Peter Skerritt's blog

When I got home from the store [with Metal Gear Solid HD Collection], I was looking forward to popping the disc into my PlayStation 3 and seeing how the games looked in HD... but upon reading the disc, I got the message that I've seen way too many times over the course of this console generation: Version 1.01 found.

There has been a significant amount of griping over video game review scores recently. Reviewers seem to be on the defensive to readers, publishers, and developers as they attempt to further justify a number that 1,000+ words apparently could not. Games with review scores less than an 80 average on Metacritic are presumed to be bad (or worse).

What a difference 10 years can make.

I managed to accomplish two separate goals this week, when it comes to my PlayStation 2 collection. I was able to locate the final game in the .hack//G.U. trilogy to complete the set and I surpassed 200 total games thanks to a couple of decent hauls.

It's unfortunate that the console video game industry has come to locking out single-player content to combat used game sales. The case of Batman: Arkham City is closing in on a feared worst-case scenario.

In addition to the original PlayStation games that I got (which I mentioned in my last blog entry), I also took advantage of a Buy 2, Get 2 Free sale on pre-owned PlayStation 2 games at a GameStop nearby the Bookmans location that I had visited. Unfortunately, the GameStop stores here in the Phoenix area are slowly getting rid of PlayStation 2 games and shipping them to other markets… so it's becoming more difficult to add games to my collection.

I decided to part with some older books, strategy guides, and DVDs at a place called Bookmans. They're like GameStop, except they deal with almost everything in a buy/sell/trade format. I'd heard about them before, but it took me nearly two years to go down there. It's kind of a good thing that I hadn't done so when I was working more steadily, because after what I saw for sale there, I know where my money would have gone.

I've never thought that Online Passes were a good idea, but I accepted them. I don't like that the other profiles on my Xbox 360 can't use the pass to go online with, but I deal with that. I've taken the other crap in stride up to this point, but when my Online Pass code doesn't work AND it's now been used? That's the end right there.

Microsoft should be pleased with moving another 308,000 Xbox 360 units, especially during a pretty dry month for new game releases. As I mention in the analysis piece, Microsoft will likely interpret this as a signal that a price drop isn't needed for at least the rest of 2011. That doesn't mean that the company won't be offering some interesting deals.

There have been a lot of advancements and positives for console gaming over the course of this console generation. Many games sport high-definition graphics and top-notch sound. Online play gives players the option to be social with friends all over the globe, if they so choose. The rapid rise of social media has put the industry and its fans closer together than ever before. Gradually, though, this generation's negatives and general anti-consumer trends have wiped out a lot of of those positives for me.