Last friday, I succumbed to the allure of the latest game console and bought myself a Christmas present in the form of an Xbox 360. I was going to wait for another week so that I won't be distracted by video games as I still have one more final to go; but last Friday was the last day to receive a $100 rebate for the product. I simply cannot pass on a good deal. I also used my thesis research, which actually has something to do with game consoles, to justify for the purchase.

The Xbox 360 is incredibly easy to set up. The package comes with everything that one needs to get the machine running. It comes with a component/composite video cable and a wireless controller, including batteries. Yes, all 7th generation game consoles support wireless controllers. Next, I signed up for a gaming profile on Xbox Live, an online multiplayer gaming and content delivery system designed specifically for the Xbox 360, to download patches needed for updating the hardware. After 20 minutes of initial setup, I was ready to see what my game machine can do. I don't know much about gaming these days; but I have been told by several sources that Gears of War is one game that every Xbox 360 owner should get as it pushes the game console to its limits. Based on that claim, I bought Gears of War as my first Xbox 360 game. As the game appears on my screen, it became clear why Gears of War is the current killer app on the Xbox 360. The graphics is stunningly photorealistic. There is no lag in animation even at resolution of 1080i - the game runs very smoothly. Typically, I am not a fan of third-person shooting game genre because of its mindless brute-force tactical gameplay. Gears of war take on a different approach to third-person shooting, emphasizing on team work and cover-and-conceal tactics. Patience and sound tactical sense are rewarded in this game. Actually, playing this game reminds me of my military training where cover-and-conceal and suppressive firing to support the advancement of my teammates were drilled to our very soul. I am still not very comfortable with the controls. I seem to keep pressing the wrong keys at the wrong time.

Surprisingly, I have been exercising abstinence by not playing video games in the last 3 days instead focusing on studying for my finals and working on other pertinent activities. But I am counting down to the last day of school - just two more days.

12/19/2006 10:43:11 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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