In What Will Inevitably Be An Ignored Blog Post….

Dear Sony,

I’ve enjoyed your video game systems since about 1997.  I haven’t been exactly loyal and I’ve dabbled here and there with other consoles but you won me over with the original PlayStation so I was more than ready to purchase a PS2 when the time came. Then I was compelled to buy a PSP for no reason other than brand loyalty.  I should of quit while I was ahead because the PS3, while not only costly during the initial purchase, would eventually become very expensive to maintain.

Some time ago I had to send my console back in due to a video issue I was having during movie playback.  I called, finalized and accepted that to watch my expanding collection of Blu-rays I was going to have to accept the 99.00 service fee.* 

My system and money were shipped away and in return I got what has unfortunately become the accepted solution in the industry….a refurbished unit.  My “new” system seemed to be ok but I didn’t get to use it much given that I had a fairly newborn child running around and I turned to using NetFlix more to satisfy his need for entertainment. 

Once I was able to use my system a bit more I realized the fan had become very loud and the unit was very hot.  Maybe I should of called right then and there for service/another refurb but my wife was on medical leave for an injury and my PS3 time took a backseat to watching and caring for my son while my wife was unable to walk for nearly 3 months. 

She watched a number of movies during the time she was off and my system not only ran very hot and loud but another video issue popped up that might be related to the extreme heat the system now produces.  I wanted it fixed but when we lost my wife’s income for months at a time I wasn’t about to call if I thought I would be paying nearly 100.00 to get the system that someone else had an issue with.  I was forced to move my PS3 to a room adjacent to my home theater and the HDMI cable to my setup because of the ridiculous fan noise I was encountering. 

Once a second income started coming in again I called and got the answer I was expecting but still wasn’t prepared for.  I would once again have to pay a service fee to fix a system that in a way wasn’t even mine.  I could of taken the money to fix it but it wasn’t worth it when my family was already struggling to pay medical bills and climb back out of the hole.  It felt like an issue that would never be solved no matter how much money I threw at it. 

I’m not looking for a handout, pity or hateful backlash that the internet is famous for.  I just thought Sony should know how they product and replacement plans are flawed.  As I said at the start of this I have had other consoles and I’m no stranger to the RROD from my XBOX 360.  With that being said I’ve sent my 360 in two times for the RROD issue and while I once again got a refurbished unit back one of those times I have yet to pay any extra on top of the purchase price I paid on November 22, 2005.  As much as I want to enjoy the wide selection of exclusive PS3 and PSN games I have to wonder if the 99.00 repair fee would be better spent on a standalone Blu-ray player in place of my “fixed” PS3.

Sincerely,

Thomas Stark

TAStark77@comcast.net

 

I just want to add that when I called and mentioned to the CS agent that I heard repairs cost 100.00 and he corrected me saying they were only 99.00…..I should of realized this wasn’t going to be a happy ending.

I Don’t Wand It To Be Over

I said I was going to post my feelings on the latest, and last, Harry Potter film last night.  I was slightly off with my time frame but here it is.

Honesty the best part of the movie was the audience.  This isn’t a knock on the movie but rather a compliment to the entire series.  I was in a theater that was filled with people that were invested in the films/books and you could tell it over and over again.  I normally hate the movie going experience these days because of the mass amount assholes who share the 2 hours or so with me.  They’ve spent a few dollars to escape reality but they are still so damn concerned with stuff on their cell phones or chatting with the person next to them.  On the other hand I’ve been to movies like the first X-Files film or Episode 1 where even the die hard fans just can’t contain their excitement or their voices.  I guess having a good number of Potter fans be quiet bookworms really paid off during this film.

Now the amazing thing about the crowd was that the movie was soooo quiet at times that even a slightly loose lipped patron could of stood out.  I’ve NEVER been to a movie where so much of the film seemed to be devoid of dialog, sound effects and even music.  It certainly added to the eerie nature of the film.  It was unsettling and really worked for the film.  I almost wish there would have been more music or it would have been louder because I think the scores from these films are always underrated.  Also while we talk about the film being unconventional I thought that had they opted to exclude the WB logo at the start of the film it would have been the best opening sequence I’ve witnessed in a long time. 

Now on to the movie….

What started as a simple whimsical journey really did turn out darker than I expected it to.  I wish it could of stayed a little more innocent but where is the fun in that.  I want to know more about these characters and I want to read all those scenes that Potter fans complained were omitted from the films.  Best movie series ever?  Not in my eyes but as a 33 year old male it is amazing that these films have me wanting to read the books so damn bad.  It also has me spending money here soon to go to The Wizarding World.  I already enjoy the films but I think when I can share them with Xander down the road it’ll entertain me more as I watch him grow up with the films. 

Emotionally the film did get to me.  When the series about a little orphanded wizard began I wasn’t a parent.  By the end of the series when so many people cared for this boy and protected him I had my own child and could understand that on a whole other level.  It was a very touching and emotional film and even if it didn’t make money, which we all know isn’t the case, it would still be a hit when it came to making you care for and about characters who were once just words on a page.