There is no such thing as saying goodbye… the Dutch favorite singer once sang in a song that brought many people to tears. That is true, and they will always remain in my heart but it is really goodbye for my PS2 and accessories. I switched to the next-gen (the now-current-gen) from day one and since then, Playstation 2, Gamecube and Gameboy have been gathering more dust than any Naked Taliban fighter in a sandstorm in Iraq. It may well be that there are still some great games coming out for PS2 that are definitely worth playing. Kudos to that, the Gamecube and Xbox were written off faster than the Koran by Geert Wilders. But I am weak. Once I had seen what a game on the Playstation 3 looked like, or how smart the opponent could be, I tried a PS2 game a few more times, but it didn’t work anymore. I am weak, I have fallen for the pomp and circumstance and turn a blind eye where the gameplay fails as long as the game is beautiful enough.
This morning I packed up my old game consoles and put them in the attic. My faithful playmates, on whom I have “wasted” hundreds of guilders and euros, are in a box in the attic among the rats and mice. Not that we have rats and mice, but it gives you an idea how miserable the conditions are. I said wasted, but already regret my words. I sit here in front of the computer with a sick and empty feeling. Never again will I see the Mario Kart cover shining in my closet, never again picking up Prince Of Persia from the ground because it no longer fits in the case and therefore fell to the ground at least 2 times every day. I said wasted but already regret my words. How much time have I spent collecting, buying and playing money from/for my games? Hours, weeks, months maybe. And every minute, every second was worth it and I haven’t had a moment’s respite.
My mother hated me for it. Every time she heard “Mom, I’m off to the games store!” she knew I was throwing away another 60 hard-earned euros. I say threw away. That’s what people call it who don’t know what gaming is. I’ve been through gaming history. I was there when the PS2 was launched for the ridiculous amount of over 2000 guilders. I also stood in line when Zelda was released for the GC. And guess where I was when the game store opened on October 29, 2004 (!) the day the latest installment of the famous GTA series was released?
At home, because I was sick. But that aside. Precisely because I am always in the front, I had to get rid of my old comrades. Because also on the 23rd of March this year I got up early to be the first to get the latest console from Sony. My gameboy had long since been replaced by my DS and PSP by that time, and now his larger counterpart would suffer a similar fate.
Well, I’m really just a jerk. Then see what progress offers us! A whole new level for games, a new standard. Better graphics, a smarter computer, a better whole. Yet the empty feeling remains with me. It is the combination of the loss of a lot of money and the fact that I am doing something myself that I never expected. I thought it was always about the gameplay for me. Still, I can no longer enjoy a game like Kingdom Hearts. A game that has entertained me for many days, I can no longer stand because there are so many errors that surface that can be fixed today. Am I a graphics ***** then? Someone who buys a game purely because it looks good? Perhaps. There was that game that gave me more hours of fun than any other game. I’m not ashamed to say which one, because I know you’ve all played it yourself (or still play it). Roller coaster Tycoon. That game is butt ugly. I think I’m going to install it this holiday. See if I can still have fun with it. For now, I just wish you a happy holiday and of course the best wishes for the year 2008, hoping that there will be many more moments where you and I stand in line for another piece of gaming history (or future?). Is it 2008 already? Then read this piece retroactively!
PS For sale: my old PS2 games. Because I have switched to the new generation I am offering my old games for sale. This concerns only good quality games. Each game is a piece of gaming history in itself. All games are treated with love.
PS (2): I expect the new owner to treat the games with love, otherwise there will be no deal!
