let it persist. If the PS3 Network is still down in a few weeks I might have a change of tune. For now it's still the console I use most.

Welcome to the Sandbox!

I came up with the idea for the Sandbox because I live on the beach and I'm a gamer that likes to think outside the box. I also wanted to create a gaming blog that wasn't biased one way or the other. I am personally fed up with sites around the web that review games but are obviously getting paid to hype a game, even when that game is garbage. I'm not going to name any names right now, but if you are a gamer I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. One site in particular will ban anyone that uses its forums to give an honest opinion of a game that they are promoting. To me this is bullying and terrible journalism, if that's what you want to call it.

Nothing is worse than shelling out $60 for a game and getting it home and finding out the game is worthless right out of the box. Copyright laws make returning games impossible, even if said game is completely broken. At that point, your only options are to cut your losses and sell the game for much less than you paid for it or use it as a coaster for your coffee table.

You do have a few tools to avoid getting burned. You could rent the game first. The only problem is that new games are nearly impossible to rent right away. Gamefly isn't a great option for renting games. If you can find a Blockbuster, good luck renting a new release. If it's a really popular game you won't have a snowball's chance in hell of renting it within the first few months of its release.

Another option is to buy the game used at Gamestop or online. But like renting, a new release is going to be nearly impossible to find used unless it really sucks. Your third option is to hope that a friend buys the game so you can try before you buy.

This is why honest game reviews are so important. It's your only real tool that you can use to avoid getting burned. I think a great game reviewer needs to be objective and open-minded. That being said, I hope you enjoy my reviews and my occasional ramblings about video games and other technology. Please feel free to leave comments. All I ask is that be respectful here.

-Sandboxer617