Are Games a Distraction from Real Life?

Sometimes I contemplate whether games distract us from what is happening in the real world. Games these days have very high budgets and are considered to be as important as the movie industry.

The only difference with games is that you are interacting with them. Watching a film for a few hours takes your mind off of what is happening in the world but after the movie is over, you go home and face reality. With games however, you play for as long as you want. The game becomes your 2^nd reality that you start to put your time and effort into playing.

Being engrossed in games helps to take your mind off of actual events and issues happening around the world such as the economy and politics. You may forget about your financial difficulties or the job you hate doing. Games are a good form of escape, but is it not important to know what is happening in the real world?

Obviously not all gamers are so absorbed with their gaming habits but there is a minority that really do not care and have no idea what is happening in their own back yard.

Do any of you keep up to date with current events and issues or are you too busy building up your XP in World of Warcraft?

Who Says Girls Cant Play Games?

I dont know how I managed to stumble upon this little gem but I was pleasantly surprised and entertained after watching some of Sadies reviews.

In a nutshell, Sadies Gaming Infection is brought to you by one person playing 2 roles. Doctor Sadie prescribes video games to her patient, UltraNeko. She plays the game for the first time and records it so the audience can see her genuine reaction to the game. She plays for about 10 mins then stops and reviews it.

It's a very interesting approach to say the least. Her mannerisms are cute, she is pretty sweet looking and very funny. Her humour would appeal to most guys along with her appearance. She has loads of videos on YouTube as well as a website and blog.

I would strongly suggest you guys take a look at her material if you are going to be writing about girl gamers.

She plays games better than some guys I know!

Anyway go to http://www.sadiesgaminginfection.com/index.html and check out her stuff.

Guaranteed to entertain and make you laugh!

Gaming Evolution

I was recently playing on my Xbox 360, thinking about how consoles have evolved. I was reflecting on the notion that today’s generation of gamers have it pretty easy when it comes to acquiring various media. They are spoilt for choice. Thanks to the internet, gamers can now download arcade games onto their hard drives as well as movies and game add-ons.

Back in the days before the internet, I had to go to a specialist import store to get my games. I used to pay around £60 for imported Japanese or American titles whereas games nowadays cost anywhere from £30-£40.

Thanks to the internet, gamers can use sites such as eBay, Amazon, Play and various other import sites to acquire games without having to wait for the official release dates for their respective territories. Not only do they save money, when compared to high street retail prices, the convenience of clicking and ordering makes it a more desirable shopping experience, provided that they have a debit card.

Gamers can download arcade classics straight to their hard drives for less than £10. Demo games are freely available to download without having to buy a games magazine. Users can order movies, chat to each other and even play online. When you look at what these consoles can achieve compared to 10 years ago, they have come a long way not just technically but socially as well. The games industry is an ever expanding business and even games studies are being taken more seriously.

The question is… where does it all go from here? Do the graphics get more real? Will we be interacting with consoles without the aid of controllers? Will we be plugging our minds into the games we play a la The Matrix?

Technology is moving at a fast rate and our imaginations are leading the way. Maybe one day we will be fighting on a virtual battlefield or flying a spaceship at neck breaking speeds from the comfort of our ‘virtual-booths’ in our living rooms.

The Gamer's Initiation

The other day I was sitting in my room playing on my Xbox 360, thinking about how I got my first ever console. My uncle loved video games and he was the first person who got me into gaming. He started out with a Commodore 64 before getting a Sega Mastersystem then the Megadrive. When I saw his home console, I was bewildered by the graphics, the sound and the way the games worked. I remember the first ever console I owned was a Super Nintendo with Street Fighter II and 2 controllers. My uncle bought it for me second hand from a swap shop in Accrington, Lancashire.

I was 13 years old.

In the 14 years that ensued, I have owned a Nintendo 64, Nintendo Gamecube, Nintendo DS, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, Sony Playstation, Sony Playstation 2, Sony Playstation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360.

Video games are now a huge part of my life. Not only do I play games but I also study them, as well as write about them. Certain people at some point in their lives grow out of playing video games, as did my uncle. For me however, games are an integral part of my life and so I don’t think I will ever grow out of playing them or stop being involved with in some way, shape or form.

Who got you into gaming and what was your first ever console?

A life without Video Games

I was just thinking the other day, what on earth I would be doing with my spare IF video games didnt exist?

How would I spend my free time?
What would I spend £40 on instead of games?
What other hobbies would I take up?
What would your life be like without Video Games?

Can I get an honest response from anyone?