Digital vs. Analog gaming and the true reasons we play

I came across this (via Joystiq) blog post about board games vs. video games. It is frequently suggested that board games are superior to video games because they seem more intelligent, or thoughtful or mindful. I don't disagree with that generally, but the post makes some excellent points about the logistics in setting up, playing and cleaning up a board game compared to a digital game. Frequently I just can't find someone to play Scrabble with or four people who want to play Catan. It is just as much fun to play in both realms, but the digital one is instantly-startable-and-resettable and can be solo.

This report (via Physorg) looks at the deeper needs of gamers. Perhaps we are not just playing to have a life of decadence and fun, but wanting to explore, succeed and satisfy curiosity which it is impossible to achieve in the real world (RW). Personally I feel more comfortable training myself to do things in the digital world because I can fuck up all I need before I am up-and-running on a specific task. It also makes me able to take more risks in the RW.

Tag of the month: Cooking Obsession

I have an unorthodox way of doing tags. I create new tags for every entry, then slap five old ones on whether they make a lot of sense or not. If you look in the right column and scroll down, you will see a list of them. Go ahead. Explore. Find a common thread. Though it may not seem it, there is a logic: Me mood. A long time ago I realized there are no rules where you don't need them. Unrestricted freedom is rare and should be abused.

About cooking obsession: My boyfriend has a cooking obsession. I get a great payoff because he makes me food. Delicious food. I eat it and ay things like "Mmmm." or "Delicious. Just the right amount of __________." I am going to buy the Wii game "Cooking Mama" the day it comes out to make him happy. I like him happy Jim because that means I am full.

Back from a break in.....Dallas!

Jim and I just returned from a week in Dallas. A nice city whose strength is in it's people. I always miss New York on trips, mostly because the angel Lizzie is here. We were visiting friends for Thanksgiving and had a terrific time with them. Points to reflect upon:

- We got a Wii. I love it. Love it, love it, love it. Now they just need to get more games to make my life complete. So with the wii I've started a new exercise routine. 20 minutes of training in Wii sports per day. I'll start there and see how it goes.

I bought it at Walmart. I know. We had searched everywhere for a Wii. All out. Guillerrmo's sister happened to be at Walmart and she asked if they had one. They did, returned earlier. She held it for us there, God bless her, and Gui drove us there as fast as he could. Awesome. So I jumped from the car and sprinted into the Walmart. I had never, mind you, been to a Walmart, so knew not what to expect. Running through Walmart at top speed you don't see much. I got the Wii and was very thankful to his sister. Fun.

Then I started looking around. They had everything the universe had ever created in that store (except, of course, an extra Wiimote) but my shopping impulse turned right off. Weird, huh? Got back to Target and I again wanted to buy. I'm loyal to good design. I looked really google-eyed in the Walmart, though, because Ronnie noticed and we laughed about it the rest of the trip.

- To get to the train, we needed cash. We walked to a little store up the road. The lady told us the ATM was broken, but there was a Carnival store three blocks up the road. I asked if they had an ATM. She responded that she hadn't been up that way in 20 years. 20 YEARS. THREE BLOCKS. WTF? What has she been doing that would keep her from going up a local main road at least once a decade? Heroin? Birthing? Barking dogs?

- We walked from Mockingbird Station to Northpark mall. 2.37 miles. Roughly the distance from our apartment to Central Park. People mocked us openly (and hilariously) about that walk. There were no sidewalks. We just meandered through the strip malls of Dallas. Everyone was great except the jerk manager at Gamestop (you know who you are) who was too distracted to assist us properly. Look at my flickr account for the pictures:

My Flickr Account