I like a good video game from time to time.

Ok, really, I like video games all the time. Good, bad – hardly matters. If it has lasers, ninjas, or the subjugation of the planet under my iron-fisted dictatorship, I’m all for it.

Yes, I am a 29 year old “adult”.

For me, video games are an indulgence that helps one relax. Like smoking, a nice cocktail, or heroin.

Usually, my games are of the desktop-pc variety. A few years ago, a marginally functional PS2 fell in to my lap. It worked, most of the time, and so I slowly bounced from one title to the next, blowing up cars and building a criminal empire one day while flying my starfighter the next. Sometimes the PS2 would get grumpy and refuse to work until I sweetalked it just the right way. Or cleaned out the inside with a can of compressed air.

But it’s been a while since I’ve logged any quality time with my semi-trusty PS2. I hadn’t really thought about it much until I kept hearing about this game that was supposed to kick all kinds of ass. So I figured what the hell, bought the new game, and went home to fire it up.

Nothing.

Well, power, but that’s about it. No problem, I assumed. I’d just apply the previously effective sweet-talking methods.

Nothing.

Found some info on the internets and sat down in front of last night’s 24 finale with the PS2, some screwdrivers, a flashlight, and a hefty helping of optimism. Opened it up, cleaned it out, adjusted the laser, took it upstairs, plugged it in, calibrated, recalibrated, cursed, pleaded and at one point told the PS2 that it was “my bitch”.

And finally, finally, it worked.

By this time it was late and I was only able to play a few minutes of the new game (it did, in fact, kick ass) before getting to tired to do anything except stumble in to bed. Spent.

This morning, as I got ready for work, I fired it up just so I could watch the game intro and reassure myself that there would be hours (hours!) of ancient Greek mythological ass-whooping later tonight.

Guess what?

Nothing.

I don’t think the PS2 is “my bitch” so much as it is “a bitch”.

I think I’m done. Not with video games, don’t be silly.

I think I am done with this craptacular piece of machinery.

I noticed that the retail price of a PS2 has fallen yet again and I have a giftcard burning a hole in my wallet. That combo would put the price of a new one just a few bucks above getting mine fixed or of buying a used/refurbished one.

I know PS3 is coming out soon, but frankly – don’t care. Buying new game systems as soon as they come out is way too much of a hassle and way too expensive. I’m much happier plugging along on the previous model until prices and demand decrease.

Yeah, I loves me my video games. But crazy – not so much.