10/06 Update: Since we no longer write for the Edmond Sun, this section is temporarily housing our podcast links for our iTunes feed. All of the columns are in the archives menu if you feel like exploring.

These columns (as well as the 'releases') come from weekly content that we write for the Edmond Sun, out of Edmond, OK (though we live in Chicago). This page contains the archives for said column, many of which are in their pre-published, unedited state. Some titles and editing by Brendan Sinclair.

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Crazy (literally?) for online play
Friday, January 21, 2005

I know, I know, I already wrote about how great Halo 2 is online less than two months ago. Well, exactly two months ago. And guess what? - I'm still playing it online, several hours a night, four or so nights a week. I've barely touched any other games as a result, including Metal Gear Solid 3 and Mercenaries, which I own and am eagerly anticipating playing. I've stopped my nightly visits to a nearby diner, and all but shunned evening social gatherings. Yes, I'm a geek, and yes, online gaming addictions are nothing new (Everquest, anyone?). However, a recent mocking of my nightly hobby by a friend prompted me to defend it by blurting out it was more like playing a sport than a videogame. And while I had certainly spoken without thinking it through, I realized I wasn't too far off of the truth.

I won't bore you with the literal definition of the word 'sport' (alright, maybe one funny definition, the ninth variation: Obsolete; Amorous dalliance; lovemaking) but suffice it to say it doesn't involve sitting in one place pressing buttons. Objective definitions aside, what do I think of when I think of the implications of a 'sport'? I think competition, I think physical exertion of some sort, I think communication, I think practices. What if I were to tell you that Halo (and I'm sure some other games for different people) entails all of those things for me?

You want competition? How about struggling every step of the way in a twelve-minute Capture the Flag match, going through countless virtual lives, only to triumphantly throw the waving red beacon of victory onto the capture point with a mere second of time left. Physical exertion? Believe it. My heart races as fast as it ever has when I emerge unscathed from a chilling cross-level sniper duel. Nevermind the workout my thumbs and forearms get, or the fact that I've basically thrown out my back from extended play sessions. When your Halo 2 clan has an Injured Reserve list, you know it's something more than a game. Oh, and about communication and practices - the first is absolutely necessary to survive on any team-based game, while the latter goes hand-in-hand with playing in a clan (we have three a week). The general rush I get from playing online most nights with the same group of guys reminds me most of my basketball-playing days, and it doesn't surprise me one bit. It's hard to appreciate without having been involved seriously in a game yourself, but the feelings associated with it are unquestionably sportsmanlike in nature.

So where will the future of online games such as these take us - how long will it be before my dad stops bugging me about playing so often? How long until we see America capture the gold in Videogames at the olympics? We give out medals for skiing and shooting the best (in the same event) in the biathlon, so why not Warthog driving and Plasma Grenade accuracy? You laugh now, but we already have leagues (the World Cyber Games, for one). The first step to legitimacy (and lucrative contracts, naturally), is to get adults involved. Millions of middle-aged and elderly people log on to Yahoo! and various other web sites every night to play Video Poker, Scrabble, and silly little "Squash Osama Bin Laden" Flash games.

Why not help them see the light? I want full clan support for every card game played online, I want voice support to trash-talk during a tense Scrabble match, and I want everyone to realize how much more entertaining, and more importantly, social, online gaming can be. Let's take it a step further - online baking competitions, using the best virtual ingredients your subscription fee can buy. Pool your various skills with your girlfriends online, and put your best recipe up against a rival baking faction to impress a virtual judge. Tend to online gardens, build the best digital spice rack with your desktop toolbox. Heck, what else do adults like? You see a group of people who will never adopt such "ridiculous" ideas - I see an untapped gaming audience, one who could help legitimize our controversial medium of choice. I just know there's a way to convince my dad of how much I'm getting out of nightly gaming sessions beyond simple entertainment, and I think giving him a taste of it is a good way to start.

- Nick


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