For the Love of Gaming

Image courtesy of Xbox

So a funny thing happened last week - I bought an Xbox One. I have been a proud owner of a PlayStation 4 since it launched last year and have thoroughly enjoyed my time with it (and that trend will most definitely continue). The PS4 is a fantastic system, and I chose it over the Xbox One last November because it was cheaper and had more games I wanted to play on it. My opinion on the Xbox One at the time was rather low, and stayed that way for a while. It was not a system I wanted to spend my hard earned cash on; I really did not understand or agree with the course Microsoft had set its new system on.

That all changed back in May, when Microsoft drastically changed its business model and began selling the Xbox One without the Kinect camera for $399 ($100 less than the original Xbox One system and the same price as the PS4). Then in June Microsoft gave a very impressive press conference at E3, filled to the brim with fantastic exclusives. Two of the games shown- Sunset Overdrive and Halo: The Master Chief Collection - sold me on the system. I really wanted to play those games. Despite my original trepidations about the system, I always kind of knew that I would get a Xbox One eventually, and now that there were some games coming for it that I had genuine interest in, I knew that time was approaching quickly.

I was very cautious about buying a Xbox One, as I already owned a next-generation gaming system that I played regularly. Most of the games I wanted to play were available on both systems, and I prefer the DualShock 4 to the Xbox One controller. It was also quite a large investment - $399 for the system, not including games or a Xbox Live Gold membership. For all intents and purposes, I really did not need to buy a Xbox One.

But I bought it anyway.

When it comes down to it, there are two reasons why I decided to buy one:

1. I wanted it.
2. I really love video games.

That second point is really the biggest reason why I just became a proud, new owner of a Xbox One. Gaming is my hobby, and if there is a game that I really want to play, I will play it regardless of what system it is on. I wanted to play Titanfall (which I bought with the system alongside Forza Horizon 2). I want to play Sunset Overdrive, Halo 5, Quantum Break, and a variety of indie games that will only be available on the Xbox One when they come out.

Despite some hiccups (I ran into some rather nasty installation problems, and I still have not set up the TV stuff because I do not have an IR emitter cable), my experience with the Xbox One has been really great. I can tell that the Xbox One has improved tremendously since launch, and will only continue to get better. I kept trying to think which system - the Xbox One or the PS4 - that I preferred, now that I own both of them. But in the end, I realized that it really does not matter. There are games on both systems that I will play and enjoy, and it would be incredibly dumb for me to pick one over the other. That sentiment goes should be echoed by every other gamer as well; if you only own one system, just know that it is really, really pointless and immature to berate and degrade the other or anyone who owns one. You are lucky enough to own a video game console. Enjoy your system and let every one else enjoy theirs. Gaming is about having fun, remember that.

Immediately after purchasing my Xbox One I felt rather uneasy. After setting it up, spending time with it, and looking at all of the games coming out for it, that uneasiness was quickly replaced with excitement. I have been asking myself why I would even want a Xbox One for a while, and now that I have one the answer is simple: I love video games. And for me, that is reason enough.