Take a Game Break

Hey all you gamers out there! There's nothing like a little Virtual-Reality to help you escape the stress of the Real-Reality. But I bet you never find the amount of time you'd like to just sit with the XBOX or PS3 and play-play-play until your thumbs drop off. Well, me, neither. *Sigh*

But don't have wait until the next big Rock Band party to give yourself some play time. With the right game selection and some self-control (yes, those games are addicting, aren't they) you can have an Everyday Gaming Vacation - even on a weeknight!

Game selection is crucial, because unfortunately Real-Reality does rear its ugly head all-too-frequently, and (even more unfortunately) that means you probably have to wake up in the morning and head to your office or other place of work and be at least reasonably productive. So - pick something that has short rounds of gameplay that you can stop playing at a decent hour. But it has to also be a game that you really, really enjoy.

I like to look for a game that is not only a game, but lets me do something else I love. Actually, for me, it doesn't take much looking. I pull out SingStar for PS3 every time. With this game, not only do I get to compete, but I get to sing! It's heaven!

Basically, SingStar is a collection of music videos of all different genres. You select a video, and it plays on your screen, along with the lyrics karaoke-style, and what I call a "pitch meter." You earn points by attempting to hit the notes at the right pitch, at the right time, with the right words. The more correct you are, the more points you get. At the end of the video, your points are totalled up and it shows you the level you reached, along with some pretty cute graphics. The best thing of all is the videos are the original artists!!

You have to have the two-microphone set, but once you have that there are several different versions of the game that you can play, as well as buying individual songs and game packs at the SingStore.

I was having a really rough week at the office, so one Thursday night I invited by buddy Cat Woman over for a glass of wine, some pizza, and some SingStar. We played in the Battle mode, but since it was just friends, there was no "real" competition. We cheered each other when we reached Super Star level, and rolled laughing when we only made it to Wannabe. I spent most of my time at Lead Singer level, which shouldn't surprise anyone who knows me...LOL!! We both had an early call the next day, so we wrapped it up around 8:30. But still - we had almost 2 hours of pure Everyday Vacation! Recharged, and ready to face Real-Reality.