No rush for new consoles for some Belleville gamers

Dan Pearce, the gaming supervisor at Chumleighs used-electronics store in downtown Belleville, tests an XBox 360. Pearce says he expects the XBox 360 to be more popular than the new gaming consoles for the next year or so. Photo by Shelden Rogers

By Shelden Rogers

BELLEVILLE – Despite all the hype surrounding the new Xbox One and PS4 gaming consoles, not all Belleville gamers are racing to get their hands on them.

Sony released its highly anticipated PS4 on Nov. 11, and Microsoft’s new Xbox One was not far behind, coming out on Nov. 22. Some people lined up outside stores to get the new systems first, but others are happy with their current systems.

One of them is Nevan Gilbey, who calls himself a game junkie.

“I go back to when I was 12. My first system was a (Nintendo) 64, and I have been playing since then,” Gilbey said.

He plays anything he can get his hands on, he said – but he isn’t desperate to get his hands on the new consoles.

“I’m totally patient with that. Their gaming collection right now is so slim.” There are between 20 and 30 games available for the new Xbox One and PS4, whereas hundreds of games can be played on older consoles.

Gilbey said he goes just as crazy over old and rare games as he does over the newest systems.

“Every time someone plugs in a Sega Genesis and I hear Sonic start up, I’m there like a rabbit.”

He hopes that people buying the new systems will result in more of the older games coming into used-gaming stores: “I’m hoping that they just flood in.”

Loyalist College student Peter Paor, who has been gaming since he was a kid, also said he isn’t quick to jump on the new consoles.

“New games are going to keep coming out, so I would maybe get them if I got some extra cash in the future. Right now the old games are doing it for me,” said Paor.

He does most of his gaming on his PC anyway, he said. It offers a lot more options than consoles, and is much cheaper, he noted.

“With computers you can download a lot of extra add-ins for the games. It makes it so you have a lot more options and versatility when you’re gaming.”

Paor is also happy with the older consoles that he currently owns.

“I have all of the old systems in my closet at home. When I go home me and my friends just game the whole time. You have to stick to the classics.”

Paor said a lot of other college students are just like him in that respect.

“People don’t want to take the time to go out to the store, buy a game, and if they don’t like it bring it back. It seems like everyone wants to play the free games, have their quick bit of fun, and get back to what they are doing.”

Dan Pearce, the gaming supervisor at Chumleighs, a used-electronics store in downtown Belleville, said most of his customers are happy with their current consoles, like the PS3 and Xbox 360.

“I expect the Xbox 360 and PS3 to be more popular than PS4 and Xbox One for at least another year,” Pearce said.

It is still too early for most buyers to convert to newer systems, he said.

“When there is a bigger library of PS4 games and Xbox One games, the momentum will shift from the older systems and people will be interested in the new games.”

But for some people – like Raj Singh, a second-year TV student at Loyalist – the slim game selection for the new consoles didn’t matter.

“As soon as I heard about (the PS4) I tried pre-ordering it, but I didn’t have the money at the time. So on the Friday when it came out, right after class, I hopped in the car and went straight to Best Buy and got the second-last console in Belleville. So I was really happy about that,” said Singh

He spent around $700 on the new PS4, but said it is worth every penny.

“The feeling when I swiped my debit card – I felt like I was in Grade 5 again.”

After playing the system for a couple of weeks now, Singh says he would highly recommend it to anyone.

“It’s a powerful machine, it has a lot to offer, and it’s worth the money.”