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Is it possible to cheat on a console? I don't mean entering the Konami Code or exploiting Game Genie-enabled shortcuts. I'm talking about the rather old-fashioned idea of digital monogamy, of staying true to one machine. Perhaps it's just a cultural hangover from declaring loyalty to either the ZX Spectrum or the Commodore 64, the sort of thing that happened a long time ago in a playground far, far away. Yet it became a pressing issue, personally, in 2002.Ditching a console that has lost its lustre and shacking up with a younger, slimmer model might not be the height of chivalry, but definitively selling up, making a clean break and moving on at least feels socially acceptable. Juggling two machines of similar tech spec at the same time, though? It was an uncommon domestic situation that, a decade ago, involved a lot more fooling around with the removal and reinsertion of leads in the back of your telly. It seemed a little ... disrespectful.
In 2002, I was in an extremely happy and rewarding relationship with a PlayStation 2. For the most part, it felt like we were in the first flush of romance, exploring an exciting new future together. We held hands (Ico). We had long conversations on the phone (Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty). We were young hearts, running GTA 3. But one day, loitering on a work lunchbreak inside a Virgin Megastore, I had my head turned by a brand-new Nintendo GameCube that was running exclusive launch title Star Wars Rogue Leader 2: Rogue Squadronon an endless loop.
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