How much is too much?

I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything, but I wanted to get an update in before I let too much time pass and no one read the blog anymore. Anyways, I started wondering today, do I have a problem? About a month-and-a-half ago, I had a job interview for a subtance abuse counselor position. One of the questions was "What do you think the most important part of the 12-step recovery program is?" Okay, so with my new B.A. degree in Psychology in hand, I absolutely blew the question. I couldn't remember the 12-step addiction recovery steps and fumbled my through with some jibberish. Needless to say, I didn't get the job; however, I went home and looked at the 12-step recovery program. The first step is the most important, of course, because it is "Admit to yourself that you have a problem." You can't begin to recover if you don't believe you have a problem. Anyway, so enough of the psycho-babble for now, I started to wonder today as I was counting my characters in World of Warcraft, and the numerous other games that I play, if I really do have a problem. The number of characters shown over at http://combatengineers.enjin.com/profile/828566/characters/index/page/1only shows you my guilded characters within World of Warcraft. I'm working on adding my Rift characters there (I think there's around 5 there) and also my City of Heroes characters (somewhere around 15 or 20 total characters there). My Everquest 2 (4 or 5), Vanguard (1), and DC Universe Online characters (2) are not listed either. And that's just the MMOs. I also play numerous XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 games and dabble around on a 3DS every now then. Granted most of my game playing time is devoted to World of Warcraft, EQ2, and NCAA Football 2012 but I do play the other games now and then. So, I may have a problem. But then again, I do not think it's a bad one either, and it's definitely not a mental illness (A mental illness has to cause a negative effect on my normal daily activities, and I am very capable of fulfilling my daily activities and do not neglect my children in favor of gametime ;-) ). Some studies have shown that games can improve brain function, and I can definitely use some improved brain function. Everyone has a hobby, and everyone has different ways of having fun. So my hobby is gaming and I just happen to have fun when I sit down at a computer (or a console), log into vent, and play games with people that I get along with very well. And if you've got a problem with that, I've got two words for you.....

WWE All Stars? Child's Play.

I purchased WWE All Stars for my Playstation 3 the other day in hopes of adding an addition to an already great game WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2011. Unfortunately, my hopes were quickly diminished. The game breaks away from the move controls used by previous Smackdown vs. Raw games and attempts to go back to button-smashing Arcade roots. However, a lack of synchronisity between my controller and the game leads to a delay between my button press and the actual action being completed by my in-game character. A very uninteresting career-type Path of Champions mode, combined with a boring, and often frustrating (with the way the game does not recognize my controller commands half of the time) Legends-type mode (where you determine the best of two wrestlers, one modern-day and one legend) does not do very much to help this game out.

I would take the game back and get some in-store credit for it; however, I let my 7-year-old play the game (yes, I know what the ESRB rating is and I monitor him while he plays so kiss my bad-daddy butt) and he says that I'm not allowed. He's not any better at it than I am (which is surprising because he is usually better at the games than I am), but he likes seeing the Legend wrestlers compete with the modern day wrestlers and likes watching the entrance music of the Legends. I get what the game is trying to do, but the delivery just didn't come through here and what could have been an awesome game falls to the mediocre pile.

Yes, I really don't know Jack

I saw a new game for the XBOX 360 the other day that I just had to have for nostalgia, and possibly entertainment, reasons. The game, you ask? Why, my friend, you really don't know Jack, do you? Anyways, silly puns aside, the game "You Don't Know Jack" was recently revamped and released on all major platforms, including the Wii and PC. I remember playing this game into the wee hours of the night on the computer back in the day. The game was fun, a great game to play with more than one player, and you really learned a lot from the game before it just disappeared. So, I bought this new version in hopes for the same fun and nostalgia. I bought the XBOX 360 version and you can play by yourself (although the game does berate you for it), with 3 other people locally or on-line. Did I get the same enjoyment from this new version as I did from the old version? No, I didn't and my self-esteem is lower, thanks to games amusement at my lack of knowledge. Maybe I just knew more back in the day and as I got older, that knowledge disappeared. Or maybe I just don't get the same enjoyment out of getting made fun of for being dumb that I used to.



I'm not going to recommend not buying this game, but if you don't like games that make fun of you for getting questions wrong, then it's probably not for you. The game is still kind of fun, and as I continue to play it, I might learn something new, and become better at the game.