Console wars...

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Consoles wars have been doing the rounds since I can remember, even in the days of the Comodore64 and the Spectrum there have been console wars. Us gamesplayer just seem intent on proving that we have the best, for some inane reason, we feel this will prove something to ourselves, quite what, I still haven't found out!

I am as much to blame as the next man, however, I do have to say that I can feel myself maturing and realising that the constant "Mines better then yours..." doesn't prove anything, to anyone. Back in the days of the Commodore64 I can still remember spending more time saying "mines better then yours" to my fellow Spectrum gamesplayers, then I did playing the actual games. I'm not saying Console wars are a bad thing, it's just us gamesplayer should realise that each and every console has something that the next doesn't. So for that simple reason, we should have them all...and if we can't, there is no need in trying to kid ourselves that the console we don't have, yet secretly want, is no good, or that the console we have is the best in all areas.

"as soon as the PS2 hits our shores the Dreamcast will be no more."

I currently have no good words for the SEGA Dreamcast, however this is something which steams back many years, to the Saturn...yeah, you remember that? I feel that if SEGA can produce something as poor as that, then I don't want to know. I should know of course, that we all make mistakes, and we should learn from them, I'm sure SEGA will. However, it may already be too late...the console is doomed in my view, with the arrival of the SONY Playstation2, as soon as the PS2 hits our shores the Dreamcast will be no more.

However, it already has a classic in the shape of Soul Calibur and so how we will look back on the Dreamcast in years to come, is anyone's guess! The console war is really hotting up at the moment, with the immanent arrival of the Playstation2 and Nintendo's very own next generation console, not to mention the secret X-box, and so us gamers are once again trying to prove that 'our' company will produce the next best console.

The problem lies in the fact that sometimes we no longer worry about getting the best games, but just our consoles successor. The fact of the matter is us gamesplayers all live for one thing, to see and play the best games around at the current moment, and to be able to say in years to come...I was there! However, this can only be achieved if you own more then one console, why? Well, because each console offers something that the next one doesn't. If you stick to one console, you are limiting what you see and play, and that is not a good thing. Brand loyalty is a good thing, yet when it goes too far...when people keep talking about their experiences on other console, you have to question what your missing out on.

"our expectations are getting ever greater, we want more, we expect more...hell we even need more."

Why limited yourself to one company's style of the video game scene, at the end of the day you will be the only loser. Console wars will go on forever, us gamesplayers will continue to back our own systems, continue to rip the piss out of others, yet will we continue to live our dreams? Well, if you stick to one console...no, if you broaden your horizons you will live your dreams. Us gamesplayers are about to enter the next stage of the video gaming scene, we about to live our true dreams, our expectations are getting ever greater, we want more, we expect more...hell we even need more.

We have never had it so good, so just take advantage of the situation, it's true that what you don't know won't hurt, but if you don't at least have a look at what else is out there, you will never know what adventures you have been missing out on. We are all gamesplayers, and so what does it matter which system we play on, as long as we can live our dreams...that's all we should be worrying about, not whether mine is better the yours!

Kevin Preston