Let me give you a lightning round run-down on how I waste my time:

Gametap: meh, it’s okay, but I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t spend a monthly on it. Joust FTW.

World of Warcraft: I don’t quest as much as I used to, but I’m making hell of cash manufacturing bags of various types for auction. Which is sad.

Project: Snowblind: Brixtone claims it’s the spiritual successor to Deus Ex: Invisible War, but it’s just not as interesting, not to mention the “stealth” aspect is pointless when the “gross violence” option works better.

Overlord: Fun in concept and humorous in execution, but the gameplay is repetitive in some ways; I’m a big fan of Codemasters because of their innovation and writing, so you might want to peruse some of their other projects. In particular I am a fan of the oft overlooked title Second Sight.

Battlefield 2142: I made fun of Scrimpnut because he used to assert that Unreal Tournament was far superior to Quake 3 because the controls were better. Those of you who frequent this site may recognize that this is not the first time disagreements have been had. WASD and a mouse, how different can the controls be? As much as it pains me, and as much as my innards may twist with discomfort over admitting such a thing, he may have something going. Battlefield feels right. It feels the way I envision all shooters should respond. The controls are taut, the sensitivity is spot-on, and gunning soldiers down gives me a discomforting feeling of satisfaction. It’s only problem is that games can be laughably unbalanced. If your team doesn’t have its ducks in a row, expect to become enraged by frustration.

The really sad thing is that I have recently become engrossed with a relatively new game that I find utterly fascinating.

Yes, it has come to this: I am fixated by a game designed for twelve year-olds. I recently caved and bought a DS Lite when it became clear I would be making multiple cross-country flights over the span of a month. I have a sordid history with Pokemon - don’t worry, nothing illegal - and so it was one of my first purchases. It turns out this game appeals to me on complimentary levels that create a black hole-like trap from which productivity cannot escape. It combines role-playing elements with a collection game that allows you to beat up little girls. If you get bored, you can even play dress up with your pokemon. I always use pachirisu.

I could claim to you that I enjoy the strategic elements of the game, but that would be dressing up my enjoyment as something that it’s not. I could claim to you that I like the fact that the game is continually upbeat and promotes positive morals and good sportsmanship. Again, not really. Mostly, I just like catching pokemon and seeing what I can get them to evolve into. Beating up little girls’ pets is just a cherry on the sundae.

The bonus event of this whole situation is that last week my girlfriend - a staunch non-gamer - asked me unprompted if it was okay if she played Super Mario on my Nintendo. She was actually referring to New Mario Brothers, but it made my god damned day.