khalfroyo games

Like many people, I often hold a sort of emotional attachment to material things. My Playstation 3 was a perfect example of this. When my mind attaches to an idea, it won’t be satisfied until I get that rush of that good good dopamine to flood my brain. I realize I’m basically describing addiction – okay, yeah call it an addiction.

Back in 2010 I had this idea that I just NEEDED to have a PS3. I justified this away (rightfully so in many ways) by saying that the console exclusive games alone were worth the price, and I’d be missing out if I didn’t scratch this itch. That was enough for me – I set out to find a PS3 Slim. At the time they were still pretty scarce as they had just come out during the previous holiday season, so I drove all around my county and the next to find one. Finally spotting one at a Wal-Mart an hour away from home, I remember the sense of relief and satisfaction I got from the acquisition, followed of course by a rush to purchase all the games I considered must-plays.

Then I didn’t do anything with it all. Like, nothing. For years.

After playing through Gran Turismo 5 and Little Big Planet, the PS3 and all the games I was so excited about became dust collectors I moved from place to place. Entertainment center, to media closet, to the desk, back to the entertainment center…without ever turning it back on. It wasn’t until 2018 (shortly after the start of the SBP) that I decided I wanted to take a crack at the God of War and Uncharted series.

God of War I-III were very enjoyable and easy to jump into. The gameplay and story were satisfying and the boss battles were always engaging and epic, so I devoured those titles and caught my second wind on the PS3, 8 years later. The Uncharted series was one of the most memorable experiences with the way the incredibly fun gameplay was married to a great story, bolstered by top class voice acting. After completing these and the rest of the games I had collected, I realized there was little need to hold onto them, and it was time to let go.

I had a thousand reasons why I wanted to keep the console (what if it gains in value? Maybe I’ll want to replay GoW III? I could use it as a media player!), but ultimately I knew it had to be done.

When I was young my gaming experience was always defined by multiplayer content, and having extra controllers around was a must. With the PS3 and Xbox 360, buying at least one extra controller was an automatic decision, not even a debate. While the Xbox 360 did get some multiplayer love from time to time while I was still living with family, I eventually moved out and the PS3 never got any multiplayer action, not even once.

It’s just the way life is, I suppose…things change, friends move, we grow older. Of course I still played online with friends pretty routinely, but this felt different. The PS3, the story behind getting it, having a second controller – it all felt like things that were just behind me now. But it didn’t have to be the end for my beloved console.

I decided to post it and all of the games for sale for $75, which would be a pretty incredible steal. I was immediately met with about 20 low-ballers, clearly trying to take advantage of someone they thought didn’t know the value of what they were selling. I was holding out for the right person. A mother reached out eventually and simply said she had been looking for a birthday present for her son and that she didn’t know much about video games. I told her I’d be happy to meet with her that afternoon. And so my PS3 found a new home, hopefully where it was enjoyed for many, many more hours than I could ever give.

I realized much later than I ever ought to have realized it – things are just things, and whatever meaning I assigned to them, was just that…some arbitrary value I tied to an emotion of a few moments strung together. It was the collection of memories and feelings that I wanted to hold onto – like answering the door to a friend wanting to pick up where we left off on Perfect Dark the night before. And while I understood that it was foolish to allow material things to mean EVERYTHING to me, they certainly didn’t have to mean NOTHING. I had my Marie Kondo moment, and I let go.

I realize now, however, that mother’s son probably wanted a PS4. Sorry, buddy.