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• 20Sep 08

  Video Games and College: A Healthy Combination

  Well, I've been at college for about a month now, and it's really changed video game playing for me. For one, I have both much less and much more time to do it. Paradox? Yes. But true.

  The fact is, I have a lot of free time. I'm only taking 13 hours of classes, which is not a heck of a lot. However, I'm also in a play (The Laramie Project) which requires four hours of rehearsal daily besides Saturdays. So, I should be spending most of my free time during the week studying and memorizing lines, which I am really lacking on at the moment. But, like a normal college student, I procrastinate by playing video games.

  This has become a problem, but I have found a solution:

  Use video games as a reward system. Which means, don't play that next level that's crying your name until you've finished reading that chapter that's whispering it from under your bed.

  It may seem simple, but it works. Yes, it's tedious to have to stop every time you just finished an amazing level in The Force Unleashed (review coming soon) to force yourself to go back and read a chapter, but when you're done, then you can play uninterrupted. Now I know some students don't have much homework, so they may finish a game entirely between assignments. But if most of you have a backlog nearly as big as mine is, this shouldn't be a problem.

  Also, video games are great socially. Now, I'm not one to put video games before going out or hanging out with my friends, because keeping a good social network is essential for survival at college. But I will often find myself just chilling in my dorm playing Twilight Princess (review coming soon) and having a few people watch in just to watch.

  I used to think that coming to college I wasn't going to have time to play video games, and my favorite hobby was going to disappear from my clutches. But I'm very glad to discover that this is not the case.

  So, this may be old news to some people, but being a freshman here at TCU, it's a pretty awesome revelation to me.

  • Posted Sep 20, 2008 11:19 am GMT
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• 5May 08

  Best Game Eve.... NOOO!

  So, I got Grand Theft Auto IV the other day, like every other gamer who knows anything about quality did.

  First of all, this is so far the single greatest video game I've ever played. I can literally just stand there in game and find something to be entertained by, whether it be watching someone walk by eating a hot dog and seeing there mouth actually move, or watch a cop chase a gang member down the sidewalk. As fun as it is to stand there, playing the game is ten times as exciting.

  Of course, the video game gods would not be so kind as to let this travesty of complete gaming euphoria to go unnoticed, so my 360 decides to go into hardware failure.

  This is the second time this year I've gotten the red rings of death, and it really makes me mad. Especially when I was in the middle of a really badass high speed chase! Some people just turn the console back on and live with the random turning off of the console, but I can't.

  Oh well, I guess I'll send in my 360, along with my Rock Band drums, which have been broken forever and I am dying to play.

  Oh, and go see Iron Man. Even if you aren't a fan of the comic, it will be worth your while I guarantee it. 10/10.

  • Posted May 5, 2008 2:59 pm GMT
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• 28Nov 07

  Rock Band: Guitar Hero with wings

  Rock Band is simply one of the best party games I've ever come across. If you're a solo gamer, then it's still worth getting the drums. As a former drummer myself, itactually makes me want to go out and buy a real drum set (which it encourages you to do while playing). For solo play, the guitar part isn't as incredible as GH3, and the singing part is just awkward alone. But for small and large gatherings alike, Rock Band will never fail to be a hit.

  I did have one of the malfunctions highly talked about; my drum pedal snapped. But the website has a great automatic system and I should be getting a new pedal within the next two days. In the meantime, I can always beat it on guitar.

  I highly recommend putting this game on your Christmas wish list.

  • Posted Nov 28, 2007 3:03 pm GMT
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