Mental calculus, continued

Multiplayer

They'll tell you, no, no, by multiplayer they mean online multiplayer. I haven't gotten around to trying Microsoft's Xbox Live, but by all accounts, it seems to work pretty well. One day I'm going to string one of those blue LAN cables over to my TV and I'll be able to address this with more authority. In the meantime, just say ‘Xbox Live’ and odds are they won't know any more than I do whether or how well it works.

They'll tell you they like games that can be modded, that have player-made maps, and that get regular post-developer support in the form of patches and upgrades. Okay. Concede the point and move on, because they've got you there.

They'll tell you they prefer strategy games. They’ll explain that some genres just don't carry over well to console systems. They’ll point out that PC games still have unique strengths. Again, concede the point and move on.

They'll tell you all the best games come out for the PC eventually. Basically, they're right. If it's a Next Big Thing, you can bet it will make its way to the PC sooner or later. Grand Theft Auto and Vice City are both out for the PC already. Halo is on its way. Knights of the Old Republic, which came out this week for the Xbox, is slated for an October release on the PC.

So they're thinking, "I'll just wait three months until it comes out on the PC". Yeah, right. Like they're going to be able to wait after reading what I'm about to say: Knights of the Old Republic is the best recreation of the Star Wars experience since Larry Holland's X-Wing games (FiringSquad would like to make a group exception to X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter. -ed.). Any PC gamer worth his salt will know what that means. If that doesn't kick him into the mental calculus of begging, borrowing, or stealing $250, nothing will. I'm sorry to have to do that, but I'm trying to make a point here.

If you're into games for the whole eventness of new releases, because you enjoy the industry and the buzz and the online communal aspect of talking about games as much as the actual playing, then you're going to need a console system. If you're just some sort of freak who plays the games and that's it, then fine, don't get a console. Spend the $250 on something worthwhile like new tires for your car while I tell you about how cool it is to be a Jedi padawan with his own ship, deciding whether to go to Tatooine or Kashyyk first and wondering if I should take my astromech droid or the wookiee when I try to infiltrate the Sith base.