The great switch.

Kerplinket!

That was the sound of an achievement being unlocked. That was also the sound I would strive to hear whenever I loaded a game on my Xbox 360. I would hunt for them, kill 999 zombies for a lowly 40GS. A raindrop in my oceanic goal of 50,000GS. I know, i know. 50k isn't a lot now for a gamerscore. For me however, it was something to strive for.

I had the itch. I needed to earn achievements in order to enjoy a game. I needed a bigger score than my friends to fee self worth. Silly, isn't it. Attaching a number, just to bolster yourself. But there I was, from November 2005 until May of 2014, hunting a silly noise with a number attached to it. Hell, at one point I bought a Windows Phone just to have mobile games with achievements.

Let me back up for a second, I need to fill in some history about me. I am a techaholic. I need the newest, greatest piece of electronic gear. I am that guy who used to feel the insatiable need to buy the next gen of whatever to feel important. I was competitive with people who didn't know they were in a competition. Some may have called me a tech snob and I accept that. I was. 

Something happened in early 2014 that loosened that addiction to needing the newest bobble. I got a used first gen Playstation Vita. I don't remember the last time I bought a used piece of hardware (games are a WHOLE different story for another post) from Craigslist, Gamestop or wherever. I had always took pleasure in cracking open the box for the first time.

Anyways, back to the original topic. This was unique to me in a few ways. Not only did I buy a used console (granted it was from a friend I trusted) but it was a Sony product. Now, I have owned previous Playstation products in the past. I rocked the joystick-less PS1 controller, various Dualshocks and even the singular sliding disc of the PSP. However, I never felt a connection to the Playstation ecosystem. They were never the first console of a generation that I would buy. It was always N64 then PS1, Gamecube then PS2 (then Xbox), 360 then PS3. Beyond that, I had already known there was a new version of the Vita on the horizon. I didn't care, it was a good deal and I snatched it up.

The moment I turned on the Vita, it was like a whole new world. I was hooked. I went right our and bought Persona 4: Golden (based on IGN's Greg Miller's recommendation) and a PSN+ subscription. I found myself playing this more and more. This was turning into my go-to console. I would get trophies and I didn't feel the immediate urge to see what it was for. I just played to play, not to get something extra from it. Net thing I knew, I had received an email from Microsoft notifying my that my Xbox Live Gold had run out. Holy crap! My whole gaming world was on XBL and I had let it run out without batting an eyelash. Something must be wrong. I mean, I had owned a PS3 for years at this point. It was, however, never more than a game playing Blu-ray player (to be honest, I hated the Dualshock 3 with a passion.).

By this point in time I had been debating since E3 (Electronics Entertainment Expo) on whether I should invest in a Playstation 4 or an Xbox One. This was a hot topic as I (like a lot of people) HATED the XB1's limitations set forth by Microsoft; but buy a Playstation first went against everything I had done for years. It also meant leaving behind my full friends list, 50,000+ GS (which I only finally had earned) and loyalty to Xbox.

I sat on it, I wasn't going to shell out $400+ on a console if I didn't know for sure which one I wanted. Plus, being newly married in March meant I must think of OUR finances, not just my own. I needed to be responsible and choose just one. Just one... that singular thought hit me every time I would read a new game review. Every time I would sop at a Best Buy or hear a friend talk about their new console.

Side note part two. I may sound crazy as I was stressing so much about this choice. I guess a little more info should be given. I have always thought of myself as a hardcore gamer. That title means less now that I am pushing thirty, but video games are still a big part of my life. They have literally save me from the edge a few times. Again, another story for another post. 

By May of this year I had read all the reviews I could. Watched two E3's and listened to my friends, YouTube videos and Gaming websites say why each was better. I was still torn. Each night, after my wife would doze off, I would play my Vita. It was when I got my first Platinum (for Telltale's The Walking Dead) that I knew I wanted a PS4 first.

I may not have the huge friends list or the high gamerscore any longer, but I was just having fun. I would earn trophies for me and not in some unspoken competition with my friends. A Platinum trophy was a personal goal for each game. The smaller friends list (which has grown since then) meant I could focus on playing games without my self imposed need to be better. So on May 21st (my birthday) my wife helped me buy my very first "next gen" console, the Playstation 4.

I haven't been so happy in my choice in a long time. Oh, and the PS4 is awesome too!

-Kyle