Dear Josh, I'm sorry I argued with you over which was better: Xbox vs PS4. (The 20 years of our great divide)

Let me first start off by saying "Thank you" to my brother Josh who was generous and gave me an Xbox for Thanksgiving. I have to admit, I spent the next few hours bitching and complaining about how everything worked on the Xbox. From the controller, to the user interface, and overall experience that I FORGOT TO SAY THANK YOU TO HIM. How very NOT classy of me, especially on literally the day of things to be thankful for. But I digress...

That being said. Let me "Tarantino" this story and take you back to the beginning. What we call... "The Great Divide" in our family. (We don't actually call it that, I do, but for dramatic effect). SCENE: It was a cool crisp Tuesday back in the early 2000's... (insert Wayne N Garth doing the "dddododooooo dodoodoododood dodoodooooo" sounds)

The gaming console war had begun with Nintendo, Sega, NEOGEO, Playstation, and then Xbox came on scene. And from that moment the argument began. Everything in this world is meant to divide us. Separate us. Keep us against one another. And sure, why wouldn't gaming consoles be yet another something. I mean, we have Star Wars vs Star Trek. PC vs Apple. Religion vs Religion. Red vs Blue. (insert the myriad of other things we bicker about which is better, hell... we even bitch over lite beer and non lite beer the list can go on and on). But my brother and I are of differing mindsets. I like chaos. He likes structure. So with this comes our fued.

Now, 20 year old me couldn't have told you this, but 45 year old me has the ability to grow, listen, and be open minded. I am now admitting on a public forum the things that I have learned whilst using my very first Xbox this week. (In no particular order)

1) The headset has to be plugged into the Xbox controller if you want to use speech or to hear the players in your group

2) They DO make a wireless headset but it has to be compatible with Xbox (NOT just using any bluetooth headset will do)

3) The button to hit "select" and move to the next box, screen, or choice you choose is NOT on the keypad 4 keys (A,B,X,Y) but rather LEAVING the natural setting of your hand held device and using a little "3 lines" button that you then have to move across one of the joysticks in an unnatural position.

Let me tell you that when I started my Xbox experience. I had a massive tantrum that progressively got worse each time I asked the next question to my brother and I thought to myself "THIS IS HOW THEY DECIDED TO GO WITH IT! THIS!!!! WHAT THE @#$%!!!!!"

Then I learned that things that Xbox (Microsoft) does was set in a certain mindset. They wanted open sourced add-ons (like PC or Microsoft allowed) Apple was a closed system and very tightly controlled and all the others outside complained about Apple having to "log in" with an Apple user name to use their products. That they controlled third party add-ons or source codes to keep the platform and ecosystem clean. All these things Apple did everyone complained about.

Now fast forward. I bought my mother a new PC this past month. Guess what, when you turn it on, you have to log into a Microsoft account to use the damn computer (I do not have a Microsoft account so imagine my surprise) Apple was once notoriously blasted for them using proprietary peripherals and devices...but now Xbox HAS the features to use bluetooth formats with ANY headphones but rather locks them down and you can ONLY use the Xbox approved peripherals....Hmmmmm interesting.

It now seems that OTHER platforms and ecosystems are now coming around to some of the very same things that their users complained about. Interesting.

But. This isn't about me calling out Microsoft (Xbox) so I digress... (again)

For any PC or XBOX user. I apologize. You have been so engrossed in your products and steps that you didn't see what I saw. That the slow decline in your processes over time you couldn't see the trees thru the forest...no wait the forest thru the trees. No, if you want a good look at a T-bone you got to stick your head up a butchers ass, no wait, its got to be your bull. (just kidding that was a Tommy Boy movie reference)

What I am getting at is that these processes are normal. They are not better or worse. They are just unfamiliar for me. Someone who doesn't use computers. Someone who is in the Apple Ecosystem because it works. Someone like me who is LAZY and doesn't want to have to set my "gamma' every damn time I turn on a game (WTH is gamma anyway?).

What I am trying to get out is that I am sorry. I am sorry that in my naiveite that I couldn't just admit that doing something in an unfamiliar way should be so damn divisive. I want to apologize to all my Star Trek Fans. Yes, I prefer Star Wars but Star Trek has many redeeming values that I have come to enjoy over the years...so why then did I dislike them for so long???

I want to apologize to any blue, or red, or plaid state that was one thinking mindset over the others. Think and believe what ever you would like. But most importantly, to my Xbox peoples that I have never had the chance to sit down and game with... I am trying. I am learning to use the new buttons. Use the new interface. Learning to make a group "party" or "team" or whatever it is called where we can join a game together and be as one.

I am growing.

I am learning.

And yes, I use an Xbox now. Josh, I appreciate the gift of openmindedness. I appreciate the gift of being together. I still don't like Xbox features over Playstation, but I will learn to use them so that we can have the time together to game long distance. If this keeps me close to my brother (and friends) then I will be open minded to its platform.

I love you Josh.

#growthmindset #growingup #xbox #playstation #fued #apologies #microsoft #apple #learningtobeabetterperson Josh Rose

Josh Rose is a cool brother. A very intelligent person. And someone whom I look up to. He also drives me crazy. Is sick of my shit. And 100% will not back down from a disagreement with me even though he doesn't know I am just breaking his balls all along the way.

But this article is 1000% an apology for all the years of grief and anguish and stress I have caused him while bitching about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING with him. Love ya, Bro!