A festive PSP story

[THATinkjar]

So, this may make some of you chuckle, considering how I have been ragging on the PSP for months, now.

Last week, I was talking to my dad about how I might spend some of my Christmas bonus. I mentioned I was weighing up buying a PSP. His opinion was to wait, since he remembered reading that a price drop was expected in the UK on Boxing Day (of all days). I was so confident he was wrong, we decided to make a bet.

I didn’t know this at the time, but he had hoped the bet would dissuade me from buying a PSP until after Christmas. In my eyes, though, it only added to the incentive – knowing I was sure to make £50 for doing absolutely nothing. So, last night, I went out and bought myself a PSP Giga Pack, with Lumines, WipeOut Pure and Ridge Racer.

So keen to tell dad the good news, I showed him my new toy this morning. He was absolutely devastated! And why? Because he had friggin’ bought me a PSP for Christmas! I just didn’t see it coming!

So, in the space of 24 hours, I have acquired two PSPs and my dad is somewhat heartbroken. The bet, as it turned out, was nothing more than a diversion, and something he used to do maybe five or six years ago to throw me off the scent. But I have grown up since then, and Christmas has lost its charm for all of us, but this year – it would seem – he wanted to make Christmas a little more special.

I went to work today feeling really down in the dumps, having screwed up so badly. I went home earlier to try and make peace, though, and he gave me the PSP. The upside to all of this, though, is that he bought the Value Pack. This has firmware version 2.00 – as opposed to mine, which has 2.50. So I explained I can now use one PSP for homebrew (emulation, playing video without having to convert it, etc) and the other for playing the latest games, etc. Plus the four games he bought were ones I didn’t buy last night.

He understands the above, but he is still so disappointment that the surprise has been ruined. I feel awful, and so I should. THATinkjar has ruined Christmas, and now I have to put things right. Feel free to laugh at me or make suggestions on how I could make it up to my dad this Christmas.

[Oobgarm]

I won't laugh at you, since I probably would have ended up doing the same thing. But it's cool you got one for homebrew/emu and one for retail games. You'll probably be playing the one he got you more than the one you bought, save for Lumines. Make sure he knows that!

[Cmtz]

It's not your fault. PSPs always seem to ruin the holidays. Mine is trying to kill me as we speak. DS Rules! :P

[Kejoriv]

Why dont you just return one? And use the money to buy more games?

[THATinkjar]

Why dont you just return one? And use the money to buy more games?

Good question. I've already opened (and dropped, lol) mine, and I really want to keep the 1 gigabyte memory card... and I can't return dad's because it is a christmas present and that'll make things worse.

I realise it seems like a good idea, but really - I dont think it is. Plus I can actually use both :)

[Six Switch]

how?

and i would have seen that coming,seems pretty textbook to me.

[THATinkjar]

how?

and i would have seen that coming,seems pretty textbook to me.

My dad hasn't given a damn about Christmas for a few years now, I wasn't expecting him to play these games now that I am 20 years old.

I agree, I should (or wish) I had seen it coming, but to me, it seemed as if he genuinely thought there was a price drop, which made me annoyed because I know what is happening in the industry far more than he does, and he was so confident.

[ClubNinja]

Yeah, you totally blew it. In the weeks before Christmas, you should never buy anything that someone might get you. Be a little patient and wait until after the holiday to scoop up whatever you didn't get. If you were my kid, I'd return the PSP I bought and say "tough luck" to you for Christmas. Seriously. Especially given the *obvious* swerve tactic that would've tipped off a four year old, why would you feel the need to run out and buy this immediately?

[THATinkjar]

Yeah, you totally blew it. In the weeks before Christmas, you should never buy anything that someone might get you. Be a little patient and wait until after the holiday to scoop up whatever you didn't get. If you were my kid, I'd return the PSP I bought and say "tough luck" to you for Christmas. Seriously. Especially given the *obvious* swerve tactic that would've tipped off a four year old, why would you feel the need to run out and buy this immediately?

The need to run out and buy this immediately? Are you kidding me - I've waited ages before picking one up. Not to mention the fact that - as I said in my last reply - dad hasn't done anything like this in a long, long time. Plus I am a video game collector and he hasn't bought me a video game in about 8 years. He knows not to buy me those because he hasn't got a clue what I have got.

At the end of the day, I realise it has all worked out rather horribly (though I'm hoping that having two PSPs works out rather well), I am entitled to spend my money however I please.

Oh, look at me, I am defending my actions. Sheesh.

[drummy]

Ouch, that blows.

[ClubNinja]

I am entitled to spend my money however I please.

Oh, look at me, I am defending my actions. Sheesh.

You certainly are, and defending your actions is just fine. I'm only pointing out that, in general, it's a bad idea to buy stuff like this right before a gift-giving holiday. I KNOW that I won't be getting anything more than power tools or some socks, yet I still haven't picked up a new game in the past month just in case. You never know when that random relative is going to say "hey, I know so and so like games - let me pick one up for Christmas!"

I guess I'm just seeing this from your father's perspective. He wants to get you something you REALLY want and HE wants to be the one to bring it to you. He throws down a transparent story to encourage you to wait, but you do it anyway (in fact, shouldn't you have waited for the results of the bet anyway?). It's just sad to hear, since that's pretty much what parents want to do - deliver joy to their rotten little kids.

And if you waited ages to get a PSP, then I highly doubt an extra two weeks would've harmed you.

[THATinkjar]

You certainly are, and defending your actions is just fine. I'm only pointing out that, in general, it's a bad idea to buy stuff like this right before a gift-giving holiday. I KNOW that I won't be getting anything more than power tools or some socks, yet I still haven't picked up a new game in the past month just in case. You never know when that random relative is going to say "hey, I know so and so like games - let me pick one up for Christmas!"

I do agree with you, but I have been lulled in a certain pattern at Christmas in the last few years. Just last night, before I bought a PSP, I was saying to dad how things have changed. Now I've grown up, gone are the days where he bought me things I could never have afforded on my own.

Last year, dad bought me a robotic dog that he wanted me to spend hours upon hours programming dance moves for. I appreciate the thought, but I just couldn't bring myself to get interested in it. I did the usual - drove about on Christmas day looking for batteries - and played with it all day, and haven't looked at it since. Christmas isn't about the presents for us anymore, it is just about spending time with each other (and with my dad, he doesn't have all the time in the world).


I guess I'm just seeing this from your father's perspective. He wants to get you something you REALLY want and HE wants to be the one to bring it to you. He throws down a transparent story to encourage you to wait, but you do it anyway (in fact, shouldn't you have waited for the results of the bet anyway?). It's just sad to hear, since that's pretty much what parents want to do - deliver joy to their rotten little kids.

I understand, and trust me - I have been looking at this from my dad's perspective all day. If I had even the slightest idea that he had bought me a PSP, I obviously wouldn't have bought one for myself. I'm not used to him doing this anymore, so I wasn't expecting him to play these games. In the past, I would have picked up on it. And I had explained to him I wanted to spend some of my christmas bonus on a PSP to help congratulate myself for coming through a pretty tough year.

For the record, his "transparent story" wasn't as obvious as it may have sounded. With my dad, he is always telling me not to spend my money on this, or do that, etc. To me, it was just his usual parental responsibilities shining through. I wasn't to know different, I don't think.


And if you waited ages to get a PSP, then I highly doubt an extra two weeks would've harmed you.

True. But for some reason, having blanked out the PSP for so long, I suddenly had such a strong urge to pick one up. I'm quite impulsive when I want to be, and thats just how it is.

I'm really looking, now, to think how best to make it up to him. I'm going to try and show him he hasn't wasted his time or money, and I hope to give him some awesome presents, too. I'm pleased he found the energy and effort to try and make this Christmas extra special, and I'm just worried I have kicked him back down again. He'll be thinking, "Why did I bother?", which is the last thing I want him to be thinking - especially in his frame of mind and physical condition.

[SlayerX]

That's why you make a Christmas list of stuff that you want/need, and leave SOME stuff off. The stuff you leave off is the stuff that you buy yourself.

I gave my Dad and Stepmom some things I wanted for Christmas, my Mom and Stepdad, but of course I forgot somestuff, so I bought em myself.

[Zing]

Why would a person give someone something that they already owned? You Brits are a strange folk.

If I was in his situation, I would be pissed that you actually kept and opened the extra PSP instead of exchanging it for something you don't already own.

[johno590]

That sucks. It's not your fault, I mean you had no idea so it's not like you were trying to hurt your dads feelings.

I know I would feel bad if my dad did that for me too. You could always take that system back, I mean you could tell them your story, maybe they would take it back, and that way you could buy other games for it, instead of having 2 systems.

[McBacon]

Yeah, you totally blew it. In the weeks before Christmas, you should never buy anything that someone might get you. Be a little patient and wait until after the holiday to scoop up whatever you didn't get. If you were my kid, I'd return the PSP I bought and say "tough luck" to you for Christmas. Seriously. Especially given the *obvious* swerve tactic that would've tipped off a four year old, why would you feel the need to run out and buy this immediately?

I gotta agree, it seems pretty obvious what your dad was trying to do.

[qbertandernie]

take his back, tell him youve taken yours back, then buy a pile of games and wait until emulation is available for 2.5...

though i do kind of agree with some of the other posters. its been rule in ym family since i could drive that you dont buy things you want in december. write it down, as someone is always grasping for items to buy as gifts.

[Lothars]

Man Jon that's an interesting story

tsk tsk though you shouldn't have went and picked up your self a psp :P

but that's ok I am sure you will enjoy it, though it's all good :)

But hey at least you have two now that will even make it better, one for emulation and one for regular game playing.

[Enixis]

take his back, tell him youve taken yours back, then buy a pile of games and wait until emulation is available for 2.5...

Actually emulation on 2.5 is already available... Yes 2.5!!

[dairugger]

if hes into games id give him the one i got for myself and keep his.. if not- well i'd return the one i bought and buy something you both could enjoy- or possibly a present for him.. i feel for you tho!

[THATinkjar]

Well, it turns out that the PSP wasn't my main Christmas present. My parents gave me a jet-black leather jacket yesterday, which took several months to order. The PSP - my dad said - was a last minute buy. Well, no one could have predicted that, then.

Parents, eh? You just can't take them anywhere (or something>