Oh, I remember it well - Christmas of 1999, playing the PlayStation 2 for the first time; the excitement as it rumbled through my veins.
Having only one memory card at the time, my sister and I periodically took it in terns to complete Tekken Tag Tournament, that little piece of graphical ecstasy on a shiny purple disc.
As time rumbled on, more games were purchased: Final Fantasy X that frustrated and enjoyed in equal measure - Gran Turismo 3 A Spec, a game that I would never accept, no matter with how much proof I was presented, that I was no good at.
My sister grew less interested in the Third Place, so, much to my delight, it was consigned to my bedroom, where it became a prominent fixture, enjoying being my favored possession amongst a jungle of toys and electronics.
The fact is, that little black tower grew up with me. I broke it thrice; thankfully, Sony's extensive warranty always provided a replacement: just because it fell off most of the house's surfaces, it doesn't mean I loved it any less-I was just very clumsy.
As schoolwork paraded around, the time I had to spend with the aging entertainer lessened, until it was left only as a remnant of days when I had nothing constructive (or unpleasant) to do.
I can track the stages of my childhood back to the gaming console I had. Firstly, their was the SNES at three, with the Adam's Family game that I forget the name of. Then at six, there was the N64, with golden eye 007 becoming the staple of gaming, for me and for everyone else in the happily geeky world of gaming. And then in 1999, at the age of eight, the PlayStation 2 came along and changed what it was to be a kid, beating up people in a game - or shooting them, or indeed cutting people's head off.
And therein lies the problem with the PS3. The PS2, on Christmas 1999 cost roughly £300, and that was a joint present between my sister and I from my parents - I wouldn't have got it on my own. So now, parents are expected to pay £425 - £450 for what is, for a lot of people, a kid's toy. And it just won't happen. I know people will argue that the PlayStation 3 is far more than a kid's toy - and they are right, but that's still a huge market for it, and Sony cannot afford to alienate them - no matter how good the Next Generation is.
I sold my PlayStation 2 on eBay last week. With 31 games it sold for less than it was bought for. The night before I posted it, I had one last foray into the world of my PS2. It was a bit like walking around a stately home - You know it is old and rotting, and you can't afford to give it the care and time it needs. You also know that there are more practical homes out there. But despite all this, you can't escape the fact, that it is just awesome in its grace. And that is the PS2. And if I can't find time to play that in my life, a thing with more character than any PS3, then I don't need or want to pay £425 for a PlayStation 3.
