My favorite memory of my life is when GTA San Andreas came out my junior year in college. That was, in my humble opinion, and still is the greatest work of art in the 21st century. My friend used to come over and we'd get high as shit and play it for 15 hours a day. The one mission that stands out in my mind is the one that takes place in San Francisco where you have to burn the weed fields. I couldn't do it: I made my friend do it while I left the room. It was such a traumatic experience for me that I didn't realize why the game makers would put me under such diress. And then the other memory is after a 20 hour GTA session, at like 5 in the morning, we unlocked Vegas at night, and when CJ was walking down the strip, I honestly felt that I was actually in Vegas walking down the strip with him. There were times in that game when I couldn't tell the difference between gameplay and real life.

So tonight, I went to my local gamestop at midnight in hopes of getting a copy of the game. I don't even own a 360 or a PS3, but I just wanted the work of art in my arms. It was cold as shit and I got there at like 11:45, and the line was a good 75 people deep. But thoughts of playing the multiplayer level in Liberty City, shooting people all across the city was dancing inside my beautiful mind like Russell Crowe. I waited and waited, shivering, and then 45 minutes later, they said they were out of copies unless I had reserved it. So then I said fuck and went back home with nothing. I took a L tonight.

-Yu