Here’s my tale:

So I finally gave in over the weekend: my wife and I bought a new hard drive for our PS3. We have a 60GB original that was getting too cramped for comfort.

Decided to use the BackUp Utility to copy the contents to a USB hard drive, then swap out the drives using Sony’s own step-by-step instructions, and then Restored contents using BackUp Utility again.

I entered into the operation more than a little nervous, naturally…

I must say, though, the BIGGEST obstacle was a Windows 7 issue, not a PS3 issue….

You see, you need a hard drive (or segment of one) formatted in FAT32 in order for the PS3 to recognize and use the drive (there’s no built-in formatter for external USB hard drives in the PS3 OS).

Fair enough, I can format it on my PC, right?

Ooops… Windows 7 (as well as Vista) LIMITS you to 32GB segments when formatting in FAT32… and I knew I had at least 40-45GB in data to transfer, so I was nervous.

So I finally decided to create THREE 32GB FAT32 partitions and HOPE the PS3 would be smart enough to see the extra space or something…

Fortunately, the PS3 actually COMPRESSED the files to fit… they took up about 31.2GB… very little room to spare.

I was still nervous, though, that I’d come up with missing data during Restore.

After that, things went SLICK.

The Sony directions for removing the existing 60GB drive were AMAZINGLY simple… and all I needed was one small Phillips-head screwdriver. Swapping the drives took MAYBE 5 minutes. Easiest part of the whole deal!

I then hooked everything up; the new hard drive was a Seagate Momentus… the exact same make and model as the one Sony had pre-installed. Only difference was, I installed a 320GB drive (for under $50) in place of the 60GB drive. Over FIVE TIMES more space!

Parts of the PS3 OS must be stored in internal flash memory or something, because even though the hard drive was unformatted, the PS3 booted right up and asked me if I wanted to format the new drive. I did so, then rebooted automatically, then restored from the USB drive… and about an hour or so later, EVERYTHING was still there!

Worked like a dream! A lot of stress over nothing!

And now I have 299GB Total, 232GB available… my PS3 will likely die before I run out of space now… and I don’t have to wince any time I look at a new game like HEAVY RAIN and see that it demands “at least 5GB free space” to run…

FINAL NOTE: Sony needs to add a utility to format USB hard drives to FAT32 without having to rely on a PC to do it… because if I ever DO need something bigger than 320GB, I’m gonna be completely screwed for transferring the data…. I won’t be able to format a large enough volume to FAT32 on Windows 7 to hold all that!

Sure, we could both use the abs workout a system like this affords; I just have not much interest in buying a Nintendo system to get that. If Sony can come up with some compelling workout games, I know my wife and I will opt-in on getting some Move controllers.

Sony published this RPG which mixes action and turn-based elements together quite nicely, and the only reason I didn’t buy it over Demon Souls originally was that Demon Souls was a lot cheaper at the time; but I found White Knight Chronicles on sale this time, so with the trade-in credit, I did OK. Better than most people do in selecting the best weight loss products, at any rate.

Also, White Knight Chronicles was inexplicably savaged in the reviews, usually earning a score somewhere in the six-range on a 10-point scale. I can’t relate to that; after playing the game this weekend for a few hours, it seems to possess all the same laudable qualities I loved about other recent Level 5 titles like Dragon Quest VIII and IX, Rogue Galaxy and Jeanne d’Arc.

The biggest rap against White Knight Chronicles in most reviews was that the game didn’t possess enough innovation … whatever that means. Who cares? The game is what it is and isn’t what it isn’t. And taking it for what it is, White Knight Chronicles is a fun story with an enjoyable battle system and it keeps me wanting to keep playing. What more can one ask?

I don’t know if I’ll do a full review eventually or not, but one thing this whole episode has taught me is that great reviews mean nothing. I hated the well-reviewed Demon Souls and love the poorly-reviewed White Knight Chronicles.

So there.

Now, this is not a pronexin reviews; I like most of the games Atlus has made over the past decade or so. Loved most of them, in fact. So I was of a mindset to really enjoy Demon Souls.

It was also a game with great word-of-mouth. Many hardcore gamers praised it for being, well, hardcore. Or just plain hard.

However, my experience was that it was the game’s wonky controls that actually made it difficult, not tough enemies fighting against you. You see, although I’m a very experienced gamers going all the way back to the days of Pong!, I just found the controls in the game to be very inaccurate, loose and prone to making you get your butt kicked.

Even with my experience, I found that no matter which approach to battles I took, I couldn’t get far because for every sword-swing that landed on target, I had to deal with three or four that would clang off a wall because I wasn’t aimed 100-percent perfectly. Even when I was.

I gave the game plenty of time to redeem itself; but there was just nothing for it. I got only slightly better over the five or six hours I played it. But in the end, it was a game that was just too much work to overcome the game’s wonky controls, to make it worthwhile for me to play.

So I traded it in; the game and some extra cash got me a game I’ll talk about on here sooner than expected.

Sony’s Polyphony Studios, responsible for the franchise, has teased gamers with previews ever since the PS3 launched; a single-car, two track foretaste was released around the same time Sony debuted the PS3 version of the PlayStation Network.

Since then, a somewhat abbreviated version of the title, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, is the best the company has been able to manage. Even though it lacked the depth of cars and tracks its predecessors featured, the game still had more depth than most racing games on this or any previous generation.

Plus, last fall, Sony released the PSP version of Gran Turismo at long last, almost simultaneously with the PSP Go! system.

But now, with November as the next tentative target date for Gran Turismo 5, one wonders if this will finally be the year it’s actually released. The game is said to feature 16-player online play, and if that’s done over Sony’s free PSN network, the company could finally have a title that puts Xbox Live to shame, rather than browsing www.bestdietsupplements.org in peace..

The game appears to still focus on Ezio, the central character of Assassin’s Creed II, and his neverending quest for how to get rid of blackheads… err, I mean, how to off a whole bunch of famous people. Since the game does not appear to have the expected “Assassin’s Creed III” moniker, it appears this may be a side-story to the main series.

So long as Ubisoft keeps delivering the 1080p eye-candy combined with great play mechanics and a solid storyline, and they can issue new installments endlessly, as far as I’m concerned. However, let’s hope the series doesn’t travel down the Lara Croft path of diminishing returns by maintaining too steady a stream of titles to allow for actual improvement in the game.

Not that I’m suggesting their project management software needs upgrading or anything, and I love the Fallout world as much as anyone; however, A new Elder Scrolls title would be a welcome thing, too, and not premature at all.

First, I am intrigued at the online play aspects of this title, as well as what seems to be potential for a whole lot more replay value than the first title on this generation of hardware. But not everything about The Forgotten Sands is winning me over on first blush.

For example, I loved the improvements to wall-running and climbing that were part of the first PS3 Prince of Persia title; while not quite as seamless as the system found in Assassin’s Creed, it was certainly something that made the title easy to pick up and play.

This time out, however, Forgotten Sands takes a step backward and employs a “hold down R2″ control scheme that was part-and-parcel of the PS2-era titles in the series, but seemed to have been cast aside on next-gen hardware. Unfortunately, it has made a return and while I can adjust to it because I have played a lot of the PS2-era titles since falling in love with the first PS3 Prince of Persia, I can’t see where going back to that control scheme is an improvement, really. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

Furthermore, the game still only supports 720p HD, rather than a full 1080p like Assassin’s Creed 2. That’s also disappointing.

The biggest surprise, however, is that despite an intriguing end to the first PS3 Prince of Persia that hinted at a direct sequel, the hero of this title seems to be a different Prince entirely, and there’s absolutely no sign of Princess Elika, the female co-star last time out. Instead, and perhaps because of the film that debuts this month, this title seems to be a throwback to the PS2 trilogy, rather than a followup to the last title. It even seems to be a different Prince who has spent more time on his ellipticals than roaming the desert sands.

That’s disappointing if for no other reason that I wanted to see what happened next between the Prince and Elika. Guess I’ll have to wait for the next Prince of Persia title for that.

This isn’t an indictment against The Forgotten Sands, mind you. I’m still early enough in the game to appreciate it on its own merits. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed in some elements of this sequel, thus far.

I haven’t felt this strongly about an Ubisoft title in quite some time, and I can only hope that, much like Assassin’s Creed 2, PoP:Forgotten Sands will finally add 1080p support on PS3, a grossly overlooked feature last time out, and just about the only weakness of the last installment.

I do hope the Elika storyline will pick up in Forgotten Sands, although it appears she may not be as prominently featured as in the last title; a new companion is apparently the order of the day. As apprehensive as that makes me, I know that so long as the gameplay is as addictive as it was last time out, I’ll be enjoying every minute of the new game, just as soon as it’s out and I can drop by Best Buy.

Rather than explain everything up front before things get rolling, FFXIII moves you into some action right away. Sure, it’s not free-roaming exploration until about 15 hours in… so I’m getting there soon… but it is a way to get the player into battling and leveling up right away while doling out the story in smaller, bite-sized doses.

Massive story sequences and long waits between save spots have been a long-standing complaint I’ve had about SquareEnix RPGs, so I’m pleased to see someone listened… especially since I know I’m not the only one with this complaint. It’s practically a Symbol LS2208 among those in the know.

Plus, I have to say I’m overjoyed that, this time out, I am far more involved in the battles than I was when playing Final Fantasy XII on PS2. If I want to see a movie, I’ll see a movie; I play games in order to feel involved in the outcome. Thanks also, SquareEnix, for recognizing that and responding to this not-infrequent complaint in which I’ve not been alone.

Final Fantasy XIII is to Final Fantasy XII what Windows 7 is to Windows Vista…

I guess it’ll be fine, though I still wish whiny developers would get off their butts and design 1080p games for 1080p systems. Now that my wife and I have a 1080p set, we’d really like a few titles that actually take advantage of it… otherwise I’d be better off spending my time on a bumbleride indie twin.

That’s a rich selection of titles to choose from, but Final Fantasy XIII was certainly a top priority. And as one of the few games lazy developers have actually gone to the trouble of making in 1080p resolution, Final Fantasy XIII stands out from the crowd with its sheer True HD level of detail and gorgeousness.

Any sales person who tells you that, short of a 50-inch screen, no one can tell the difference between 720p and 1080p needs to start a job search in a new line of work; 1080p shows up in brilliant clarity on our 32-inch screen just fine, thanks.

While I’m too early on in the game to comment much, I will say that I love the new battle system, which is much more involving than the one found in Final Fantasy XII, four years ago.