Online Console Gaming

So my lovely husband got Street Fighter a little while back. He got it for two reasons. One, he has always liked the series. Two, he wanted to play online with his best friend. While I haven't gotten to see much him playing Street Fighter (probably because I compared it to West Side Story, read here). But, I have seen him play many online console games. He's got a great headset for the XBox that makes the game completely silent, minus his yelling at the TV/other people, and that makes for a happy wifey. However, I have had difficulty understanding the whole online console game stuff. I mean, what ever happened to going over to your friend's house to play?

But then, I had a revelation!

When I was in elementary school, one of my favorite t.v. shows was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (Mind you, this was back when vampires died in the sunlight). My best friend Nicole and I would watch the show every week, and we would watch it together. However, we couldn't always go over to one another's house to watch it together so we would talk to each other over the phone during the commercials and just not hang up until the show was over. That way we could watch it together without having to be in the same place. Later, when I was in middle school, my friend Shauna and I would watch TRL together. (Mind you, this was when MTV still played music videos.) Now, we both loved Korn. At the time that I am remembering, the song "Somebody Someone" was really popular. Shauna and I would watch TRL while talking on the phone and waiting for "Somebody Someone" to be played.

And now, I understand online console gaming. Online console gaming isn't all that different than when Nicole or Shauna and I would sit and talk to each other while watch TV. Really the only difference is that you're controlling what's on the screen. The point isn't really to play the game with other people, but to spend time with your friends.

Ladies, this is a very important point, pay attention. Your gamer, sitting on the couch talking smack-talk to his friends and playing some ridiculous game, is basically doing the same thing that we do when we sit and talk on the phone/skype/chat while painting our toe nails. It is simply a bond-building activity for male gamers and is necessary for healthy socializing.

Now, gentlemen, you are likely to object to my rather emasculating opinion of your fine past-time. To alleviate any negative feelings, may I offer a suggestion? If you play it off to your girl that your online game play is an intricate bonding experience that is necessary for the maintenance of healthy male relationships, she might be more likely to give you more uninterrupted game play. (I say might. I don't know your girl and I can't speak for her, but generally, this should work.)

Ladies... if your guy tries to pulls the above ruse, just remember, his XBox doesn't keep his bed warm at night. You have your feminine wiles, and sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.