"It is role-playing grind in shooter form--an empty house built on a firm foundation." I couldn't have said it better myself. It's a decent start, but feels only half-finished. There is fun to be had here, but in ever-decreasing doses. C'mon, Bungie--what happened to the magic?

In games where I have the option, I almost always create/play a female character. I happen to be a 36-year-old male. Does that automatically mean that I harbor some sort of confusion about my sexuality? Or is it simply because I'm tired of playing/hearing/seeing some cliched male stereotype?

@Truth_Hurts_U Exactly. I'm sure that my i7 2600 and puny little stock GT 530 still suck up their fair share of juice, even when idle. I was just wondering why game consoles are such a concern when I see all of these people with huge TVs and home theater systems, as well as desktop gaming rigs. Is increased power usage in the current generation of consoles really such a surprise? As for the standby consumption, I suppose that people have forgotten how to flip power switches (power strips, etc.), or *gasp* unplug things. Silly humans.

...and how much power does the average PC use in all of these situations?

Hmm...I have around 70 indie and (mostly) older games installed on my PC for exactly this purpose. Maybe I'll even finish Skyrim or Deus Ex: HR on my 360....or not. I have too much fun doing my own thing in games that allow it to actually "beat" them and add them to some list of personal conquests.

I also have a buddy who keeps invitimg me to different MMOs--the freemium kind. My only real issue with this is that he seems to prefer the games that offer the least amount of flavor. Nothing wrong with vanilla, but I like to change it up a bit. They're good for killing a few hours before you remember that there are better ways to get your grind on...like PoE or Torchlight II....hell, even Borderlands 2--minus the overpriced DLC of course.