L'Aventure Commence

Hello and welcome to the almost-start of my journey.

Some weeks back, during a bout of increased television viewing, I lay on the fluffy cushions of my sofa and watched an advertisement that made me sit up and pay attention: a new video game promised to deliver what no game has delivered since Tombraider II -- when I became an addict and spent over $100 on calls to a 900 'dial-a-clue'number. This game, as you should have gathered from my blog title, was Assassins Creed.

The deflation of my initial excitement did not take long. My other half, whom I shall call 'the FIFA player' pointed out (correctly or incorrectly, I haven't yet sussed out) that the game just advertised would require an XBox or PS3. We (the FIFA player and I) had already assessed the payback of an investment in a PS3, and had determined that the investment did not make sense to two relatively innocent gamers such as we. I fell back into the fluffy cushions and proceeded to flip between Super Sweet Sixteen, America's Next Top Model and Charmed, a menu encouraged by gaming despondancy.

Somewhere amidst that despondancy, a seed was sown.

Days later as I travelled the normal journey to my ordinary job, and as the 14 bus drove by what was previously the Virgin Mega Store at Picadilly Circus (and is now some ridiculously stupid and difficult to remember name: zeezu, zavvy, vavoom, wizzy, baboom!?!!?) my eyes widened in greed at the sight of the larger than life assassin in the larger than life window display. Being a realistic sort, I narrowed my eyes and returned to my Sudoku.

That might have been the end of it, but for a friend who had recently ordered a new mobile phone from 02.

The new phone ordered by our friend from 02, was accompanied by a free PS3. For Christmas, our friend re-gifted her gift from 02 to us. She is a dear friend, and I may just be falling in love with her, contrary to my heterosexual propensity.

Upon receipt of the regift, I rushed out of the house with Assassins on my mind. I hightailed it to the nearest zeezu, zavvy, vavoom, wizzy, baboom!?!!!? I could find. I had 50 quid in my pocket (on my credit card) just itching to purchase entertainment of a lifetime.

Zeezu, zavvy, vavoom, wizzy, baboom!?!!!? told me they were sold out.

God damn it!

But, an order was due in the next day!

Hurrah!

The next day, after calling to confirm that the order had arrived, -- Indeed it had! --I hightailed it back to [insert name here].

When calling to confirm availability of the game, I had, however, neglected to specify my playing platform, so when I arrived, eager and confident in my gaming future, I discovered that the order that had arrived was limited to those lucky Xbox players.

GOD DAMN IT!!!!

I didn't dare go home empty handed. The FIFA player does not exclusively play FIFA, and he was looking forward to a little mano a a mano.

I searched high. I searched low. Eventually I found it. In Woolworths. Of all places.

And now I should be playing rather than writing about playing, except that I'm still struggling with nervous pre-game anticipation, and the writing about playing (not to mention the friggin' blog-site design) drags out the almost-start, which really is something to aim for.

More to come. Love, ACG