Why I Love My XBox 360

Some titles just scream "FANBOY" and this is one of them. But, I can't very well write about how much I love my PS3 if I don't own one yet. Yes, I am psyched about getting a Playstation 3 and you'll be able to read all about that later this week. But for now, I'm damned happy to have the 360. So, what do I love about the 360?

• XBox Live Arcade - Geometry Wars is a blast, but most people are aware of this. But I really do love the entire concept of smaller, cheaper games. In fact, these work perfectly with my Gaming ADD since they can typically be played in shorter bursts and don't take nearly as long to finish. Plus, XBLA gives my the chance to replay games I loved as a kid, like the TMNT arcade game.
• Achievements - When I first heard about these, I didn't see the point. Who the hell cares how many points I earned in a given game? It turns out that I care, and I care a lot. I've actually found myself playing a game well past the point I normally would have quit just to get one more achievement. On top of that, I now have numeric evidence that I'm better at a particular game than one of my friends.
• XBox Live - Not the arcade this time, now I'm talking about the whole system. Smooth matchmaking, downloadable demos, the video content, I love it all. Against what I used to consider my better judgement, I've bought an entire season of South Park over XBox Live. I didn't fall for digital purchases from iTunes, so how the hell did Microsoft get my money from me?
• Dead Rising - Yeah, I really wasn't going to list games in this list because they should probably be separate. But dammit, Dead Rising is killing zombies in a mall. People can bitch about the save feature, but it is still killing zombies in a mall. If you don't love this you've got no heart, no soul, and no brain. But to be fair, that's because the zombies ate it.
• Streaming media - It is nice to be able to stream media from my PC to my big screen tv in the other room. Very nice. I don't think there's too much more to even say about it. If you can't see the benefit of being able to access all your MP3s over your surround system without having to involve an additional computer, there's simply no helping you.

So there it is, a list of things I love about the XBox 360. Please, no cries of foul against the PS3. I can't be biased against it, otherwise why would I make a web site detailing my mission to buy one? Is it really written anywhere that I can have room in my heart for only one console? No, that's silly. Just like women, I'm allowed to love as many consoles as I've got room on my AV switch for.