May 21, 2008
So Slate has published an article today about the world's most popular (computer) game of all time.
(I confess, when I saw the Yahoo! teaser, it said "world's most popular game of all time" and so I was dying to find out what it was. Chess? Dominoes? Monopoly? Trivial Pursuit? But, alas, they meant computer game. Which lessened my curiosity factor significantly. Yet, I did carry on and read some of the article.)
Anyway, according to Michael Smith, the most popular game of all time is: computer Solitaire. Big time waster, for sure. But it's on every office computer (heck, it's on every computer as far as I know), and so that makes sense.
But I'm not a Solitaire fan, on the computer or even, all that often, in person. I have, however, been known to get a bit addicted to certain computer games. I use them for, ah, relaxation or to clear my mind before I write. I never use them to procrastinate. Never never never.
My latest favorite is Rainforest Adventure (for the Mac; when I had a PC I did Jewel Quest. I like Rainforest
Adventure better.) and WordSlinger.
WordSlinger is great because it's like a speed-Scrabble game you play alone. (I play the "speed" side.) You get a pile of words you have to drag over onto a Scrabble-like board and make them fit before the time runs out.
Speaking of which, my favorite thing about Facebook is the Scrabulous games that I have going on all the time. Actually, I misspoke above. I think Scrabulous on Facebook is my current fave, because I haven't played those other two for awhile.
So if you're on Facebook, find me and start a game of Scrabulous with me. I can never have too many, and the nice thing about Scrabulous is you can't waste hours playing it, since you have to wait for the next person to move.
So what are your favorite computer games? Any that you claim addiction (past or present) to?
May 21st, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Huh. I don’t generally play computer games. But sometimes if I’m bored enough, I’ll pull up the mah jong game on my computer and generally be confounded by that.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I was severely addicted to Bookworm (www.popcap.com/gamepopup.php?theGame=bookworm) for the longest time but I’ve since reformed and play the odd game of online Poker instead. Poker’s great in that sense. I can pop in for 20 minutes and leave before I’ve wasted too much time. Games like Scrabble (one of my former favs) just takes too long. I generally feel that my time can be better spent elsewhere. That’s the problem with some video games: they suck you in and keep you hooked like a bad drug.
Look at the kids today, instead of learning to play a real guitar, they’re all learning to play a video game guitar!
Rats, I’m starting to sound more and more like an old guy…
May 21st, 2008 at 2:23 pm
I could spend all day playing computer games
Call me a junkie ! The 2 I spend the most time playing are; Spider Solitaire and Pin Ball.
I have been known to waste hours on those two !
May 21st, 2008 at 3:30 pm
I used to play Mine Sweep at work all the time. Computer games help make the work day go faster.
May 21st, 2008 at 3:48 pm
OH, CJ, I used to play Bookworm too…until I found WordSlinger.
But the nice thing about Scrabulous on Facebook is that you make a move, and then you have to wait for your opponent to make their move…which could be a few hours later, or the next day, or whatever. I usually have 5-10 games going, so I log in and take my turns, and then log out.
Then the next time I check, it may be my turn again or not. So it’s not SUCH a time sucker.
I’d love to learn how to play mah jongg, MK. BUt whenever I tried on my computer, I was confused too.
Linda K…tsk, tsk, tsk!!
Jane, I could never figure out how to play Mine Sweep. Am I a dork or what?
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:48 am
Dice Wars and Bubble Shooter sound like boring fare, but they will suck you in. My wife calls them the “crack” of video games, lol.
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Hey
I was addicted to a game called RUN RUN over the last couple of weeks. A friend of mine sent me the link and even though it is a really stupid game I just wanted to finish it Finally a couple of days ago I did and now I don’t need to play it anymore
http://www.lauterspiele.to/run_run_970.html
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I don’t play many pc games, the only ones I indulge in are those belonging to the Grand Theft Auto saga: I love all that mayhem, muh ahahahah!!
October 27th, 2008 at 6:39 am
i usually use http://www.storm-games.com to play at work.