The next generation is upon us. Well, I guess it started last year, when I somewhat reluctantly bought a Wii U after seeing one in a WalMart on launch day. BUT, this Fall has ushered in the heavyweight contenders. I have jotted down some thoughts on both systems, here they are:

The PS4 is a great system. Slim, sleek, powerful, and simple. It is the console equivalent of a cream reduction sauce. You only get what you need, POWER. The new controller is totally awesome, with the exception of the Options button which I have yet to hit yet on the first try without looking. The PS4 appears to be the home for the best multi platform ports this generation given its stronger hardware comparatively. Knack and Killzone are both bummers. But, Resogun is a blast. Sony has some serious work to do on the exclusive front. I am not excited for InFamous or The Order. The new Uncharted is at least a year away. Until then, I suppose I will just ride along with the tons of indie games they have to offer. But, that system needs some games.

The Xbox One is pretty great. Using that system is a much different experience from goofing around with the PS4. It has the feel of something that is more "Next Gen". No, I am not saying that the games look better or anything. The interface for that thing is really impressive and the voice command stuff just seems to work for me. I have some friends that say they have some trouble with the voice recognition. But, this Louisville, KY kid with a Southern twang has had little trouble getting the system to acknowledge me. Overall, I like the system. The TV stuff is cool and useful for me. The controller has grown on me. At first I hated the bumpers. But, I have adjusted to them quite nicely. The exclusive offerings fare a bit better than Sony for me. I love Forza 5. Dead Rising 3 is an interesting departure in many ways from the previous games. Ryse sucks and Lococycle sounds much the same. So, everything is not roses on the Microsoft side, either.

Overall these things seem pretty alright. I am always an early adopter. So, I have seen systems come out and appear technically inferior or barren of worthwhile games, only to excel in the long run. Hell, little more than a year ago, we were all standing here hating our 3DS purchases and now it is the hottest thing in the world. I guess we will all see. Happy Thanksgiving and happy gaming! Also, go check out that Steam sale and pick up Papers, Please.

Hey guys,

Two years ago, I purchased my first new car. It was a 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T. It was Inferno Red, with 20" chrome rims, cold air intake, Mopar Performance exhaust, and basically every other bell and whistle I wanted on it. I had worked and saved and basically killed myself to afford that car.

Fast forward two years:

My town got hit with a pretty terrible hail storm a few weeks back and I my car was hit pretty bad. I called and reported it to my insurance and had someone come out and look at it and got an estimate for the damage.

Fast Forward to today:

I went to the lot where I bought the car and asked them to have their paintless dent repair guy come and take a look at it and see what he could do. I started talking to the salesman that had sold me the car and he told me that he remembered I really wanted a white Challenger with a 6-Speed Manual, back when I got that one. Well, wouldn't you know it, they had one on the lot. After some pushing and personal agony, I decided to go ahead and just trade in my 2010 R/T toward a 2012 SRT 392 Dodge Challenger with a 6 Speed, sunroof, DVD navigation system, 20" alluminum alloys, and leather seats. I have never owned a car with leather seats before, it is a pretty big moment for me haha.

I plan on taking the car on the Hotrod Power Tour, this summer. I took my R/T, last year and had a blast.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to ask any questions or totally slam me for buying a car with a gas guzzler and smog tax during a gas crisis.

I graduated from college in the Spring of '08. I have been a station manager for a local radio station since then. I have never bought a new vehicle or even new-ish vehicle in my life. Today that all changed.
 
2010 Challenger R/T
5.7 liter Hemi V-8
380 horsepower
20" chrome rims
and the happiest man to ever live in the driver's seat.
 
I attached a photo, for those who care. 
 

 

I got home from work last night to find that I have experienced another console failure. My ninth Xbox 360 has died. Funny thing is, I got my first one on launch day and It lasted for almost two years. It has been downhill ever since. I have now had just about everything happen to them. I had one that decided to not recognize any storage devices, dead disc drives, Red Rings, defective power bricks, and one that just wouldn't turn on the moment it came back from the factory. *sigh*
 
How many 360s have you gone through?