What is it about a game that enthralls you? What really gets you hooked? In the last game that truly had you, did you identify with the characters, or did you latch on to the comedy?

What has always remained a constant, if anything? Do you notice certain similarities between the games you adore?

We aren’t discussing, of course, how Mythos and Titan Quest are close copies of Diablo, but the similarity of two or more games sharing a common area of your focus. Be it the beautiful scenery, the action and adventure, the fast paced battles, or the roles and storyline.

What sticks out for you? Do you notice a pattern? Is there no pattern, but a smattering of details that catch your attention and capture your heart?

That’s a lot to digest right there, I know. But it’s important. These details are what decides whether we buy the retail after the trial, whether we pick it up for ourselves after playing a friend’s copy, and whether we continue playing something we blindly bought or sell it to the secondhand shop in a week.

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Deep down, I have a burning desire to kick the shit out of a mob. Any mob. It could be a zombie, an orc, a dragon, a military officer or, hell, even the graphical representation of your mother-in-law. Doesn’t matter. It could even be plural. Actually, the more the better, yes. Spread the zombie infection across an entire city. Incite the tribe of orcs into frenzied attack. Invite over your whole family-in-law.

That destruction is all well and good, especially when enacted in the company of battle companions. But see, I’ve got a problem. I’m a picky gamer. I like to be comfortable.

What makes a game comfortable to me? I’ll talk about what makes them uncomfortable.

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During the holidays I tend to be quite nostalgic, even going so far as to renew temporary subscriptions to games I’d quit ages ago just to experience their own personal holiday cheer. This year has been a little different, with my primary focus falling on the things I miss in a game I’m already currently playing - World of Warcraft. What am I pining for this year?

PVP.

Non-consensual player versus player conflict. World PVP at any time and any place. Kicking the shit out of people and making them want for nothing more than me to leave them the hell alone.

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While visiting my parents for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend, I was struck at how obnoxious a commonly uttered parental phrase had become. I hadn’t heard it in over a year, and quite frankly I wish to never hear it again.

We were discussing my work, my education, life as I now know it in my semi-new city. How are things? What have you been up to? Still playing those mindless video games? Excuse me? Just stop right there for a moment.

Are all video games an avenue to mindless brain off-switching? Do we benefit from playing them in more ways than just entertainment and relaxation? If you actually sit down and play a video game then think about it for a minute, you’ll probably be able to draw the conclusion: yes, there are benefits. The general idea that video games are undermining critical thinking and intelligence in today’s gamers and kids couldn’t be farther from the truth.

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“LOG OFF, NOW!”

You may recognize this as the climactic line of the television previews for last Wednesday’s episode of CBS prime time series CSI New York. In the short preview, it lends the scary impression to the viewer that its resident video game murderer can somehow kill one directly through the computer. Pretty climactic indeed.

I wonder now about how safe gamers, particularly females, feel online in the game realm. How seriously do we take privacy?

The question should really start as: Do we even consider it at all?

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