I got my monthly paycheck today so I went to the shops and came back with one of the new Playstation 2 slim models. This is a bit of an event because I haven’t owned a games console since the Sega Megadrive some 12 years ago.

And while I’d like to have one of the next gen consoles, the PS2 has an extensive library of games and is priced at NZ$200 (Roughly twice that of a cheap DVD player.) And I don’t have to go out and buy a new HD TV to take full advantage of it’s capabilities - Made it a far more attractive purchase.

Thankfully PS2 titles are also alot cheaper than their next-gen counterparts, and as the PS2 lifecycle is essentially at its end - Much like how some people think that 70s music is better than modern music, time can be my filter and I can pick up the ‘must have’ titles with the full retrospective advantages of hindsight. Nice.

So I picked up two games Kingdom Hearts and Shadow of the Colossus and am enjoying them very much. I had to keep giving the controller to my flatmate in Shadow of the Colossus, not traditionally being a console gamer has made me somewhat retarded when it comes to 3rd person action titles. But the game is very epic with an amazing art style and accompaning score.

I also noticed when I was at the games store was how annoying it is when the store doesn’t have the games I want - I looked in the PC section and there was just nothing I wanted (they didn’t even have the Orange Box in stock) its like I’m not being targeted as a consumer anymore.

Thankfully the PC is an open market and anyone can develop for it - And with the exception of some really big titles, It looks like indie games and digital downloads are going to be the primary source (for me at least) for PC games.