Playstation 3: The Unboxening

So hey, my Playstation 3 just came in the mail! I'm so excited about its arrival that I wanted to share the experience with my readers. This actually isn't the first time I've blogged a system unboxing... I did it way back in August 2013, when a kind soul at Talking Time sent me his Sega Genesis and a dozen games for the cost of shipping. The next day, I fell ill and nearly died from pancreatitis. So the day after I post this, I fully expect to walk out the door of my trailer and have an anvil fall on my head. It was nice knowing you folks!

Here's the box, just waiting for me to crack it open and sink my teeth into its tender nutmeats. By the way, I bought the system from a guy on AtariAge named Belmonte.

No no, BELmonte. But I know what I'll be having for dinner later tonight! Anyway, let's see what's waiting for us inside the box...

Ooh, festive! The seller ingeniously used pantyhose stuffed with inflated balloons as packing material. Evidently these were originally meant for a children's birthday party, so they actually make MORE sense in this context.

Now this I just don't get at all. My guess is that it came from the same children's party, but why is it in here?!

Many balloons, doll boxes, and plastic grocery bags later, I finally struck paydirt. A Playstation 3 of my very own! Don't let the 80GB label fool you... Belmonte jettisoned the old hard drive and replaced it with a more comfortable 250 gigs of storage. If my experience with the Xbox 360 is anything to go by, it'll take a while for me to burn through it all. Anyway, let's get this sucker out of the shipping box...

Hey, the box has a convenient carry handle! Just like that Turbografx-16 I passed up for a copy of Ecco the Dolphin. Oh lord, I bought Ecco the Insomnia Cure instead of a Turbografx-16! What the hell was I thinking?!

(Jess... that was over twenty years ago. You told me you weren't going to dwell on this...)

Okay, okay, fine. Where was I?

Here's the other side of the box, chock full of information in a variety of languages, along with a handful of images from Playstation 3 games released in 2008. On the downside, this system isn't backward compatible with the Playstation 2, but on the upside, these later models are a bit hardier than their launch window cousins, and less susceptible to the yellow light of death.

And here's a controller! This is the Dual Shock 3, similar to the joystick packed with the Playstation 2, but wireless and with a guide button for easy access to the home menu. It's not terribly innovative, but it's generally well liked by players. I'm not sure I can say the same about...

...the Sixaxis. It's not that much different from the Dual Shock 3, but it lacks the rumble motors that have been a standard feature in game controllers since 2001. Apparently Sony was in a legal battle with the creators of the rumble technology, and didn't get things squared away until a couple of years after the system was launched.

The console also included all the necessary cables, an instruction manual, and hot diggity daffodils, even the receipt from where it was originally purchased! This Belmonte guy doesn't miss a thing!

And oh yes, here's a video guide to the Playstation 3, along with a game. Of sorts. (Don't worry Playstation 3, I bought a copy of Borderlands 2 a few days ago. The only place Gran Turismo is going is under a wobbly table leg.)

And here's the man of the hour, the Playstation 3. It's the old George Foreman Grill model, but I've been running it for hours and there have been no problems so far. Plus, as big and bulky as it is, I'd take this over the crappy Super Slim any day of the week. Yeah, the one that looks like it would break if you brushed up against it.

One interesting note: the Playstation logo under the drive door can be flipped to match the system's orientation. I didn't know this when I first tried the system at a GameStop, and thought I accidentally broke off a piece. Just walk away quietly, Jess, and no one will be the wiser...

All right, so let's get this thing fired up! A cable here and a wire there, and I was presented with this screen...

Oh, plug in a controller and press the guide button? Sure, no biggie. Now I can start gaming, right?

Ahem. NOW I can start gaming, right?

Ugh. I think I'm gonna have to sit through a few hours of downloads before my Playstation 3 is ready to rumble. I'll post another blog in a few days, after I've played some games. If the anvil doesn't kill me first.