Get a (virtual) life
I don’t claim to be grown up. I don’t want to dress my age, though perhaps I don’t want to dress like those teenage sluts in the making, proudly wearing pink t-shirts proclaiming me a bitch or brat in rhinestones.
I do still wear skater shoes, though I don’t skate.
I pepper my conversations with like and dude. I can’t help it.
I have not given up video games.
But I need to get a life. Probably not a revelation to anybody.
During my trip home, my brother, father of four, managed to sucker me into a game. Unfortunately, this game was for a system I didn’t have, and had no intention of buying. But envy or intrigue with a new gadget often gets the better of me.
So I tag myself with Reason 28 … Buying shit you don’t need when you already have stuff you don’t play with that much. Specifically, another video game system when you have: a Playstation 2, a GameCube, a PC, and a Nintendo Gameboy Advance SP. The GBA came courtesy of my brother for my birthday. The brother who then showed me his Nintendo DS, a fancier handheld GBA, essentially, with a touch screen. And then told me, if you buy a DS, you’ll negate my gift. But then decided that I could negate his gift if it meant I could play with him across country.
The siren’s call got me when he showed me Nintendogs. It’s a virtual pet game, where you can care for up to three puppies on a daily basis.
That might sound hellish, and I’m not a dog person. But the minute I started petting my brother’s virtual German shepherd, Lady, I was hooked.
I gave her a bath. I took her for a walk. I petted her, gave her treats. But I wasn’t allowed to talk to her. You’ll confuse her, he says. Watch.
They respond to voice commands. Do tricks. Come to their name. All keyed into your voice.
Within a week of returning home, I’d bought a Nintendo DS as an early Christmas gift to myself, braving pre-Christmas crowds in disturbing places. I also had to have Nintendogs, of course.
Roommate Heather was bemused by me spending periods of time with my dog. Wait, I have to finish walking the dog before I leave, I’d say. I just taught Trillian to spin, I’d tell her. Trillian just won an award in the disc competition!
I’d use my cute voice to call to the dog, and my cats became confused. They came up to me looking for love, and I’d give them a distracted pet, all while cooing to my dog, and telling her, good girl.
Now I’m sad to report that Trillian is probably going to be quite mad at me the next time I see her. I’ve left her alone for days without food or water or a walk.
Because I’ve found another thing to take up virtual time.
Animal Crossing Wild World. Essentially a sequel and slight upgrade to a game I already have for GameCube, and haven’t played in two years. Shel knows all about what happens when you let Animal Crossing take over your life.
This post has gone on too long. I’m trying to stop writing, about how I write letters to the animals in Animal Crossing, or how I decorate my room, or buy stylish new clothes, or dig for fossils or collect fruit, or eagerly await a new day so I can see what other stuff I can buy at Tom Nook’s.
I bought a $35 part so I can play Animal Crossing with my brother, across country.
It’s a sickness. Trust me. I need help.
Indeed it is a sickness, and I am afflicted as well. However, I’ve never been able to get into Sim games, I’m afraid. GTA: San Andreas is my current obsession. I bought Animal Crossing and ended up selling it on eBay after hardly playing it. Too cute. Now, if I could have armed my character with a shotgun and went squirrel and rabbit hunting, then I might have felt my interest pique a bit.
It’s interesting to get a peek into this experience, because I haven’t been a part of the gaming world.
I wen through a war craft period and am happy to say that games, like sports, are two things I have yet to get obsessed over (sports only in six month spurts). Though I could be easily enough. Actually, I have to confess, a huge virtual game with the sodsbrood folk sounds like lots of fun….we should create a committee to look into this possibility
Gee, I wonder where the name “Trillian” came from…
Having already discussed this with Mel B. recently, I just want to clarify something for the non-gamers and explain why Animal Crossing is the most evil game out there.
Now, I’m stuck on The Sims on the PC. But I’m not exactly obsessive about it anymore … but I picked it up again recently and I’m worried that I might become obsessed about it again. But what makes The Sims great is that when I turn off my computer, My Simmys wait until I return before their little lives continue. With Animal Crossing, which I played on the GameCube, this is not the case. If you miss a day, so does your character. And your character misses out on all the goodies provided for that day in the game. If you make an appt. with another character in the game, you have to actually BE THERE at that time you specified or there will be hell to pay.
I cannot, will not, won’t let myself get into Animal Crossing again. (Please, please, please have the will power.) I don’t want to have to say to my friend, “Well, I can’t be there at 7 tonight because Pinky Pig is coming over for a visit and I can’t miss it because we’re supposed to trade pineapples and clothes.”
There has to be a line drawn somewhere! But I know how Mel B. feels and it’s not a sickness, it’s an obsession. And, I hate to admit it, but it’s a fun one!
I played the original Sims for Mac back when it first appeared. It is a fun game, but I guess I like games that have an end to them. I can spend hours and hours playing these games, and my “virtual” life begins to seem as pointless as my real life
Where are my Sims going? Why are they here? Why does their life suck? That’s too much existential angst for me, on top of my own.
That said, I have been thinking about buying the Sims 2 for Mac. It’s tempting. But then, what would happen to my blogging?
I just have to say that, at this time in my life, I cannot possibly imagine having the time to care for a virtual pet or, really, play video games of any sort in a sustained way. It sounds like fun, though…the sort of fun I might have in 18 years when my children (don’t be alarmed–we still only have one…for now) are grown and out of the house…
If I need a brain-break, I only play medium-difficulty spider solitaire. The difficult level is too time consuming and frustrating since if you’re good you tend to win 15% of the time.
I see it as like a balm for dealing with the uncertainty of the future. You never know what sorts of cards are going to be laid down next and so the best you can do is try and make some smart hedges/guesses.
dlw
Wow!! I thought my playing solitaire on the computer for about an hour or two A WEEK was something. You guys are out there in a virtual world somewhere walking dogs for crying out loud! All I can say is, WOW!
Ya know, Matt, the Sims do have an end. You can kill them off and end it all. But I tend to like the un-reality Sims expansion packs like Superstar and MagicTown. I don’t think I’d like University. You have to go to school, study, graduate, get a good job … I’ve already done that! Bring on the spells and let me dream!
Friday and Saturday nights, you might as well forget about seeing Matt in bed before two. He’s either blogging or playing video games. I try to stay up late and do my own things, but I rarely make it past eleven. With a kid, the evenings are the only time we have for ourselves, so we put Brendan to bed by eight and try to make the most of the evening, even if we’re both dead tired.
There’s something delightful about staying up all night to play games, though. Every once in a while I’ve got to cleanse the system, do something like that, or stay up reading, something.
Now, this Animal Crossing, stuff, I don’t understand it. But hey, to each his own, I suppose. There are far worse things to be consumed with, i suppose.
I can understand how caring for a child leaves little time for gaming.
I think perhaps we all have our own obessions. Mine can be video games. Perhaps spider solitaire or regular solitaire does it. Perhaps running after a toddler negates any “me time.” Playing with a real child (or wiping up) is more worthwhile, I’m sure.
All I know is that I have to block out time sometimes for my animals in animal crossing right now. I’ve been ignoring my dog for several days now, and hate to think what she’s been up to. Eating garbage and running away and getting fleas, no doubt.
I will say there’s some hope for this obession. I will get tired of playing Animal Crossing. But how can I turn down a game where I can get a mohawk wig or decorate my room with weird things like a lunar lander?
I know it’s not natural. But I like it.
And my brother’s got an afro wig. How I covet that wig.
Not getting a life. Have to go meet KK Slider in a few minutes.
Well, I guess the gaming thing could be shared with kids when they’re old enough. In fact, they could get their introduction to the whole thing with the parents — bonding and all that.
What’s interesting is that video games are intended for children or young people, but have been taken over by adults, and often nostalgic adults. There’s a whole rating system akin to movie ratings that shows exactly how much adults have hijacked games.
People of our generation were the first to grow up with games and some of us prefer not to give them up.
Animal Crossing, as Matt points out is very cute. Could be too cute, except you get over it. It is fun.
I prefer it over realistic shooters or driving games. I tend to prefer strategy and planning and roleplaying.
[...] I’ve been playing Animal Crossing t o the detriment of any other task I might accomplish. This includes cleaning, exercising, reading and sometimes eating. I’ve also been playing a little bit with my brother and sister-in-law. Both adults carrying on reasonably adult lives. [...]
[...] I obsess about things. I am a recovering Oblivion addict. Before that, it would’ve been Animal Crossing or Nintendogs or The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. [...]