29.07.2006
If you can't be bothered to read all this, be sure to check the video at the end. Believe me: It's awesome, albeit somewhat frightening. This entire article was in fact an excuse for putting that link on my site, so do check it out, ok?
First things first: Simplicity.
I turn on my PS2, I put whatever game I want to play in the drive and it just works.
PC games, however, they require installing, maybe beating some crap DRM that figures that software you are using legitemately are "cracking tools", updating DirectX, updating drivers. All this only to find out that your hardware ain't good enough to run the game smoothly. Rinse, repeat. Maybe you'll even get to play that game sometime next week! Yup. This sure sounds like fun.
I prefer the PS2. Technologically inferiour, but it just works. How about that?
Second: It has inferiour technology
Let me say this again: The PS2 is technologically inferiour to any other gaming system currently for sale. This is a good thing.
Since people can't show off flashy, hyperrealstic graphics, and sell on that alone, people are actually forced try to make the gameplay worthwhile. Some people may think that games which are in fact fun to play are sorta passé, but I still stick to that the simple principle that I am supposed to enjoy playing a game.
Third: It's offline
Oh well. So far all this could have been said in favour of the Xbox too, but there's one minor detail that really makes me prefer the PS2 to anything else. The gaming is 100% offline unless you really, really try hard to get the damn thing online. I like this.
Ever since Quake came out, it seems the hardcore gamers have all moved online and can't think of any other type of game than online first-person shooters where the objective is to kill everyone else, and die as few times as possible in the process.
See, all new PC games released nowadays seems to be multiplayer online games, which honestly doesn't appeal to me at all. How people are able to spend the entire day playing (?) World of Warcraft beats me. Why people don't get fed up with running around, aiming, shooting and then doing this all over again is also a mystery to me.
By staying offline I also have the added bonus of not having to encounter no-lifes who has done nothing the last year but playing this one particular game, and they're being proud of it.
People like this weirdo. By staying offline I avoid ever meeting people like him. Need I say more?