I Have Gamer ADD

Alan Pope, Ph.D., NASA psychologist and electrical engineer who invented virtual reality biofeedback, has assembled some compelling research to support using video games in the treatment of ADD. If it weren't for that research, I'd be convinced that I have a gamer-specific form of ADD. Last night, I looked at my Xbox 360 game collection & thought "Damn, that thing is huge" (insert "that's what she said" joke here). Glancing through the titles revealed some precious gems (Batman: Arkham Asylum, Assassin's Creed, just about ANY Lego game) that, surprisingly, I've allowed to fall by the wayside. There is probably an element of discipline I lack, as well as the ability to tell myself "No"... actually, no, that couldn't possibly be it. Now, my library could actually be much larger than it is - but thanks to the rental powerhouses of Redbox and GameFly, I've prevented some really fucked up games from invading my console (as well as short-length titles worth only a rental, like the CSI games). I've been going back to the backlog & actually finishing more games, and made a decision to pass on certain titles (albeit temporarily, for some). I rented Dark Souls and Spider-Man: Edge of Time, quickly got my fill of those. Upcoming games, I decided to pass on Battlefield 3 & Modern Warfare 3 (gotta start somewhere). I also won't be visiting Arkham City any time soon, at least until I finish Arkham Asylum. The only titles I'm committed to are Forza 4 (a week late, due to my pay schedule), Skyrim, and The Old Republic. I did buy Morrowind: GOTY Edition for PC, which serves two purposes:  1) reconnecting to the Elder Scrolls world before Skyrim, and 2) re-familiarizing myself with PC controls before The Old Republic. That should keep me busy enough this season, along with a random backlog title or three.

Random note: if you're going to blame your fart on somebody else, make sure he's actually around to be blamed. Trust me, it will greatly improve your chances of success.

I can only say one thing about my experience with Dark Souls:  Fuck you, From Software! While various games have frustrated me to varying degrees, only two have turned me to the Dark Side of rage quitting:  Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. Now, I game for enjoyment & relaxation, for mental stimulation & challenge, and to socialize. There is a difference between games designed to challenge and games designed to frustrate. This game was designed to piss me the fuck off! The only thing I can say about Spider-Man: Edge of Time is that it was very linear & "guided" (like, I felt they were trying to hold my hand the whole fucking time). Not a very good rental week. I'm hoping that X-Men Destiny will at least be average.

My plan for this weekend:  sit on my ass and not do shit. I have an abundance of resources to guarantee success:  my weekend rentals, my Netflix queue, and a pile of movies I've yet to go through. And games on top of that. If I could just get through the rest of the day at work. Thanks to Netflix on my phone, I can!