Matt St. Gelais, a 37-year-old manager of an office supply store, and Liz Rasmussen, a 40-year-old licensing officer for a national trucking company, met online while playing a massively multiplayer role-playing game. This past July, they made their relationship a little more formal: They got married.
For those who live in a different part of the country (or world) from their family and friends, the holiday season is prime time for travel, along with the waiting and hassle that come along with such adventures. If you haven't already invested in a PSP or Nintendo DS Lite, now's the time -- handheld games were created to address the potential boredom and frustrations that come with long trips, so don't make the mistake of being empty-handed this holiday season.
If you've been putting off getting an present for your cousin Jeff (who now only goes by the name of Gunner) because all of those games that he likes are beyond your understanding, snatch a game off of this list. And if these are your type of play, the markdown might be enough to justify an added treat to yourself. You'll find a lot of bargain bins out at game stores this year, and there are plenty of gems to be found that are worth well more than the $20 or so you'll pay. These titles in particular are definitely worth snatching.
Title aside, Bully is a charming, tongue-in-cheek game about schooldays. There's no violence except fist fighting, potato spud launching, wedgie plaguing, and the like. The game is as much about standing up to bullies as it is bullying, and that's just one of many activities in this action adventure game with great characters and an interesting storyline. It's also one of the funniest games I've ever played.
Originally released in 1991, I was thrilled to find that sheep-obsessed independent game developer Jeff Minter has since re-released Llamatron 2112 as freeware compatible with Windows XP.
Dana enjoys user-created levels in LittleBigPlanet, but she mostly solves puzzles, lots and lots of puzzles. Amanda tries out some new games on her DS and runs her blood elf mage through her fire-blaster's first ever World of Warcraft instance.
Since the more highly anticipated titles for the holiday season have already been released, those desperate for something pipping hot will likely have to pull out their portables. This week sees a number of DS games that are more likely to capture the kids' attention on that long holiday car ride to grandma's than they are to catch the interest of the older folk.
Hiring Practices Discriminate Against World of Warcrafters
A forum discussion suggests that some recruiters are advised to shy away from new hires that play World of Warcraft. While there are definitely WOW players that would make for lousy employees, there are also football fans, golfers, theatre lovers, sitcom junkies, and Food Network aficionados that might not be good picks either. Parents are kind of busy too, maybe we should question their ability to dedicate their hours; this is not a good direction to go.
Your grandparents aren't gamers. Neither is your uncle -- the weird one with the sweaters. You know which one I'm talking about. Yet these are the people you'll be around during the myriad family gatherings this holiday season. If you want any shot at avoiding awkward silences and turning your rote family party into a gaming bash, you'll have to choose games wisely. Gears of War 2 and Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe probably aren't going to win over your folks.
December strikes me as odd timing for big country releases. Maybe it's just me, but country music has always been summer music to me. Acoustic guitars, harmonicas, banjos, and fiddles always make me think of campfires and long drives with the windows down.
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