... but I would've been missing out on a seriously great JRPG experience... and on xbox360 no less. I wasn't going to buy this title because I had been reading mixed reviews, and the whole 4 discs thing just made me cynical... but I bought it last night, and I have to say that it's great (so far!). I'm not a big JRPG fan either, so the fact that I'm liking it so much says a lot. I guess sometimes it comes down to just opening your mind and taking a chance - sticking your neck out a little and taking a risk.

It's good to see Microsoft Game Studios getting behind something that doesn't involve guns and team deathmatch and I have to admit - that was a big motivator behind my purchase. But, to my pleasant surprise, Lost Odyssey is so compelling that I'm having trouble putting the controller down. I guess I figured that if Microsoft could take a risk by backing a title of Lost Odyssey's ilk, then so could I.

This isn't the kind of game that will appeal to everyone - but from a guy who doesn't really like turn-based JRPG-style offerings, Lost Odyssey deserves a place in your collection, if you're jonesing for something not commonly found on the xbox360.

It's too bad, really, to hear of the un-timely 'demise' of HD-DVD.

No, I'm really not upset by the fact that I was one of the first to jump on the HD-DVD band-wagon - I still consider my (thankfully marginal) investment in it to be money well spent.

The impending Blu-ray monopoly won't necessarily be a bad thing, it's just that - well - if Blu-ray is the superior medium for delivering the High-Definition experience, it sure as hell isn't obvious. Frankly, there was no discernable difference in image or audio play-back quality, as far as I could tell.

It's too bad because competition is always good for the market-place and ultimately good for consumers like you and me. It keeps the 'players' honest and inspires them to continually 'raise the bar' of value, excellence and innovation.

I realize that some big studios are backing Blu-ray, and that HD was never really able to garner enough support to make a difference. Ultimately, that's probably what did it in.

No, HD-DVD didn't lose on merit, so it's supporters can still hold their heads high.

And hell, now a Blu-ray equipped xbox is likely on the horizon - and there's nothing wrong with that...