Video games have become a villain, a monster that I wage an epic battle against every single day. I have only been addicted to a handful of games, unlike many people who can sit down and play any video game in their collection for hours on end, but these games haunt me. Like I said in my previous blog, my Xbox 360 has severely disappointed me, every game that I have shelled out dough for has left me disappointed. Call it a work of art, I don't care, what I want is entertainment, I don't care if it entertains the biggest bros in the business, I am selfish when it comes to my entertainment. When I play a game I want it to play me, to pull me out of the room, to make me forget everything else in the world for that time period. This happened every time I played World of Warcraft. My phone would buzz, my friend had probably just called me or texted me, but I didn't care because what I was doing in this miserable little video game seemed more important than the outside world at that point and time. I will not allow myself to play World of Warcraft ever again. There is no way to controlledly play the game, you may be able to for a week, maybe even a month, but it will always suck you back in. I would always burn out, but whats two months worth to a human being? Its worth a hell of a lot to me, I see that now, and one month of social disconnection and lack of studying or enjoyment of my summer is not worth the price. Halo 2 had me pumping my fists into the air like a madman, sitting on the edge of my seat for the next game to get started, yelling at my TV, praying that grenade will find its home. I grew out of shooter games after Halo 2, none of them seemed to pull me in the same way, none of them seemed to make me as thrilled and excited, not even Call of Duty 4 (though Infinity Ward makes an excellent product). More recently I found myself addicted to Diablo 2. The game is so simple, you make a character and you kill a ton of monsters, but it is so much deeper than that, you have to pick your build, your skills, hunt down your gear. I found myself spending real world money on runes (its shameful, I know, both in respect to my state of mind and the impact it has on the game). This desire to be the best is hypnotic, it sucks you in and its hard to let go. Alas, I uninstalled it just yesterday. Then there is Warcraft 3. Oh Warcraft 3, I feel like I disrespect the game by not even allowing it on my computer. Defense of the Ancients is so amazing, there aren't even words. It is the true player verse player experience. WoW always required you to play the game for hundreds of hours to get the right gear to really take down a seasoned player, though I made due with the scraps I had, but DotA is much different. You start out on an even playing field and you battle to the death. Every item you purchase, every monster you kill, every creep you deny is extremely important. I don't have a CHANCE to answer my phone or respond to a text message while I play DotA. I literally had to choose between DotA and my girlfriend, it was an extremely easy decision, but the fact that it consumes me so wholly is both marvelous and horrific. I don't allow myself to keep video games I have been addicted to in the past on my desktop. They sit there and they eat away at me, eventually I will crack and play them, and if I am addicted to them it is extremely difficult not to click that beautiful little icon. In my current state I try to do everything but play video games. I read as much as possible, I stay involved in as many activities as I can, I have a very happy relationship going on. All these things make my addiction to these few select video games look petty and shameful, and I am happy for that, I enjoy the light.