Organized Chaos

For all my defense of gamers there’s one thing that even the critics can agree on: they spend a lot of time sitting down.

To this point, you really need something comfortable because we all know most gaming sessions don’t last an hour. They last hours and hours. And that’s a lot of time to be sitting on your rear.

Most gamers have access to a couch or comfortable chair. Others prefer a gamer’s chair, which range from bean bags to more sturdy offerings.

If you’re like me, you probably have both to choose from. Prior to Christmas, the Gamer’s Den had a recliner and a bean-bag chair that was seeing its final days. After Christmas, there’s a University of Georgia bean-bag chair (for my wife) and another one just for me that’s sure to make my ears bleed.

And that could be a good thing.

Christmas with the in-laws provided the Euro V Rocker. The name gives away one of the major functions, it rocks. However, there’s more to it than that.

The chair, made of durable material draped in leather, has two speakers at the top. It has an AC adapter to provide power and the chair connects to your television with stereo cables. Here’s where the fun begins.

This chair is loud. But honestly, it’s not painful to sit in it and play at the same time. The sound output is good and mirrors that of your TV.

The HDTV I have in the Gamer’s Den supplies 5.1 surround sound through its speakers, thus giving the same effect through the chair. Combining the chair’s sound with the television at full blast creates an immersive effect that’s great with first-person shooters and sports games.

You can also hook up an MP3 player to the chair if you’d rather listen to some tunes while playing. Also, there’s a headphone jack to mute the sound if you have others in the room who may not want to listen to a lot of explosions.

I found the V Rocker at several places Online for around $80. There’s also a wireless version and one that has armrests and also swivels. Those retail for a bit more.

I like the chair and it will also be nice to sit and watch Blu-Ray movies. It’s comfortable and doesn’t weigh much, so you can move it out of the way for easy storage.

When’s the next generation?

We are currently in the next generation of gaming, with all three consoles now vying for your dollars. There has been much debate as to how long this generation would last, especially with previous ones having around a five-year lifespan before new hardware was announced.

There have been many rumors that both Nintendo and Microsoft are close to creating new consoles. However, Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices division president Robbie Bach recently told the San Jose Mercury News that the company is focused on improving the 360’s software library and upgrades to the system rather than concentrating on a new console at the present time.

Bach believes the lifecycles of these consoles will be longer than those of the Xbox, Nintendo Gamecube and PlayStation 2. The 360 was released four years after the original Xbox, and Bach believes factors such as the untapped potential of the new devices, as well as the current economic climate, make it more prudent to extend the life of these high-powered machines.

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