This is a sad time because, yes, I do waste hours playing video games.

Not only did it die, but it’s out of warranty.

Not only that, but the first attempt at securing a replacement was a failure because the store only had the super deluxe packages, not the bare minimum package.

Also, I just received FIFA 2012 (that being a soccer game) and haven’t been able to play it yet.

And I’m very afraid of losing my saved games from Mass Effect 1 & 2.

Let me briefly justify myself. Mass Effect is a classic space opera as a video game. Straight from the golden age. The great E.E. ‘Doc’ Smith (of the Lensman series) would have been proud to have written this story.

It’s also a trilogy and my choices from the first game affects circumstances in the second game and choices from them both will affect the third game (which will be released next year). I’ve been a geeky completist, going through all the little side quests, playing the main character as both a man and a woman (the latter did, at least initially, make me feel a little uncomfortably, I’ll confess – what can I say? American men are not known for being enormously confident in their sexuality), choosing different characters to pursue romantically (which felt very awkward when playing as a woman), and playing as a ‘paragon’ (good guy) or a ‘renegade’ (kind of mean spirited, get the job done at all costs guy). This way, when Mass Effect 3 comes out, I can play it through a couple of times and see how those choices play out. Whatever. Make fun of me all you want. But you can see how I wouldn’t want to have go through all that again, right?