The Wanting

Xbox 360 launched today, and Com$tock wants it. Mrs. Com$tock thinks $399 is a lot to pay for a videogame system, and she is right. But, damn, that thing looks fine.

I even entertained fantasies of dragging myself out with all the other dorks last night to buy it at midnight. But it was cold and rainy in Com$tock land, so F that. It made a comforting excuse, at least. See, self, no need to feel left out, you simply don't want to stand half the night in the rain.

In the cold, rainy light of dawn, I was able to think a little more critically. First, watching the morning news and seeing coverage of all the tools who did stand out in line to buy something made me feel slightly superior for not being such a consumer. Second, four hundred bucks is a lot to pay for videogames (plus the $50 to $60 for each game).

But I know I'll cave eventually. Some series of seriously kick-ass games will come out and I'll get that familiar consumerist itch, which is really more like an obsession. And I'll hear so much about it I'll start to feel like I did when I was in middle school and I had to wait months before I could get a fashionable Banana Republic t-shirt from the mall (thank God a punk phase came quickly on the heels of that to shake me out of my sheepish stupor).

But the questions remain: Do I even want to escape the herd when it comes to video games? Will Mrs. Com$tock tolerate yet another game machine? Will I be able to at least hold out until a price drop? Stay tuned.