Death By PSP...

In all that hype surround the PSP --yes that portable little contraption who's screen I am envious of-- I finally knew what it felt like to hold a PSP in the palms of my hand tonight.

Call me backdated but I seriously do not know what is so good about this mobile device that has got everyone caught not with their pants down --get it??-- but their heads, in bowed fashion. I've never touched a PSP before.

When kids visit my house for Raya and bring their PSPs along, it took my all not to snatch it out of their grubby hands and hurling it out from my mother's third-floor window. Hello?? Your PSP isn't going to get money from us, why the heck is your attention reverted to that little device from hell??

Normally, I wouldn't be tempted by such a thingamabob but tonight, while out visiting my young cousin's house, it was within my grasp and I found myself reaching out for it. In my defence, I AM a media student and SHOULD acquaint myself with various media devices just so I don't develop a bias for any.

My sisters and I were brought up in such a way that we had no passion for computer games, handheld games or whatever type of game that did not involve physicality. When I was younger, it was those Tamagochi and Digimon sets that cost an arm. Flash forward to ten years later and you can see that these toys are obsolete amongst society. So are Sega Saturn and GameBoy --color or otherwise.

True, technology was present in our house. But we're so tech-savvy that we didn't need LDs (remember Laser Discs and projector screens?) because by the time we wanted to buy them, the format had changed to VCD. Again, another obsolete item courtesy of technology.

So, how did it feel holding a PSP??

It was WEIRD.

I didn't know what to do with it save the power button.

And I began tapping buttons that went God-knows-where and well, thank goodness my cousin spotted my distress from afar and came forward to help. Either that or he was really afraid I was going to wreck his beloved PSP.

I asked him if his handheld had an automobile racing game --I digggggg Daytona-- and he gave me The Fast and The Furious. Not Daytona, but well, it had to do.

Being in a media course, I think I've been conditioned so badly that I am so aware of my every move with regards to media. It is especially so at this moment in time because my next essay that is due in two weeks has us revolving around mobile devices and before you snub me and tell me that a handphone is a mobile device, I already know. So is a PSP.

Because duhh, you can bring it wherever you go.

TV Mobile, however, is not. So don't try to get smart.

Anywayz, the weirdest thing happened. I don't know if it was just me or do first-timers experience this but the moment the car was on the move and my thumb began its new form of exercise by rolling the cursor around, I found myself moving my limbs in accordance to which direction I went.

Meaning to say, if I moved my thumb to steer right, I'd tilt the whole PSP to the right like as though the car would actually move in simulation with my actions. So if I steered left, then my whole self would tilt in that direction.

It was like as if I was on a motion simulator and my cousin could not fathom why I was doing so. Then I pretended to be interested when he flashed a screen filled with commands that corresponded with each button.

I've seen PSP users who would sit still and silent as death with just their fingers moving rapidly like a woodpecker trying to build a home in a redwood. I'm serious!!

And duhh, unlike winning on Daytona, I lost on TFATF. And they just HAD to emblazone the word FAIL and flaunt it in my face.

Laterz...
Lenny