Waiting for the Game

I'm imagining a future, say three months from now, where I'm sitting in my living room with the following objects: a tv, a Wii, a PS2, and an Xbox 360. I have bought a few games for Wii (the launch titles were good for once!), my nice little collection of old PS2 games (your so pretty Tourist Trophy) and my shiny 360 with the Lord of the Rings in it's drive.

What does this mean? Well, even now as I'm considering buying a 360 this very weekend, almost a full six months after it's arrival, there is not a mouth watering title in sight.

I am quite fond of Burnout, but found even the last two releases to be much of the same. Fight Night and the majority of other games in the library are available on other systems and I practially run from MMORPGS. War games...OMG. They are sooo last summer...when they had a probably 12 WWII games available for every system.

So where does that leave me with this 360?

Perfect Dark. A game that will most likely make it to the check-out line on history alone. I've poured through websites of the other releases and this is the only one that draws my mouse inward to it's seductively lettered link name, "Perfect Dark: Zero". Actually I stop reading and the ":" because Pefect Dark is like the holy grail to our little circle of gamers. I can hear Dr. Carrol's voice now...calling to me. Whining to me. Floating into enemies and getting stuck behind doors.

Ahh the days of 64-bit controlled A.I.

But reviews are still less than stellar. Nowhere near as heavenly as it's N64 counterpart.

Does the first game I buy really have to be Oblivion, a game heralded by most that's plagued with odd patches, two buck horses, and long(er) load times? Does it have to be ESPNMLBNFL 2006? Or will it be a game that's purchase is out of desparation, a bit of curiosity and pure nostalgia?

I guess I'll find out this weekend when the doors to Circuit City open magically in front of me and the air of manufactured blister packaging and cardboard boxes fill my nostrils and air condition my bald head.

To the future!