The black box sits in the centre of my living room. With a click of a button, it purrs to life, ready to consume hours of my day.
I’ve invited a monster back into my life.
When I left Halifax for Yorkton over a year ago, I realized I had amassed an ungodly amount of knick-knacks and distractions. I had a box full of classic vinyl LPs (with a specific focus on the Bee Gees, naturally). My shelves were stuffed with movies, TV shows, and books. And I had a sizable video game library. I had a lot of stuff I couldn’t fit into a suitcase, so I had to make some tough decisions.
I left most of my books, music, and movies behind. Luckily, my parents were generous enough to let me use their garage for storage, so my treasures aren’t lost forever.
When I was making my list of things to put in the Big Box of Halifax Memorabilia, my video games were the first thing on the chopping block. As a kid, I was a huge gamer. I’d waste countless hours collecting coins, shooting aliens, and fighting ninjas in the virtual world. But as I entered my post-collegiate life, my passion for video games dulled. I was playing them less than once a week by the time I moved to Yorkton. It was an easy decision to leave them behind.
I’ve lived a (mostly) video game-free existence since then. I came across a used PS2, but aside from a few short sessions, it didn’t get much use. Much like Rambo in First Blood, I’d left that life behind. But like Rambo in First Blood Part Two, I’ve been dragged back in.
When I visited home earlier this month, I had the video game itch. I searched through my closet and found the black behemoth known as the PS3. I packed it into my suitcase along with some games. In all honestly, I was planning to primarily use it as a Blu-Ray player. But the dark monolith had other plans.
I hauled the PS3 across the country. plopped it into my living room, and hooked it up to my TV. I sat down in my couch, weary after eight hours of nonstop travel. I was too tired to read or do anything creative; I needed something mindless. I’d packed a game I’d never played before (Saint’s Row 4 for the curious), so I decided to give it a whirl. It’d be a quick distraction while I charged my batteries.
When I looked at the clock, I realized I’d burned two hours playing the game.
The PS3 is a time sinkhole. In the year since I fully stepped away from video games, I’d forgotten how addictive they are. They provide an instant gratification that few mediums can match. There’s a very good reason why the video game industry is a billion dollar business.
As with everything, moderation is key. Video gaming should be a feature, not a focus, of your life (unless you’re one of those professional gamers who make ridiculous amounts of money). I’m currently enraptured with my PS3 since I haven’t used it in a while, but I’m sure it will fade into the background in the next month. There’s more to do in life than just stare at a screen.
But if they offer a Tetris video game for the PS3, consider me a goner. That’s one addiction that’s impossible to beat.
