By Jim Hicks

In my blog over at AgedGamer (www.agedgamer.com ), I've explored just a bit of the anarchy that is found in online gaming. I am admittedly pretty new to the experience, probably due to some trauma inflicted by a prepubescent who kicked my butt in Unreal Tournament when I tried that on the PC a few years back.

But just as I am typing this on GoogleDocs, just as my 140-character thoughts go out on Twitter, just as my vehicle registration is renewed online, there is a brave new world glibly referred to as residing in "the cloud." More and more games are designed with the online portion the more significant body than the single player: Left4Dead 1 and 2, CODMW 1 and 2, Borderlands, etc. The console in-your-living-room versions of these games are little more than an opportunity to dab at the wetness behind your ears before diving into the aggressive world of online multiplayer gaming.

I suppose the roots of modern online gaming are the MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, but the game that raised the stakes most recently was Left4Dead. The plotline was slim, both in concept (kill zombies) and length , and really designed for a group dynamic (killing zombies) online. And so I tried, late to the game as I often am.

And here is where the world of Older Gamers crosses paths with our younger brethren. Alexander Pope said, "Ah, youth! forever dear, forever kind." Yeah, but not so much while fragging me. These kids are nasty. The attitude is nasty, the language is nasty, and their glee at dispensing mayhem is a bit disturbing. For the most part, I found that I was part of a traveling band of loosely affiliated murderers, included because I completed the server's idea of a complete gaggle. A few times there was some sense of organization to our barbarous activities (you throw the gas and I'll light up The Witch), but for the most part we were just a band of loners rather than brothers in arms. I found myself at distinct disadvantage, alone without a guide in a strange world with confusing etiquette, parlance, and masters. I found myself apologizing for friendly fire occurrences or stealing someone's shot. I thanked people for rescuing me. And for this I received a healthy dose of disdain and barely tolerated existence.

Then came Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. A game that set sales records (310 Million in the first day!). A game designed for online participation. So I dropped the $50, played the single player to my satisfaction - but then what? I was faced with a massive offering of online choices. Demolition? Team Deathmath? Capture the Flag? I stated with Free for All. Seems to me this is truly the way to earn your stripes literally and figuratively.

In Modern Warfare 2 you begin as a rookie, requiring experience to earn the weapons upgrades and perks that allow you to more fully frag the competition. There's no team play here. It's every man for himself. But by and large there has been a spirit of cordiality that I didn't find with L4D. First of all, the voices over XBoxLive generally have achieved puberty, though I have no doubt that I am still older than all of them. More often than not, there has been a friendly "nice shot," or chuckle at one's being reduced to dust. The only time I felt derided was when someone thought I was hiding/lurking too much. Well, sorry, that's what snipers do.

I still feel a bit lost - I ended up buying a book to help me with concepts of online game play. I just don't quite get it, and in my house/life there is no more experienced player to guide me along. And so I haven't yet ventured into more of the team oriented play. One issue is the formation of a team: perhaps we can generate a clan of older gamers and teach these juveniles a thing or two? What has your experience been online? What games do you find benefit from the online expansion? Is this the wave of the future? What is the performance of XBox versus PS3 online experience?

Fatigue and the Aged Gamer

Read more by Jim Hicks including his true-to-life story on "Fatigue and the Aged Gamer" at his blog.

Editor's Note

Jim Hicks, the writer of this story seems to have a lot more patience with online gaming than I do. After getting killed within seconds several times in Call of Duty: World at War, I basically just stopped going there. However after reading Jim's experience I'm thinking I just might give it another try. Why you might ask? Well to begin with it isn't like these folks will ever know who I am. So what if I totally suck. They will just have to put up with me. If they don't like it they can just keep killing me!

Also, I did have one good experience with the online co-op in 'World at War' with an older gamer like me. At the time we were both new to both Playstation 3, and online gaming. We both had our Bluetooth headsets on, and we actually thanked each other for reviving us when we got shot, and communicated to each other what our next move was going to be. Hey, maybe I just need to keep going back until I get better.

Another reason is that after a year or so of using my Playstation 3 I am finally getting used to the controls. I don't know about anyone else, but I didn't grow up using a gaming controller, so it took awhile to get the hang of just walking around, let alone shooting something at the same time. So watch out all you online gaming veterans, this old man just may be shooting at you soon!

Gary Burzell - Email me with comments or suggestions.

The newest installment in the groundbreaking Call of Duty® series, Modern Warfare 2 features for the first time in video games, the musical soundtrack of legendary Academy Award® , Golden Globe® Award, Grammy® Award and Tony winning composer Hans Zimmer. The title picks up immediately following the historic events of Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare®.

The Old Man's Top 5

	# 1: ★★★★★ Red Dead Redemption is an open-world, third-person, action-adventure game set at the tail end of the American West West era. Action takes place in the first few years of the twentieth century and revolves around the choices that the protagonist, former outlaw John Marston, is forced to make due to his blemished past.
	# 2: ★★★★★ Follow-up game to 2007's critically acclaimed Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, the PlayStation 3 exclusive Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a continuation of the adventures of Nathan Drake, a fortune-hunter with a shady reputation and an even shadier past. Chock full of all the action, adventure, cinematic story elements and beautiful graphics that set the first game apart, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves adds deep online multiplayer options, including co-op and competitive campaigns, and a whole new supporting cast of characters.
	# 3: ★★★★★ Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person tactical shooter and the sixth entry in the popular Call of Duty series. True to its name and following the lead of its predecessor, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, it places players in modern combat settings, as opposed to the WWII environments of the earlier Call of Duty games. This modern approach brings with it new weapons, action and options. Coupled with a variety of gameplay modes including single player, multiplayer and the co-op Special Ops Mode, it is destined to be one of the most popular games of 2009 and a worthy addition to the Call of Duty series.
	# 4: ★★★★★ Get ready to plunge into the lush and deadly world of the Italian Renaissance, an era of arts, riches and murderous conspiracy. Assassin's Creed II introduces you to Ezio, a new assassin carrying on the deadly lineage of his forebears. Confront an epic tale of power and corruption as you hone your assassin's art, wielding weapons and instruments designed by the legendary Leonardo da Vinci himself in this gripping and deadly sequel.
	# 5: ★★★★★ The third game in the Fallout series, Fallout 3 is a singleplayer action role-playing game (RPG) set in a post-apocalyptic Washington DC. Combining the horrific insanity of the Cold War era theory of mutually assured destruction gone terribly wrong, with the kitschy naivety of American 1950s nuclear propaganda, Fallout 3 will satisfy both players familiar with the popular first two games in its series as well as those coming to the franchise for the first time.

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