So for my birthday last year (that’s December 10th, you ungrateful bastards who didn’t buy me anything), I turned 30, and my family decided they wanted to throw me a big bash to commemorate the big day.  However, they were quite shocked to find out that, honestly, I didn’t really want a party.  I’ve become quite cranky in my old age and, for the most part, I just don’t like people.  I mean, I like gifts, but when you turn 30, you get those weird people who show up to your party with no gifts…that’s just crap.  So I told them I wanted to forego the party this year.

“But Paul,” they asked, with obvious disappointment, “what would you like instead?  Do you want a bigger gift this year since we were going to spend money on a party anyway?”

F*ck.  Yes.

So I asked for an Xbox 360 Elite.  Never mind that my Xbox didn’t really have anything wrong with it.  It was just an older model and, though it came with component cables for high def gaming, what I really wanted was the HDMI capability, better video card, and larger hard drive offered by the Elite model.  So I asked, and they gave, without question!

I was a super happy boy, but what to do with my other Xbox, the sad lady that had stood by me for all this time, with nary a problem and, while nothing was wrong with her, didn’t quite have the assets that my new sleek lady did?

Brilliant and giving person that I am, instead of trading in that bastard for some money, I decided to put it to better use and give it to my good ol’ pal Aron Head.  After all, the sad sack has been playing his original Xbox all this time (I know, right?) and really needed the upgrade.  Plus, if he had a 360, we could do Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Left 4 Dead gaming with regular readers of our site (that’s you, btw).

So I promised that, as soon as I could transfer my saved games from my old hard drive to my new one, I’d send him the Xbox.  Then I found out I needed a special cable, I couldn’t just move them to a USB drive that I had and transfer that way.  But the cable couldn’t be purchased in stores.  Apparently, they made memory sticks that could have worked, but those aren’t made any more, and finding a used one was getting harder (and they were surprisingly expensive).  So, like a schmuck, it’s April and Aron still hasn’t gotten his Xbox.

Then I read this article.  Yesterday, Xbox Live released an update to the 360 operating system that allowed for compatibility with USB drives.  Within 5 minutes, my saved games were transferred, and the Xbox 360 is now boxed up and ready to send to Aron.  Hell to the yes.  It’s about time – how long have I been able to do this on the PS3?

And then I find out that a new Dead to Rights game is coming out.  Looks like my Elite is finally gonna start getting some usage.

So keep an eye out, after Aron gets his stuff all set up, for some announcements on Xbox 360 gaming with your buds here at IoM!