360? No thank you.

Why doesn't this BSer own a Xbox360?

Easy answer - I hate bullies. Especially rich bullies.

Let's start with the original Xbox. Microsoft came out of the gate with the Xbox, a huge system with a controller that doubles as a wheel block for Lockheed aircraft and a hard drive that failed often enough to be frustrating for some owners. The titles they had were of minimal appeal to me, but what got my goat was the manner Microsoft approached the market.

Win with money.

Lose money on every console sale - sure thing. Lock down titles to be Xbox exclusive - no problem. Live the shooter lifestyle - we've got your back.

Microsoft lost over a billion on the first Xbox, but that didn't stop them. When your company is being criticized by share holders for having excess cash, losing money is a good thing. It means the company is attempting to create growth opportunities.

Stupid shareholders.

So with all that going on and the fact I already owned the PS2 meant I kept away from the Xbox. Not even tempted.

When the Xbox 360 started coming around, it was still that fanboy within who said, "Don't even bother."

Then I started hearing about games like Geometry Wars - a freakin' cool shooter that was like Robotron on acid. Now they had my attention.

The PS3 was still a year away and was looking really expensive. Meanwhile, Microsoft was putting out a nice online service that was putting more small games out. Although it did have an annual fee. However, there was some temptation for the Sonylovin' dude.

Until the 360s started dying.

The Red Ring of Death (close friend of the Blue Screen of Death) started appearing in homes with Xbox 360s. One moment you're playing and the next a red led light is shining from your 360 telling you, "Game over." And it wasn't isolated, it was widespread.

[for a good and current detailed account, read: http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/05/xbox-360-defects-an-inside-history-of-microsofts-video-game-console-woes/ ]

My favorite accounting of the process was listening to the podcast Player One. The three members of the podcast all were bigger fans of the 360 than the PS3 because of the game selection. And that's a very good reason to have a preference. However, all three of them also had their 360 die. It was a bit of a joke to me. How can something be so good, yet have to be replaced? When I stopped tuning into Player One, one of the members was suspecting that his secondXbox 360 was going to give up the ghost. But it was still better than the PS3.

Yeah, sure it is.

Other techniques that Microsoft has used which have raised my ire include shelling out advertising money to make games either exclusive to the 360 or release early on the 360. Rock Band 2 came out for the 360 about three weeks ahead the PS3 andWii . Grand Theft Auto IV will have exclusive download content only on the 360. It's using money instead of quality to win, and that amounts to being a cash heavy bully in my eyes.

Eventually I bought my Playstation 3 post-Christmas 2007. I loved it. It was a way cool system. The familiar Sony style controller, sleek looks, a few free Blu-ray DVDs on the way, and backward compatibility to the PS2 games. (Which is no longer in the current PS3 models.) And eventually, Rock Band, which is another topic that carries a similar theme.

Oh yeah, and I had to return my PS3 to Best Buy within days due to a manufacturing defect on the plastic shell. Meanwhile, Xbox Live has seen the arrival of a fair number of cool board games to be played online.

Bugger.

Be seeing you.