I love my PlayStation 3 as a Blu ray player, but if the Blu ray camp wants more mainstream adoption, they need to get their act together. Many Blu ray players require a firmware update to play new titles. Your average person is not going to understand why their movie won't play. Worse still, many early stand alone players are not equipped with an ethernet port requiring the user to go online, download the update, copy it to disc, and then install before watching a movie. IMHO, the only Blu ray player at the moment worth having is the PS3.

Secondly, and the reason for this blog. I recently preordered Iron Man on Blu ray..only to receive an email stating that the Blu ray version has been recalled due to imcompatability on early stand alone machines. Come on. When was the last time you tried to watch a dvd that was imcompatible with your DVD player? I know that as an early adopter kinks still need worked out, but for what it's worth, HD-DVD didn't require firmware updates and it had a standard spec from the beginning.

Currently there are 3 standards for Blu ray: profile 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0. 1.1 added picture in picture while 2.0 added online functionality to titles supporting that profile. Again, HD-DVD had all that at launch. Don't get me wrong though, I believe that Blu ray, overall, is and was a superior format to HD-DVD. Also, as a testament to Sony's excellent hardware, PS3 for a time was the only upgradeable Blu ray player and is still considered by many to be the best player on the market.

So for most of my life I've been a very anxious person. My mom jokes that I was th only 1st grader who laid awake at night worrying about a nuclear holocaust. Anyways the reason I'm stating this is to talk about my new hobby.

For years I've played video games to relieve stress and boredom. Over the last few years people have become increasingly rude on XBL and show little, if any, sportsmanship. Typically when I do play video games I either play co-op with friends, or play MP (usually team deathmatch) with friends (if you read this Fuzzy, thanks for the invite the other day, I had fun even though I suck at Halo 3 ). I also still enjoy the SP experience, but I just need something that causes me no irritation or frustration. I've noticed lately that after any significant gaming time I usually have a headache and my jaw hurts from clenching my teeth. I honestly don't take it seriously, I just get aggravated easily.

So, while it may sound stupid and childish, I've started building model cars again like I did when I was a kid. I've always enjoyed the order of following instructions on building things (did I mention I'm OCD) and putting things together. So the other day I picked up a model (I think it's a 2006 Chevy Camaro) as well as some tools for building models (sand paper, model glue, an X-acto knife, paint brushes, etc.). I also got a tackle box to keep everything in one place, now I just need to sit down and start working on it somewhere were the cat won't be batting pieces around and my daughter won't decide she needs to add a part to her My Little Pony collection.

What I'd like to do though, is to take random pics as the model progresses and post them in my blog. For anyone reading this, do you know if there is a limit on the size of pictures in your blog or are they automatically sized down to fit your blog?

So that's what's currently going on in my life. Life is currently good, although it will be picking up once again when school starts as my daughter starts Kindergarten this year and I'm teaching another class this semester.

So, to all friends, I'll see you on XBL and I wish you all a safe and happy conclusion to your summer if I don't post again before it ends.

This is part 1 of a 2 part series. I'm posting this blog outside of System Wars in an effort to address areas in which Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have all stumbled this generation. Part 2 will discuss things with their respective consoles that have advanced the industry, i.e, things they've done right.

First off much of this information has been posted on SW ad nauseum, so I'm honestly unsure why I'm posting it in my blog. Is it for GS members to argue about or to inform those who are unsure of what console to purchase? Or is it because I currently have nothing to do and this idea has been floating around my head for awhile? Either way, lets get started. I'd also like to note that in looking at the cons of each system, I own an Xbox 360, a PlayStation 3, and a Nintendo Wii. I've played several games on each system and believe I can provide an unbiased opinion about each. So here goes.

Microsoft:

First and foremost, the RROD. While it isn't as bad as some SW posters would like you to believe, it's still at unacceptable levels. Yes it's gotton better as MS has improved the cooling system and offers a 3 year warranty, but for early adopters, it's still annoying. I'm currently on my 2nd 360 as my launch console died in September of 2007.

Next up, what the hell is the deal with microtransactions?!? I love XBL, but two bucks for a theme or some gamer pics? Come on MS, throw a dog a bone. To game developers, I just spent $60 on your software and you can't throw in a free theme or some gamer pics? Give me a break.

Next up: the outrageous prices for peripherals. (I'm looking at you $100 wifi adapter) Come on MS, that thing shouldn't cost more than $40 to $50. Lower the price and I'm sure a lot more people would look at that as a viable option.

Storage space: $180 for a 120GB HDD? Are you kidding? Again, why do you charge so much? I can put a 300GB HDD in my PS3 for the same price. Even the 60GB HDD is rumored to cost $99.99. If MS really wants people to take advantage of all the great content on XBL, they need to make upgrading the HDD more cost effective.

Sony:

PSN has come a long way, but if Sony wants to compete with XBL, they need to have a more integrated online experience. Sony needs to include a headset with every PS3 sold, or at least come out with an official headset (that's affordable). They need to make inviting friends easy, no matter what game you and your friends are playing. Overall, in regard to the online experience, Sony needs to set certain online requirements for developers to implement in their titles including in game soundtracks and voice chat. Don't leave it up to the developers to decide what features they are going to use.

Next, Sony, don't claim to be the only "true HD console" and then include composite cables with your console that aren't even capable of 480p. If you don't want to include an HDMI cord, that's fine, but at least provide component cables.

Multiple SKU's with varying degrees of functionality. I have nothing against having multiple SKU's, but Sony has taken this to a whole new level. With MS, if I decide to buy the Core/Arcade version, I can always upgrade it to Elite status (with possibly minus the HDMI output). With the 20GB you don't have built in wifi, with the 80GB you don't have full BC (it's software based as the 60GB provided full BC through having the same hardware as the PS2), and with the 40GB you don't have ANY BC (other than PS1 titles). So even if I chose to upgrade my 40GB PS3's HDD, it will never be BC with PS2 titles.

Built in controller battery. I shouldn't have to spend $55 on a new controller or send it away to Sony just because my battery no longer holds a charge. IMO, I prefer replaceable batteries. And what the hell is up with the 3ft charging cable? Would it have killed Sony to give me a cord long enough to allow me to charge the battery while playing? I can't wait for the law suit when some kid goes blind from sitting 3ft away from his 60 inch TV.

And lastly, Sony lose the arrogance (and in all honestly I think the PS3 has humbled them). People often wonder why Sony is held to such a high standard when compared to the other consoles, and IMO, Sony is to blame for this. At one time the PS3# was supposed to do 1080p natively with dual HDMI outputs, and that all games would run at 60fps. What we got is that most game run in 720p with a single HDMI, and hover around 30fps. Sony did a simlar thing with the ps2, which is one reason often cited for the death of Sega's Dreamcast.

Lastly, Sony needs to work harder to secure better exclusives. Sure it has some GREAT exclusives (most notably Uncharted, Rachet and Clank, MGS4, and Gran Tourismo), but they've lost a lot of great exclusives. They need to get better with 1st party titles if they expect to define their console better. If Killzone 2 and Resistance 2 deliver what people are hoping for, this will go a long way in helping Sony define their console.

Nintendo:

Shovelware, shovelware, shovelware. Finding a good game on Wii sometimes feels like finding a diamond in the rough. Yes it has some GREAT game including Super Paper Mario, Super Mario Galaxy, SSBB, Mario Kart Wii, Metroid, Zelda, and a couple others, but for every great game there are 20 games that are shovelware. While the developers make money on this, I beleive it will hurt the console in the long run, most notably defining the Wii as a Shovelware console. Now, I have nothing against casual gamers, but shovelware appeals to these people because they aren't your typical gamer of yore. They don't visit GameSpot to read reviews, and most of them don't know a good game when they see it. I have a coworker who told me how great the game Carnival was. I read the review on GS and they gave it a 3.5. Yet this person doesn't own SMG.

Online functionality. Oh Nintendo, where to begin. First off, it shoudn't take 30 minutes to add a friend to your contacts list. Secondly, why can't I have voice chat?!? I read a recent letter sent in to Game Informer and a Wii owner came up with a clever way to have voice chat in his Wii games when playing with friends. He turns on his 360 the friend does the same, and then they enter private chat on their 360's while playing a Wii game. People shouldn't have to do this.

Memory Space. Nintendo, you're doing a great job with downloadable titles, but why can't I run games from my SD card? Why do I have to keep copying and deleting games and sometimes download them again. Personally I'd be happy if I could boot games from my SD card.

So, that's it. I doubt many people will read the entire thing, but if you do, feel free to post a comment, I look forward to hearing from you. I'm sure there are complaints that other people have, but these are my personal complaints which means you don't need to agree with me or them, and my cons may be your pros. I hope you've enjoyed this blog post and you can expect the pros of each console within a week. Thanks again.