Just Make It Better

I have a love/hate relationship with Halo, and now unfortunately, Call of Duty 4. I fear that I may have lost my boyfriend to it, and although I understand the merits of the game, I still can’t help but feel bothered by the loss of my love’s attention. Despite these quandaries I have for these make-believe war games, I can’t help but see the shimmering silver lining standing behind Master Chief. There really is as much to love about the game as there is to hate.

The cons of it all are quite obvious:

1. Hours are spent with them all over their Xbox and not you. It’s hard not to miss him when a new game arrives; his excitement alone (although sometimes not blatantly obvious) is infectious along with foreshadowing of the neglect that’s to come.

2. Friends and fellow gamers encourage his devotion with daily Halo calls trying to determine the next hour for battle. One can’t help but groan when the topic travels to your phone calls, with stories of how much it has sold and the unbelievable graphics.

3. The obsessive nature of the whole thing is enough to bear without the racket of gunfire and CB voiceovers lingering in the background. It’s like a chronic playback of “Black Hawk Down” won’t stop infiltrating your home.

4. Anything substantial that you’ve mentioned will pretty much have been forgotten the moment you speak. Therefore, any valuable conversation must be completely avoided during any times of play, including so-called “breaks”. His mind is still adjusting to the war zone he just got out of.

The pros need initially required a little more digging:

1. Games as big as Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 don’t come out very often, which guarantee you only a few times a year (if that) when you’d need to sit through the rampages that will take over your television.

2. With the advent of technology like Xbox Live, gamers can play and interact with their friends without leaving their own homes. This benefits the “one that the gamer forgot” because not only are they safe, but if something does come up, they’re at your disposal – especially if a large order of takeout arrives when you’re in need of a little love.

3. Unlike a lot of other activities they could be engaged in, video games are pretty harmless. If there are no young children present, the violent nature of the game shouldn’t affect sanity and that’s great because it’s probably making them smarter anyway.

4. Spending time with your own friends is an essential part of a healthy relationship. We all need our time to reflect and relax, and sometimes the things we love to do we love doing more with our friends. Let the bonding ensue and you’ll get more quality attention when the time comes.

Despite these unfortunate and equally annoying traits that come with dating a gamer, my observations have enabled me to control the hen-pecker within me, because there are better avenues in which to respond. No matter what your significant other loves to do (sports, poker, shopping, and reading) with their spare time, allow them the freedom to enjoy it without your billowing insecurity to take over. It’s fulfilling to watch him with something he loves, as I’d hope he’d feel with me too. The truth is, I’d probably be obsessed with it too.

That is, if I could get any good at it.

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