Up, Down and All Around

Age of Empires III

Saw a copy of Age of Empires III for sale at one of the neighborhood sidewalk stalls yesterday, and I just barely stopped myself from buying a copy.

I was so badly hooked on Age of Empires II when it first came out that I hardly slept, and would happily skip meals just to finish one of the pre-designed campaigns. It's so hard to stop a game when success appears to be just around the corner. Of course, the campaigns always turned out to be more difficult than originally expected, so the games always lasted much longer than anticipated. But the challenge of the game was what made it fun, so naturally, I didn't mind the extra time.

When Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom came out and I bought my own copy (a legitimate one I might add), I had the same experience -- consecutive all-nighters in front of the glowing monitor; groggy mornings day-dreaming about palace menageries, hemp farms, and mulberry trees; and weekends happily spent at home, practically glued to the PC.

So like a reformed junkie who has managed to walk away from an addiction, I am tempted by the tantalizing prospect of getting back into the game.

I wonder how long my self-control will last. I already know I will end up buying it. It's just a matter of time.

Tags: Gaming

Posted by CF at 12:20 AM