OMG I CAN'T WAIT FOR XXXXXX TO COME OUT!!!!

alright, so while I was doing the assigned reading I really started thinking about the part with people waiting in huge lines to get a videogame. I admit that I used to get really excited about a videogame coming out but I never remember getting so anxious I would wait in line for it. Now that my interest in videogames has significantly declined I can honestly say that I will probably never wait in line for a videogame, or any product. Maybe I might wait in line for the next Next-Gen consoles but only to sell them. I wouldn't wait in line just to get it and play it.

Besides waiting in line to be one of the first to get the game, I have now decided that I won't even think about getting the game until it has been out for at least a week. Why? well thanks to user controlled news sites like Digg.com and Slashdot.com I can see reviews from real customers who did not wait and got the game the minute it came out. I now know if the game is worth getting later or not. Especially after the release of Bioshock, I will always wait at least a week. I actually thought about buying Bioshock right when it was released, but something told me to wait and I did. Later I checked digg.com and found that lots of people were having trouble installing the game and getting their serial keys to work. Besides just the serial keys not working, the game will only let you install it 5 times before your copy becomes invalid. I will not stand up for this at all. I constantly install and uninstall games and format my drives etc etc.

A recent news article caught my eye too. Apparently Valve was offering people a chance to play a beta version of Team Fortress 2 on Monday if they pre-ordered the orange box. I will never buy the Orange box because I saw an ad for it while playing Counter-Strike last year and despise anything that takes away from the game, so this doesn't effect me. But in the article (http://www.tomsgames.com/us/fringedrinking/2007/09/pre-purchase_the_orange_box_play_team_fortress_2_when.html)
aparently Valve told customers who bought the orange box that they could play the beta on monday. Valve took customers money, gave them a promise, and didn't hold up to it. Many gamers were anxiously waiting to play their pre-loaded beta version of Team Fortress 2, but Valve never unlocked the game. Not only did Valve not unlock the game, but they didn't post any updates on their site saying the game might be delayed. I honestly think it is ridiculous that people canceled plans, and took off work to play the beta of this game, but then for Valve not to give any updates or reason for the delay is just wrong.

I'm glad I'm not a fan of Valve anymore, and after this I never will be. Valve has slowly been disappointing me, but this was the last straw. Half-Life was awesome and so was Counter-Strike, but ever since valve released Steam my loyalty and confidence in them has significantly diminished. Steam is a very good idea, if it worked like it should. I think it cuts down on piracy a lot, specifically a majority of people who don't know how to use a computer REALLY well, but we shouldn't have to connect to the internet in order to play a single-player game.

Now you can probably see where my loss of interest in videogames is coming from and how its becoming greater every day. Am I the only one who is getting tired of this or what? How much can valve screw its customers over before they get fed up like me? are valves customers just used to this and don't mind anymore? After the release of Halo 2, and hearing lots of people complaining about how short the campaign was and faults in the multiplayer, I'm actually shocked to see that people are going back to getting Halo 3 as soon as it comes out. I've never been impressed with Halo, but whats that expression? Fool me once shame on you, Fool me twice shame on me? It seems like almost all gamers are still loyal to Halo and will get it upon release. I just don't understand people sometimes, why must you have it "now" why not wait a little and think about it? or is it srsly that important? its just a game!

But then again, there are other popular titles that are not games and get launch parties/people lining up for hours. Books like Harry Potter have had the same effect on loyal readers. I read the first 3 but lost interest while waiting for the 4th book.

I don't know anymore... maybe I'm just weird, different, or moving on in life? I guess things that don't effect my future career just don't hold very high priories to me at all any more. I mean honestly, I work almost all waking hours of the day. Not just my 3 jobs but also I have classes and homework. I rarely get a chance to play a videogame any more and when I do, I bet it averages to about an hour or 2 a week.