Sure a shortcut to that moment is pulling out the Wii or Rockband but I take even more pride in being able to do it in other ways.  For instance informing one of the women that work with me that the Xbox 360 has just as many family orientated games as the Wii.  Another was suggesting a couple ways another coworker could get a Nintendo DS for her daughter on the cheap.  Just last night I had a friend over that was kind of bored while his wife and my roommates talked their girl talk so I fired up Geometry Wars Evolved because of him being an old school gamer and he instantly fell in love with it.  Those moments are what get me geeked to be a gamer.

I guess in a way I prefer to empower people to make choices when it comes to games.  Let me help you find out what type of game is suited to your tastes.  I kind of get a thrill out of being able to spread my enthusiasm for gaming like pink eye in an elementary school.

Within a blink of my eye I’m transported back to my living room and look down at my plastic Fisherprice Rockband guitar and wish with every fiber of my being that it was real.  Rockband and Guitar Hero are experiences that are hard to explain because when it comes down to it you’re still in a living room holding bits of plastic toys while your friends do the same next to you or in their own living rooms.  But for anyone that has tried it first hand, they know.  No need for explanation, just need to free up a spot so they can sit in on a little “Eye of the Tiger.”

I adore games that bring people in like this.  Gaming tends to be a fairly anti-social hobby but with the recent rash of local multi player experiences there has been a slight shift on how gaming experiences can be had.  Whether it’s Wii party games or even the ability to play co-op through many new first person shooters, the industry seems to be focusing more on making experiences that you can share rather than solo journeys.

I’m not saying that all games should be co-op only but I do hope that the industry continues to look into new ways that us gamers can share our passion with others without looking like creepy weirdos.