I’ve lost all my friends – and no, it wasn’t anything that I did. They’re all hooked on computer and video games.
Every time I go over to hang out, they’re either zoned out in front of a keyboard, have a controller in their hand or are talking about the games they wish they were playing. “World of Warcraft” terms fly around my head and mentions of leveling up, mages, elves and the like cause my eyes to glaze over. RPG’s (or role playing games, to those who aren’t savvy) make them drool but make me sigh and look at my watch.
I just don’t get the craze. I can’t sit still and be patient long enough for the game to get anywhere.
It takes hours upon end to collect the items you need or walk to the next town. I can think of a thousand things I’d rather be doing.
I can’t say that I have never played a game. Sure, I’ll break out the old school Mario or flip some Tetris blocks, but it hasn’t become a way of life for me. I like the feeling of grass under my feet or an outdoor breeze. I don’t think these guys have come out of their rooms since 2004. There is almost a staleness to the air in their apartments and their gaming systems are consistently warm to the touch, as they are never turned off.
To hear my friends talk about a special piece of clothing they’ve collected that gives them invisibility or flying powers, you’d think they’d won a Pulitzer. They gather together and chatter about their newest treasure or the secret world they just found as I look at the ceiling wondering what happened to the people who used to go the movies or the mall (or actually leave the house) with me.
I’ve tried to get them to explain their fascination with dwarves, fairies and the other magical mystical beings that inhabit these enormous time-wasters called RPG’s.
“It relieves stress!” claims one. “You make new friends!” says another excitedly. But what about the tangible friend standing in front of you trying to drag you outside?!
Others around the world, from Japan to Canada, have caught on to the growing trend of gaming.
I know this because on the new “Final Fantasy 11,” you can talk to them. No matter what language they speak, they are equally as excited to discuss the goings-on of their intricate pretend world.
Far be it from me to deny anyone the pleasure of melting into the couch and losing themselves in WOW or some other tedious game. If that rocks their socks off, so be it. But hopefully soon, I can pry the game console out of their hands long enough to refresh their memory of the real world.

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