Ok, so my kid is driving me absolutely nuts about the new Xbox 360 gaming console from Microsoft, which of course, is all the rage now. Dad, "I've got to have it!", he says. "My old crappy Xbox system, my GameCube, my Playstation 2, and all 47 versions of my Nintendo GameBoy are terrible! The graphics are so bad I feel like I'm watching non-HDTV! All of my friends have the new Xbox 360 game! The 360's graphics are killer, like nothing you've ever seen before! If I don't get one then everyone is going to make fun of me and I'm going to die!"

Get the picture? Ok, so we may have made a mistake somewhere around the twenty-third gaming console purchase. Maybe we, as parents, have encouraged such behavior. Nah, I don't know what I was thinking. Anyway, as luck would have it, I too, am a sucker for the latest craze in high tech video games, and yes, I was that guy sitting in the nice, comfy, black leather recliner positioned directly in the center of the Best Buy showroom the day the first, and extremely short-lived, stock of the graphically phenomenal Xbox 360 game systems arrived! Plus, I certainly don't want my 10 year old to be made fun of and die, so I decided that it was my duty as a parent, to at least look into, the possibility of aquiring the Holy Grail of all gaming systems...the pantheon that is the Xbox 360.

So, I set off on my typical in-depth Xbox 360 research and analysis project. I read press releases, searched for the latest new and articles, called around to various electronics stores, and to the parents of some of those "cool kids" that my son told me had already taken possession of this new technical wonder. I then gathered my data, constructed my spreadsheets, and scientifically came to the only logical conclusion possible. Fuhgetaboutit!

That's right, as much I enjoyed those edge-of-the-seat moments playing the brutally demanding, and gorgeously brilliant, first person shooter, Call of Duty 2 on the Xbox 360 console at Best Buy, I decided the only logical decision at this point, was to hold steadfast and continue to have my son suffer with our existing, decaying arsenal of gaming consoles that currently litter the house from top to bottom. So what was the driving forces that led me to this unpopular (at least with my son) conclusion, you ask. Well here's the shortlist.

1. The Xbox 360 system is virtually impossible to find, and if you do, you have to buy the $800 - $1000 gaming bundle, which includes games that will surely be long forgotten in only a few short months.

2. Pretty much every video game currently offered for the new 360 system is certainly not appropriate for a 10 year old. You are limited to titles such as Dead or Alive 4 and Perfect Dark, both rated M (for mature), or at best titles such as the aforementioned Call of Duty 2, rated T (for teen).

3. Very few games released for the new Xbox 360 gaming console will be compatible on the old Xbox system.....that really irritates me!

4. From what I'm hearing, a fairly high percentage of the systems are experiencing some very significant technical problems, if not all together crashing.

5. Oh, did I mention that you're going to have to shell out between $800 - $1000 for one of these sought after prizes?(see #1)

So yea, a pretty simple decision after all. Not reliable, no child friendly game releases, and requires taking out a second mortgage on your home if you are lucky enough to find an in-stock bundle. Plus here's the other HUGE reason to hold off. Both Sony and Nintendo will be releasing their new high end gaming consoles in just a few more months....the Playstation 3 and the Revolution. It's estimated that the Playstation 3 will be weighing in at under $500, with the Revolution at a $299 price point, and I'll guarantee you they will be on a mission to outperform the Xbox 360 in every way possible! Better still, both of these manufacturers have already stated that their new systems will be completely backward compatible, meaning you don't have to scrap the shelf full of video games you already have! But, if at that point, you're still set on buying the Xbox 360 system, you can give Sony and Nintendo a call and thank them for saving you a few hundred bucks when Microsoft if forced to drop their prices in order to compete!

So son, "Hang in there and see if you can take the abuse from all you buddies for a few more months, then we'll see who has the most "Rad" gaming system around come this fall!"