While sitting down to watch the Phillies game tonight (Lee looked awesome), I couldn’t help but notice the layer of dust forming on my Xbox 360. It then hit me that I haven’t even turned the poor thing on in well over two months, which then got me to thinking, “why the hell do I still have this thing?”

I received my first 360 as a Christmas gift a little over four years ago, and back then I don’t think I could have been happier. With its great games such as Gears of War and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblvion (back then it wasn’t on PS3), the 360 received 100% of my gaming input. That was until I experienced my FIRST “Red Ring of Death.”

No big deal right? Microsoft fixed it for free and after a couple of weeks, my 360 (or some random person’s) was back in action. Life went on as normal, all the way up until the release of the first Modern Warfare; about 6 months after my refurbished console was sent back to me. There I was was, waiting in a lobby with a couple of friends, when all of a sudden my screen looks like it took a couple rides on a tilt-a-whirl.

Red Ring of Death 2. Me 0.

In the following years leading up until now, I would go through another two 360s. As time went on I lost more and more faith in the 360, and eventually brought myself to buying a PS3; probably the greatest investment I’ve made throughout my gaming life. I began buying all my games for the Playstation, and after a while, my collection rivaled that of my 360 games. Whether it was due to my newfound love of seeing those crisp PS3 visuals, or to avoid the inevitability of a fifth broken Xbox, my subconscious was leading me further and further away from my old ways.

Nowadays, I don’t even think about which console I’m going to buy a game for. For me, there is no contest between the smooth-running Ps3 and the time-bomb that is the 360. I should really force myself to just trade my 360 into Gamestop for the $50 dollars its worth (just a guess), but a part of me can’t seem to part with it. No harm in holding onto the old thing I guess, and besides  Gears of War 3 does look pretty damn good.