Its a hard life swapping between a Playstation 3 and an Xbox 360. Its not that there’s anything wrong with the console, its just that the respective pads are at the opposite ends of the spectrum.

The 360′s pad is without doubt the best and most comfortable pad I have ever used. Why Sony insists on sticking with a design that should have died of with the original Playstation is anyone’s guess but not to be defeated I set about making the best of it.

The first addition was the official keyboard attachment. It was initially intended to be a straight input device rather than mess around with the on screen text entry or a USB keyboard. What I found is that it helped with the first of my problems, namely that with a relaxed grip on the pad, especially when using the shoulder buttons, the pad would slip from my grasp. With the keyboard attached I now have a ledge that rests on my index fingers and supports the weight of the pad leaving my other fingers to press away at the ‘triggers’.

Hmm, ‘triggers’. You can’t really call an extended button a trigger. This is the next problem I needed to sort and one of the most frustrating differences between the PS3 and the 360. If they are to be classed as triggers then why do all the games I’ve tried insist on using the R1 shoulder button? Anyway a trigger it must be on my pad (and hopefully all the games I play will allow me to reconfigure the button layout) so I popped into game and bought a set of £2.99 clip on trigger extensions. Fantastically simple, fantastically effective.

I now have a pad which is ‘acceptable’ now if I didn’t have to keep inverting Y.

I’ve held off from buying a new HD TV since the 360 came out. Partially due to lack of funds, will power and not knowing to do with my existing HUGE 32″ Sony Wega that weighs a ton. It was a bit of an impulse purchase but maybe not so having waited. Suffice to say I got a Panasonic 37″ 1080p TV.

I always knew the floodgates would open once the deed was done and having stuck my Xbox on at 720p (the limit via component on this TV) I went looking for other HD sources. I decided that there isn’t enough content to bother with upping my Sky subscription to Sky HD but I did want a BluRay player. I’d had no interest in the PS3 to date and it was the console I loved to hate. Much in the way I had a PS2 and hated the Xbox until it had been out a couple of years and then bought one with a copy of Halo. From that point I was Xbox only. I looked at the cost of the players and found it difficult to justify the outlay for just a player when a PS3 would do as good a job, if not better, and more. So I jumped in with the enemy and got the satanic beast that was the PS3.

At first I insisted that it would remain a Blu-Ray player only but that was I saw I could download WipEout HD for £11 (only my most favourite game ever) and that has warmed me to more game action. WipEout running at 1080p looks absolutely stunning. As for the console itself it feels a lot more ‘Mac’ like with simple menu’s and navigation. As a media centre it beats the Xbox 360 hands down. Overall I’m really pleased with it although the pad is HORRIBLE! But, hey, who needs a pad for a Blu-Ray player and I’ve already added a Bluetooth remote.

I’ve been playing with some ringtones. I did have an R2D2 bleep but after this embarrassed me in Tesco while shopping I stuck with my MGS Codec which is nicely discrete.

I also got hold of some other video game music. All the usual Nintendo suspects were there from Mario, etc but of note the following stuck in my head.

I offer you the same experience

The New Zealand Story

There’s no other reason for that title other than I’ve just had one. With an egg for good measure. The egg in fact was only an hour or so old as I’d just been down to the stables and while I was there I stuck my head in on the chickens. The fresh air was welcome as I’m feeling a bit tired this morning after attempting to stay up for a bit of RSV2 on the 360 with the new DLC. I’m finding it harder to stay up late these days and where as my old Friday night patterns were on after Jonathan Ross till the early hours I now barely remember the opening titles. Its a small conciliation that I’ve just popped the TV on and found the Sky box tuned to the Magic channel, the music channel for thirty something females, which means even if I had stayed away so would have Jayne and I’d have had a OK corral style showdown as to who was having TV control. A battle which last night, at least, I conceded. I shall renew my efforts tonight with fresh determination as I’m off for a break early next Friday. No doubt when I return after two weekends away everyone will have forgotten about RSV2 and its DLC.

Grand Theft Auto: DUI

I got a heads up on this from Dogwood Tales.

Welcome to my world on a Friday night. Those who over the years, despite my protests, have made me play PGR, Forza, TOCA, etc on Xbox Live will know from experience.