Testimonies of a Former Gaming Addict

So, given that it is Easter, I decided to write a post that pertains to the Bible in some way. I happen to know a man that in the past, by his own admission was a "gaming addict." His name is Michael Whitteberry and he is a senior at Maranatha Baptist Bible College where he is studying Accounting Management. I asked him several questions about his past and how that related to the bible.

One of the first questions I asked him was, "How long did you play on average per day?" His response was that he played about five to six hours per day for about five years. When you do the math that is about 11,000 hours of playing ,which equals about 460 days.

After his response to this, I asked Michael if he realized how much time he spent gaming. He said that at first, he did not realize that he was spending so much time gaming, but after a while, he started to understand that the amount of gaming he had been doing was unhealthy, and at that point he started cutting back.

I asked him if the Bible had anything to do with his change in lifestyle. He replied that the Bible played a significant role in this. He had gotten convicted about his lack of productivity and wasted time. When he looked back at the numbers, his response was a simple, "Whoa!"

"Can you think of any scripture that effected you?" When I asked him this, he said that the verse that came to mind was Ecclesiastes 3:1 was one that popped out at him. It states that there is a  time for everything under the sun. This lead to his realization that he was spending so much time on gaming that he was wasting so much of his life and giving time from his responsibilities over to gaming. He stated, "Life is a gift and I wasn't living it to its fullest." He also mentioned the verse in Ephesians that commands us to redeem the time. Both of these scriptures and the idea that life is a gift were the real wake up points for Michael.

Michael began to mature as the time went on and now he is heading into his last semester at Maranatha. While he has no problem with gaming, Michael would caution any gamer to consider the amount of time that he/she is spending on their console, and be more conscious of the time that they have in life.

I will end with this final quote by Michael,

"When gaming starts hindering your opportunities or your relationships, it is time to lay off. Anything can hinder these things if done in excess, not just gaming, but don't let it get to that point." 

Gaming Under Control

As we all know, it is very easy to "get into" a game! For me, When I am playing Oblivion or Call of Duty, I "get into" the game and I can zone out for several hours at a time without even thinking about it! In some ways this can be a good thing, but there are some things that ought to be considered before you just let yourself "zone". I will try to highlight some questions that should be asked before you hit the Xbox 360 for the next 8 hours!

• Prioritize -- Ask yourself, "What do I need to get done today before I can relax?" When the answer comes to you (and it will if you listen to your mom or girlfriend...), get up and get it done! Then you won't be making the people around you upset when you start getting really into it (just don't start throwing things when you get killed for the 27th time!)! 
• Moderation -- Ask yourself, "How long do I really have to sit here?" There is absolutely nothing wrong with gaming for a while in your day. In fact, gaming is a great stress release and a good way of relaxing after a long day at work (or just after you wake up on a Saturday morning/afternoon, and you have nothing better to do). However, just because you can relax with it and it is very entertaining, it is a danger for those of us who don't prioritize well (see above bullet). 
• Health -- Ask yourself, "How much time to I spend gaming vs. exercising?" The stereotypical gamer is a nerdy dude who just sits on a couch all day, eating pizza and drinking Mountain Dew. This is only somewhat true (the pizza and Mountain Dew is pretty average, the nerdy guy, well, that's debatable). The problem with this is not that you are eating pizza and drinking pop, it is that there is seldom a good exercise program that goes along with the gaming lifestyle! There must be a good healthy balance between both!

I hope you can take something from this! It is not my goal to put down gaming, but rather, to enhance the gaming environment in the long-run! Trust me, your Mom/Girlfriend/Wife will ALL be more happy with you! You know the saying,

 "When Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death - X-Clamp Fix

In light of the fact that the Xbox 360 is the most EPIC gaming console on the market, one must also understand that even the best sometimes have their flaws. The most common flaw with the 360 is the Red Ring of Death. I put this video together in hopes that I may be able to help some poor soul out there that has had this tragedy affect them! I hope it helps and happy gaming! Enjoy!

Blast from the Past: Halo 3's Best Screenshots

Angry Birds??? Why is it so popular?

Angry Birds: Apple's most successful App for the Ipod touch and IPhone! But why? What makes this simple game that is a series of different levels and challenges to the end of knocking down the structures and killing the dastardly little pigs that have stolen the eggs of the birds. Hence, their anger has been kindled to the point of launching themselves at brick walls and layers of wood and ice.

Seems a little radical right? Guess again! Apple announced that over 100 million downloads over all the platforms its available on. At an estimated $1.99 a pop...that's a fair chunk of change that is being handed over to the designers of this "epic little game." 

But what makes it so popular?

• Simplicity, according to Shane Richmond of The Telegraph, is the key to the addictiveness of the game.
• Word-of-Mouth also is a huge aspect in the spreading of this game, especially among students and also among the "office world."
• Gradual Increase of Complexity keeps the gamers interest at a peak and keeps them focused to "just reach the next level."
• The "Star System" is an intricate part of the re-play value to the game.

So, when are you going to get a move on and pick up your copy of the worlds most successful Ipod game to date? Give it a try with the Lite version, and hey, if you like it, why not give in and drop off $1.99 and pick up the full version of this "Epic Little Game?"