What is it?

What is it about video games that enables us to unplug from the world around us? Some of us do this as a habit to feel normal. I think for me, it's a way to feel better. To forget about the horrible or stressful stuff going on. When I was a big Guild Wars player, I was definitely using it from the wrong reasons. Now, I like to think that these forays into imaginary worlds are safe for me, just a little getaway.

But why does it work? I think it's the control. When I read a book, I escape... but into someone else's world. With these, even if I'm following someone else's story or plot, I get to make the choices, I get to live the adventure. And with games like Dragon Age and Fable, I even get to make decisions that change the final outcome.

Anyway, I've got a few good things going on quite a bit of some super sadness too, and a lot of stress. I just hope I can stay on top of myself and not let these little escapes become too serious. I know it's easy. I just wish I knew why.

Braaaaiiiinnnn Food: What do you use to escape the world?

There Just Isn't Room for You

So for the past few years I have been a notorious online gamer. I have dozens of friends that I met on the Interwebz and I used to just rush right home and burst online, ignoring everything else around me to plug in and get the fix.

Some of you out there know what I'm talking about...

Well, far be it from me to say whether this is a positive or negative change, but of late I have lost interest in these MMO-type past times. I used to be a Guild Wars girl through and through, but I got my uber-rare armor and enough titles for a rainbow phoenix (happily named Fawkes), so there wasn't much there to keep me going. I switched to WoW for the boyfriend, but I was years behind the curve there. While I was plodding along trying to level, all the "cool people" were off raiding all day and all night and I got lonely and frustrated. I even tried arena-type games, like TF2 and, to some extent, Killing Floor, but those got old fast. Especially when you take into account how bad I am at the FPS genre in general. Regen, run in a quick circle, get ganked, *poof*, repeat. Yeah, not my thing. I'm not brutal enough.

Even now I still enjoy a great co-op game. Left 4 Dead remains my favorite go-to "group" game, though it gets a bit repetitive after awhile. And I absolutely adore Resident Evil 5, not only because the RE franchise will always have my heart, but because the way that you teamed up with a friend to play the entire original game (not some stupid co-op quest built separately) was to die for. If they would make more games like that, I would have all of them. In fact, if you know of any more like that, let me know!


All that being said, I find myself turning more and more to my huge list of single player pieces, and console gaming as a whole. I love console gaming. I like laying on my couch and holding my controller, rather than sitting at a desk or table with a mouse, feeling connected to my laptop. Plus, although my new laptop is absoposolutely fantastic, prior PC limitations left me feeling stuck when a 2-minute cut scene would jump and skip and I'd miss half the dialog. Most importantly perhaps, I enjoy that I can play single player games at my own pace. I'm a slower gamer, and with my Bean here running around I often have to get up and stop mid-crisis in game. It happens. I pause. I reload saves before I died while I was across the room. Stuff like that. And honestly, I'm far from the greatest gamer ever. I lack skill, and often relish in talking to every single character in every village or outpost in RPG and adventure type games. And side quests. I'm on them. All of them. And let's not even start on collectible items and achievements.

So you may be wondering, so what's the big deal? Well, remember those friends I mentioned? A lot of them miss me it turns out! Who'd have thunkit? I'm not even a good gamer, so in my mind, what is there to lose? But I get asked all the time to jump in on this, please make time for that, I've even been gifted games I don't have time to play - let alone any actual desire or interest to play - just to try to peak my interest.

Well, I guess my interest isn't there.

Right now, my gaming style is mostly solo. I feel bad, yes, I miss my friends (sometimes), but these are the games I want to play. Dragon Age has my heart, followed by Zelda and Fable and quite a few others. I'm sorry everyone. I do love you. There just isn't room for you right now.

Really, Princess?

So I watched Tangled a few weeks ago with the youngster and this blog post has been in the back of my mind for awhile now. Why is it that every Disney princess must fall for her rescuer, friend, suitor, etc.? Is there no Disney scenario where the guy and girl are just friends? Should Rapunzel really be falling for the first man she ever sees... ever? Or Ariel for the first human? It's honestly a bit creepy.

Like most other young girls, I was always (and still am) the humble believer in true love. Don't get me wrong. But I've had some love that failed and some love that was good while it lasted, and I realize that we are filling our daughters' heads with complete and utter nonsense at this point. Why didn't Mulan (who was one powerful, independent Disney princess for a change) just say, "I think you're a great friend and I'd love to just hang out." I mean really, don't we all just have those guys that fit that role?

Apparently, princesses fall once and never again. Like werewolves from Twilight. They imprint and lose all brain power and, in fact, verge on the edge of creepy. (Don't believe me? Jacob was following around a newborn... um... gross.) I don't want all the love stories to disappear from Disney, or any other children's stories. I just wish that the kids were all made aware that sometimes you can love someone, and really just stay friends.

Braaaaiiiin Food: What lessons did you learn from your favorite childhood movies?

For All You Nonbelievers

I just wanted to take a quick moment to note that I, too, can actually complete a video game. I know, I know, it's rare. Or maybe is that just a sign that the video game industry isn't great enough to hold my attention? Yeah, I wish. Regardless, I am proud to say that I played Resident Evil 5 from beginning to end, with no cheats or anything. So take that all you naysayers! I am a gamer!

I may also take this moment to briefly admit that I am currently in the middle of many different games, and coming off the glory of this victory I vow to actually complete some of them. To give you an idea, here are the games that I am in the middle of:

Dragon Age 2
Fable 3
Mass Effect
Red Dead Redemption
Final Fantasy XIII
Zelda: Twilight Princess
Epic Mickey
Dragon Quest IX
Fallout 3
Bioshock 2
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 (pretty lame actually but I'm a huge KH fan)
Demon Souls (sorta. This game is really hard and I didn't get far)
Darksiders
Resident Evil 4 (I know, I know, how could I finish 5 and not 4?)
Dead Space

And I should note that this doesn't even include the list of games that I own that I haven't even started but need to get cracking on, like Mass Effect 2, Elder Scrolls, Neverwinter Nights 2, and Uncharted.

So yeah, I avow to actually complete games. You watch... I'm gonna do it! And I'm going to start by completing Dragon Age 2 somewhere in the near future. I love that game way too much to not give it the great playing it deserves.

Braaaiiinnn Food: Do you let games just sit around unfinished? If so, what are they?

Where is the Rebellion?

So I was watching Wall-E with the Bean the other day and noticed something that had escaped my not-so-watchful eye during the other dozens of previous viewings of what is, in fact, one of the better animated films for kids out there. As Wall-E was wandering the ravaged and abandoned landscape of Earth collecting trash and our left-behind treasures, I found myself wondering: "Where is the Rebellion?"

Let's face it. I don't care what the right answer is or the best answer. People don't like to leave home. Your whole town can be evacuated for any number of tragic reasons and there are always those strangely stubborn folk who will not leave. They stay through floods, tornadoes, radioactive dangers, the promise of earthquakes, anything you can throw at them. Like the swordsman in The Princess Bride on a drunken bender, they plant themselves firmly and declare, "I will not be moved!"

I understand that Earth was becoming unlivable. It wasn't a pleasant place, covered in garbage and devoid of plantlife. But I'm not sure that it was ever implied that the planet was completely uninhabitable. Ever see the movie Demolition Man? Remember Dennis Leary's band of rebellious pioneers living underground in filth and happily eating rat burgers? I think those people would also exist in Wall-E's world.

Even if the world was completely destroyed, haven't you played the game Fallout? There are always survivors, those who have evolved, or if not physically changed they have found ways to adapt. We even see it in Mad Max and that under-appreciated film (although I admit it's way too long) Waterworld. People find a way because they are stubborn, stubborn beings.

We know there was power left on Earth. The robots charged by the sun and the video projection ads were still playing. We know there were storms that presumably, occasionally, produced water. There were materials for building and inventing in abundance.

Somewhere on that world, there was a rebellion. And I'd love to see how they would have adapted other Wall-E's and Eva's to help them preserve their retro-survivalist way of life.

Braaaiiin food: How would you use a Wall-E robot to survive on a trash-covered Earth?

If only...

Why didn't I come up with this?

Check it out and enjoy! http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/looflirpa/e88a/