I also have my own personal website entitled The Mind of Game which I use to post a great deal of gaming news, First impressions, Reviews and Editorials. Check it out when you get the chance. I keep the site updated a pretty steady stream of content so check back often.
Latest Talk Xbox Review: GRID
This is the question I seek to answer in an editorial I've written that was just published on Talk Xbox a few hours ago.
This editorial is already lighting up over at N4G, where it's already received 113 comments (as of this writing) in the few short hours since it went live. As was expected, this is a hot-button issue in the gaming community and I was glad to give my two cents on the issue.
So, check it out why don't ya?
Earlier today, after mulling it over for hours, I went up to GameStop and traded in my Xbox 360 for $110 in store credit which I used to buy a new Arcade system, much like the one you see above. This was a very tough decision to make but I'm happy with the choice I've made. Somehow forcing the RRoD would have allowed me to get my Xbox 360 repaired for free but there were four main reasons why I decided not to do this.
First, as I mentioned before, there's the risk of Microsoft sending me another defective system. I've heard of numerous cases of this happening and I didn't want to take that risk.
Second, I wanted a system with one of the newer, Jasper motherboards, which runs much cooler than previous models due to the 65nm CPU and GPU. Although Jasper shipments haven't yet been confirmed, there are many sites that are reporting that Jasper systems have indeed shipped so I'm confident that I have one.
In addition, I was an early adopter and, as you possibly already know, the HDMI port was added retroactively to all Xbox 360 models a little over a year ago so this was something that I wanted, considering my upcoming HDTV purchase.
Third, well, I'm impatient. Time is money and I've already committed to doing a few reviews for Talk Xbox which require me to having a working Xbox 360. I tried playing a bit of Mega Man 9 earlier today, but when I turned off the system to go have lunch and came back, the system was once again outputting those telltale dots that blanketed the screen in a sickening green hue (sickening, despite the fact that green is my favorite color 
). My editors are expecting a fast turnaround and I aim not to disappoint.
Fourth, I don't want to have to go through this decision process again so, I decided to also buy a one year Product Replacement Plan through GameStop for $20. Given my work experience, I know that when a customer brings back a system with a PRP, there are no questions asked. I plan to use this to my advantage to switch out my system for a new one a year from now, regardless of whether or not it has a problem. Hopefully, Microsoft will have found out what causes Xbox 360's to break down and fixed the problem once and for all.
So, considering all of these things and that the Arcade system has everything I need, this was a no-brainer. Sure, it does leave a $100 dent in my wallet but I'll eventually get over it. I purchased Duke Nukem 3D earlier and I've been playing that for a few hours since I got home. Being able to relive one of the cla$$ics I loved playing on my dad's computer all those years ago was almost worth the $100 in itself. Almost.
Well, here's hoping I don't have any problems out of Xbox 360 #3...at least until October 5, 2009 that is. 
Re-posted from The Mind of Game
Pure Review
The following is but a short excerpt of my review of Pure, quite possibly one of the best ATV racing titles ever made.
"The extreme sports genre has always been one that empowers us to live our fantasies. Pure is yet another in a long line of ATV racing titles that allows for just that. The talented team at Disney Interactive's Black Rock Studio definitely had their work cut out for them when it came to making Pure stand out from the current crowd. That being said, it's clear they've done a great job in that regard and have produced what is probably the best ATV racing game this generation."
Justin McBride - Talk Xbox
Nintendo Announces the DSi
"Nintendo announces a second redesign to its ever popular DS platform which features many enhancements and added features over the current DS Lite platform."
I've also got an editorial coming up that should be published on Talk Xbox tomorrow. When it's published, I'll post an update here. In addition, I have some editorial content planned for The Mind of Game and you should see that as soon as I finish it, so of course, stay tuned. If you like what you saw above, spread the word! Digg it, tell your friends and, of course, let me know! I'm always happy to hear from folks who enjoy my work.
