Video Games

Maybe it's a guy thing--though things are changing--but guys love video games.  Some of my readers might say that boys love video games, and these men are just boys inside.  I can't really argue with that too much.  Of course, as a hobbyist, I have been channelling the little boy inside me for a long time.  And that little boy likes his video games.

What does this really mean?  It means that I thumb through the weekly flyers for Best Buy and Future shop to see what games are out.  It means that I burrow deep into the "on sale" bin at department stores looking for gems in the rough.  It means that the sound of the arcade (mostly in movie theatre lobbies these days) calls whenever I pass.

Despite my affection for the games, I am not really a good player.  My hand eye co-ordination isn't bad, my reaction time isn't bad, but I just don't have the intangible quality that separates the dabblers from the standout players.  I can complete games, but I probably don't play them on the highest difficulty levels.  I win, but I don't win convincingly.

As a hobby, video games don't really get a lot of my time and attention.  I have a couple of portable ones when I need some distractions for the bus.  I have a less than modern system for the TV, and a couple of games.  I mostly play computer games, like Age of Empires, Sim City, and other games.  I like games that can be played in a couple of hours or less--having to spend a lot hours in front of the screen doesn't appeal to me--my eyes get buggy and the headaches begin.

The new crop of video games that require full body movement are quite interesting.  I wonder how far this technology will go in the near and slightly distant future.