We just got finished moving into a new house this month, and it's nice to calm down a bit and play some games I've been itching to play for a while. I had some playtime before, but now I have more so I'm taking advantage of it.

Needless to say, I am indulging in the splendor that is a new surround sound system which is louder than any sound system has any right to be. I am positive that once the little guy is born, that there will be much softer and less explosive gameplay sessions just because the little bundle of wrinkly joy will be sleeping about 12-18 hours a day if what people have told me is correct.

This will make the neighbors extremely happy, since ever since we moved in and got it set up there has been a virtual warzone inside my home. Ghost Recon: AW is an amazing game in it's own right, but hearing gunfire whizz past your ears while chatter goes over the airwaves, and then there's the explosions. Oh cripes, the explosions... they literally rattle my windows (and they're even double paned! ) and make the neighbors cry foul.

It's gotten to the point that I'll blow stuff up that really doesn't need to be blown up, just to watch and hear the effects. Oblivion does a good job of developing an atmosphere as well, and I've nearly soiled myself a few times when a Daedric dude or Mage sneaks up on me and growls in my ear. Of course, I nearly soiled myself when the owner of a home caught me sneaking in and stealing a few necessary items as well. Let's just say surround sound has quite the effect on the gaming experience.

I peruse and post in the System Wars extensively and it still amazes me how people get persecution complexes and start calling me names when they get smacked down for breaking the rules. If someone posts up a dirty picture, or a massive smiley with "T_HBO", or is just plain being a horses ass, I lock them down, deduct their points and leave a reason if needed. It's nothing personal.

However, without fail, they'll post again saying how I can't stand anyone bashing on ______ console so now I'm a lemming/cow/sheep/hermit mod. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, I've ben called everything in the book at one point or another. Which brings me to a point I don't think will ever be answered with any degree ot finality:

Is it unnatural or out of the realm or normality to not care which platform a  game is on? I mean sure I have more games for certain platforms than others, but that doesn't mean I have a special affinity for that piece of hardware. If a piece of consumer hardware has enough merits or in this case games to make me want to buy it, then I don't care who makes it. I want to play that game.

I can see the good and bad of each console, because none of them are perfect for me. If someone created a console with the best in racing, RPGs, FPSs, adventure, shooters, puzzle games, arcade games, platformers, flying sims, RTSs, and sports games, then I'd be the first in line.

I may be alone on this, but I think it would make everyone's life would be much easier and of course be cheaper is there were a central gaming console. Just one. That all of the other companies, Ninty, MS, Sony, whoever, would just make games for, that would sell on their own merits, and not because one has a larger userbase than the other. Think about it for a minute:

Combine the userbases of all three current gen consoles, comes to a little under 150 million potential users. Instead of games like Halo or GTA selling 5-7 million, they'd potentially sell millions more based simply on the fact that there are more people that can play it. It could also be a boon to the console companies, because they could ditch the billions they spend on R&D and the losses they take on new game consoles (except Nintendo, who generally makes a profit on their hardware), and focus it more on games and the development of such.

Since Nintendo can make a console and still make a profit, maybe let them make the Central Gaming Console and issue newer versions every 5-6 years just like the current console models. Sure, you'd have to buy the new machine twice a decade, but for gamers like me who spend 1000 or so each time a new console generation begins, that would be well worth it to have a single one.

Wow, that went on longer than expected. I doubt that will ever happen, but it's an idea. Anyway... back to cracking the plaster with mortar fire and grenades.

Oh, and to adrian1480... I'm gonna pick up FNR3 soon. I'll see you in the ring.