Zumaya: I'll still play video game [Archive] - MotownSports.com Message Board

7kidzzz

12-27-2006, 07:15 AM

From today's Freep: Joel Zumaya appeared on ESPN News last week to discuss the Guitar Hero phenomenon. He maintained that his right wrist and forearm inflammation "wasn't 100% from the guitar," although he did acknowledge that the video game could've been a "50-50" contributor to the injury, along with how intensely he grips the baseball.

"I love the game," Zumaya said, in reference to Guitar Hero. "I won't stop playing it. I'm just going to have to be more cautious with it."

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061227/SPORTS01/612270389/1050/SPORTS

Hmmm, doesn't sound like Joel is the brightest bulb on the shelf.

grandma g

12-27-2006, 07:46 AM

Motor City Sonics

12-27-2006, 07:48 AM

Well, if he wants to risk about $30-40 million dollars, than that's his choice.

He's still a $400,000 a year player and while for most of us that would be great - even for a couple of years. But he has a couple more really good years and he'll be multi-multi-millionaire. They will have video games in 10 years. Someone needs to talk financial sense to that kid.

Greenwit

12-27-2006, 08:37 AM

He'll get sick of the game eventually and the problem will solve itself.

Biff Mayhem

12-27-2006, 08:46 AM

But he's a former Whitecap and can therefore do no wrong. Remember, even the ladybugs at Whitecapland have a special sheen on their shells!

Ron Burgandy

12-27-2006, 09:54 AM

He said...I'm just going to have to be more cautious with it."[/I], but you missed that part...Don't read more into the reporters story...they make EVERYTHING negative!!

If the Tigers don't want him playing the game at all, then being "more cautious with it" isn't good enough. It's stupid.

Yoda

12-27-2006, 10:06 AM

Haven't we done this already? The only thing dumb about that comment is is the fact that if he has a wrist problem again everyone is instantly going to blame it on that game.

Ron Burgandy

12-27-2006, 10:11 AM

Haven't we done this already? The only thing dumb about that comment is is the fact that if he has a wrist problem again everyone is instantly going to blame it on that game.

No, the dumb this about that comment is the fact that he's willing to risk a wrist problem to continue playing Guitar Hero. That's idiotic.

Yoda

12-27-2006, 10:20 AM

No, the dumb this about that comment is the fact that he's willing to risk a wrist problem to continue playing Guitar Hero. That's idiotic.

Thank you, Dr. Ron. If the team doctors have determined that minimal playing will hurt him, then yes, its pretty stupid. If they've told him he can play it while not over doing it, then no, it isn't stupid. None of us have any idea but of course everyone will pretend that they do. And I realize this, so its not a big deal. But its silly to make this into a damatic event with the limited knowledge we have on it.

Ron Burgandy

12-27-2006, 10:29 AM

Thank you, Dr. Ron. If the team doctors have determined that minimal playing will hurt him, then yes, its pretty stupid. If they've told him he can play it while not over doing it, then no, it isn't stupid. None of us have any idea but of course everyone will pretend that they do. And I realize this, so its not a big deal. But its silly to make this into a damatic event with the limited knowledge we have on it.

I, simply, disagree. If I thought there was any chance that a video game would affect my career as a professional athlete I'd give it up. Even if the doctors told me limited playing is probably ok. It's just not worth it. Accordingly, I question the intelligence of anyone that would be willing to take that risk.

Yoda

12-27-2006, 10:36 AM

Hey I don't disagree on the intelligence issue. I probably wouldn't play it either. Maybe playing it in the offseason doesn't present as much of a thread, who knows. Hopefully he gets tired of it soon and it doesn't cause any problems.

Tigercub33

12-27-2006, 10:40 AM

The question now becomes, after he gets tired of it, what game with future destructive capabilities does he move on to next? I would keep this kid as far away from a Wii as possible.

whitecapkat

12-27-2006, 10:42 AM

I got the Wii for Christmas...I can't move my right arm at this point. All players should stay far far away from it as possible.

baseballglove007

12-27-2006, 10:56 AM

Maybe he should try DDR to at least shed some pounds.

Lbh24

12-27-2006, 11:17 AM

I got the Wii for Christmas...I can't move my right arm at this point. All players should stay far far away from it as possible.

I played the baseball game for maybe 15 minutes last weekend, and I think I developed at least 3 injuries from it

whitecapkat

12-27-2006, 11:20 AM

the bowling mini games are the cause of my wii arm. I can't even brush my teeth correctly. The Wii should be banned from all ballparks and dorms.

bulgerke

12-27-2006, 11:27 AM

eastside billee

12-27-2006, 11:41 AM

Fidrych hurt himself doing something stupid, career ending. Rozema hurt himself doing something stupid, career ending. Shall we try for the trifecta?

Shaggy Ry

12-27-2006, 12:14 PM

His stance shows disrespect for all of his teammates, coaches, management, ownership and fans. Even if it was 50-50, eliminating the video game playing cuts chances of the return of that injury in half, as a professional baseball player, how can you not give up the game? Now maybe he's in spin/CYA mode and is trying to joke his way through the questions, I dunno, however if he has this injury again next season and he is still playing guitar hero at the time, I'd send his *** to the minors - if he wants to act like a kid, you treat him like a kid.

Yoda

12-27-2006, 12:28 PM

Now maybe he's in spin/CYA mode and is trying to joke his way through the questions, I dunno, however if he has this injury again next season and he is still playing guitar hero at the time, I'd send his *** to the minors - if he wants to act like a kid, you treat him like a kid.

Great idea. Now what do we do with the other players that are putting themselves at risk by doing stupid things away from the field? Should we send them to the minors as well? Because I guarantee that Zumaya isn't the only player that has been in a situation like this. We all saw how the press covered it up. It was entirely random that Dave even mentioned it. There's more **** like this going on. Don't think its just one person.

wolverinefan

12-27-2006, 12:31 PM

Shaggy Ry

12-27-2006, 01:09 PM

Yoda

12-27-2006, 01:42 PM

How many players are going to continue doing something that has directly been linked to causing an injury that caused him to whole of the ALCS? Normally I'd have said to trade him, but I'm hoping that he's just being a stupid kid who thinks he knows everything and is invincible and that he'll hopefully grow out of it and smarten up and realize he is a professional with responsibilities.

All players do things that they know could hurt their career. People aren't going to stop living. It was entirely random that we even heard about this. I'd be shocked if there weren't a lot of other instances like this with other players. You don't just start trading them and sending them to the minors. We'd be missing half the team probably.

estrepe1

12-27-2006, 01:46 PM

But he's a former Whitecap and can therefore do no wrong. Remember, even the ladybugs at Whitecapland have a special sheen on their shells!

I wish we could all live in Whitecapland so we could all always be wonderful!

He isn't just risking his future. He is risking his ability to help this team. Its stupid. He is young though and he will realize it soon enough.

I think this goes back to the fact that he doesn't think the game injured him. He still sees no connection.

tiger337

12-27-2006, 01:47 PM

All players do things that they know could hurt their career. People aren't going to stop living. It was entirely random that we even heard about this. I'd be shocked if there weren't a lot of other instances like this with other players. You don't just start trading them and sending them to the minors. We'd be missing half the team probably.

If they demoted or traded everybody that drank too much and stayed out too late the night before ballgames, I wonder many players would be left?

Tyrus

12-27-2006, 01:50 PM

Here's my problem: Both DD and Jim Leyland specifically asked Zoom to stop playing that game, because they determined it was hurting his wrist, and, by extension, it was hurting the team. Joel agreed to stop in August -- yet he continued playing the game anyway, resulting in him having to miss games in the postseason.

According to what Leyland told reporters off the record druing the playoffs, it was mutually agreed upon by team officials and Joel that his playing Guitar Hero was hurting his wrist.

He agreed -- and continued to do it anyway.

That's thumbing your nose at your manager, your general manager, your teammates and your fans.

estrepe1

12-27-2006, 01:51 PM

If they demoted or traded everybody that drank too much and stayed out too late the night before ballgames, I wonder many players would be left?

This is true. And you have players in the NFL and NBA doing stupid things with motorcycles to endanger their lives and their careers. It is something that people with a lot of money and free time (in the offseason) will have fun doing.

However it would be nice if people had a bit more sense about the risks that they are taking.

Of course Zumaya doesn't think this game had anything to do with his injury so that is why he will keep playing it. Sometimes its hard to see the truth.

DrWho17

12-27-2006, 01:53 PM

They need to get it written into his next contract, no "Guitar Hero" or any other video game that could cause injury.

Yoda

12-27-2006, 01:55 PM

He agreed -- and continued to do it anyway.

That's thumbing your nose at your manager, your general manager, your teammates and your fans.

Do we know for sure that he isn't supposed to play it during the offseason? I dont know if the injury has lang-term effects, but if it's just a short-term injury, similar to a pulled muscle, I don't think playing in the offseason would be much of an issue. Especially on a limited basis. Again, I don't really know, but it's another piece to the puzzle that should be considered that we know nothing about.

Shaggy Ry

12-27-2006, 02:16 PM

Didn't a football player get busted with ah hooker during Superbowl weekend a few years back and was booted off the team? I get the whole deal that life is a risk, that more people die from driving their cars or slipping in the bathtub, I just don't accept that doing something you know is causing you harm to your moneymaker is remotely reasonable. I understand that players are people and have a life to live and I'm not asking him to become a priest and lock himself up in a padded room located in the stadium when he's not pitching, he can play any number of video games - just not the one single game that have been deemed by medical professionals to be causing the issues with his arm. To me that is not too much to ask. Will that lead to a slippery slope? I dunno, but hell if I'm going to depend on a person who thinks playing a friggin video game is too important to give up for the sake of the other 24 guys in the lockerroom.

If a guy's drinking caused him to miss the whole of the ALCS, I'd have him accept going to rehab or I'd look to trade him or release him. He wouldn't be dependable, just like Zumaya isn't being dependable.

I think you have a jaded view of professional baseball players if you think they go out of their way to risk their livelihood - most of them love the money too much.

This past season should be a lesson learned. If I was Pittsburgh and Ben Roethlisberger was seen riding a motorcycle without a helmet again, I'd trade/cut him before next season.

I guess this is one of those agree to disagree topics.

Yoda

12-27-2006, 02:24 PM

I don't disagree with you. It's probably a dumb thing to do but I don't knowenough of the details. Maybe the docros said it wouldn't hurt him playing it occasionally inthe offseason, I don't know. Personally, I wouldn't play it, but that's me.

I'm just saying that players probably do stupid things more than you realize. I don't know that for sure, but you get a bunch of guys with nothing to do in the offseason and a lot of money, they're going to take up hobbies that probably don't serve the team's best interest.

dt35456884

12-27-2006, 02:28 PM

Dom might have to go Bluto on Zumaya's PlayStation guitar.

Yoda

12-27-2006, 02:30 PM

I bet Matie could give us some good stories about the stupid things that players do. I'd ask a few of our Whitecap residents but we all know those players never do anything dumb. :)

grandma g

12-27-2006, 02:30 PM

I wish we could all live in Whitecapland so we could all always be wonderful!

He isn't just risking his future. He is risking his ability to help this team. Its stupid. He is young though and he will realize it soon enough.

I think this goes back to the fact that he doesn't think the game injured him. He still sees no connection.

It things were so great in your so called WHITECAPLAND, then Maybin wouldn't have had to go to Court...right?? These are young men, and course they make mistakes, just like us adults....Keeps th Media really busy....so they can add to their story line....

Yoda

12-27-2006, 02:33 PM

You enjoy talking about the dumb things Maybin does though. What about Dusty? Rabs? Those guys? I've bet you've never peeped a word of the things they've done. And knowing Rabelo, I bet he had some fun in his days there.

I'd really like to hear some of these stories these days. At least then people wouldn't think that playing a game is so random and only Zumaya has done something like that.

estrepe1

12-27-2006, 02:37 PM

You enjoy talking about the dumb things Maybin does though.

I was about to mention that.

grandma g

12-27-2006, 02:56 PM

I was about to mention that.
Being a Whitecaps does not mean ANY of them are any smarter then the next one....all are just kids...& probably things happen in Lakeland, Erie & Toledo to them also...some are funny & some are serious...we just hope they learn by their mistakes....

Biff Mayhem

12-27-2006, 02:59 PM

So the media should ignore their indiscretions?

estrepe1

12-27-2006, 03:02 PM

So the media should ignore their indiscretions?

That sounds like what she is suggesting.

Tigercub33

12-27-2006, 03:04 PM

So the media should ignore their indiscretions?

Yes.

It should also not be reported when a 16 year old kills another driver in an auto accident, or a 12 year old kills a family member. When a 17 year old robs a store, it should also not be reported.

Seriously, these are kids, we can't hold them responsible for their actions at all. They have no capability for rational thought and certainly cannot control themselves given any urge that creeps into their not yet fully functioning brains.

grandma g

12-27-2006, 04:00 PM

So the media should ignore their indiscretions?
Absolutely Not! Nor do they... Just was pointing out that the "Clubhouse" did not let it slip.....nor the host families that knew of the incident....not sure what control Detroit had over the situation either, but just saying they ALL or mostly all, can get into some thing or another...just stating they they are kids that can/do get media attention.....and you have been around host families enough to know that....

Frink

12-27-2006, 04:06 PM

First off, I'm laughing my *** off at those who have hurt themselves with the Wii. I've had it since it was released, and have had no problems. The only thing I can possibly think of being a problem is if the player has no idea what they're doing, and repeating the same, violent motion over and over, for hours on end. And if you haven't figured out how to play in a less violent manner after hours on end, you probably shouldn't be playing it.

Second, Zumaya said that he believed it was 50/50. While that's not accepting that it's 110% of the problem, as it seems everyone wants, he's still acknowledging it as a source of the injury, as opposed to what some of you are claiming.

Third, as Yoda and maybe a few others have said, he'll get tired of it. No one plays the same game(s) forever. It's a new game. It'll wear itself out, if it hasn't already.

Fourth and finally, just in case, we should probably lock him in a cage with padded rooms for 20 of the 24 hours out of the day for the next 20 years, offseasons included. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to sacrifice his entire life for baseball. I mean, he's making money, right? That's all he needs. He can spend it when he's forty. Baseball should be his whole life, right? Can we start a fundraiser to get him nothing but soft foods, to ensure that he doesn't hurt himself with solids, too?

This is the stupidest thread I've ever seen here. Disappointing.

Corky

12-27-2006, 04:11 PM

He will get sick of the game eventually, no doubt about it. Once you finish the geame, which doesn't take too long, you get bored.

Anyhow, if he wants to risk his arm, it's HIS problem. I have no problem with him playing the game, as long as he is careful.

Now I have never played that game but I posit - "What if he's really bad at it?"

THAT could lead to him plaing it for a very long time trying to get through it. Dangerous.

:chinese:

Who is the Drizzle?

12-27-2006, 04:21 PM

wolverinefan

12-27-2006, 04:21 PM

Now I have never played that game but I posit - "What if he's really bad at it?"

THAT could lead to him plaing it for a very long time trying to get through it. Dangerous.

:chinese:

It is a VERY easy to improve on. I finished it in a week..playing about 20 minutes per day.

Yoda

12-27-2006, 04:24 PM

joel had the correct answer, even if it was not the correct pr answer.

you don't get hungover if you have just one beer, you don't get carpal tunnel if you type for just 5 minutes, and you won't injure your wrist by playing the guitar for 15 minutes.

being cautious will get rid of this problem, if hours and hours of guitar hero day after day is indeed the cause of the problem.

(also, what friend/family member/teammate is going to play with him now?)

I suspect this is what the doctors told him as well. If they said he can't play at all, then he might still sneak in a game now and then but he wouldn't go around telling the media.

Also, Granderson is going to look out for him. If Zumaya isn't supposed to play at all then I guarantee that thing wouldn't even be in their apartment.

Tigercub33

12-27-2006, 04:27 PM

Also, Granderson is going to look out for him. If Zumaya isn't supposed to play at all then I guarantee that thing wouldn't even be in their apartment.
Yet another reason not to trade Curtis

screwball

12-27-2006, 04:28 PM

Where are the guitar hero cops when you need them?

PantheraTigris

12-27-2006, 04:30 PM

Yes.

It should also not be reported when a 16 year old kills another driver in an auto accident, or a 12 year old kills a family member. When a 17 year old robs a store, it should also not be reported.

Seriously, these are kids, we can't hold them responsible for their actions at all. They have no capability for rational thought and certainly cannot control themselves given any urge that creeps into their not yet fully functioning brains.

No.

In an ideal perfect world of happy funtimes (perhaps Whitecapland?), the kids in the minor leagues would be held to the exact same standards as any underage kid who does something stupid/illegal (i.e. names not mentioned and so on).

But the reality is, these kids are in the minors, presumably, because they want to make it to the majors. If you let them think they can do stuff and not get slammed in the media for it, they're not suddenly going to develop the ability to control themselves when they hit the majors. They're playing minor league baseball-- yes, they're younger/legally less accountable than the guys up in the big leagues, and it's in many ways ridiculous to treat them like big leaguers. But if you don't, they're going to get in a heckuva lot MORE trouble when they hit the big leagues and, in some respects, expect that they can continue to behave like they did in the minors.

It's not fair to treat 'kids' like adults, but it would also be doing the kids (and the organization that's employing them) a disservice to not prepare them for how things are gonna be when they get where they ultimately want to be. There's way more media scrutiny on a young major league baseball player than there is on someone of the same age and probably same assumed maturity level who's working as an intern or something.

Tigercub33

12-27-2006, 04:32 PM

PT - I apologize for not making it more obvious...but I was being sarcastic.

PantheraTigris

12-27-2006, 04:33 PM

Ay, sorry. With some of what gets bruited about 'round these parts, one can never be too sure...

DaYooperASBDT

12-27-2006, 04:36 PM

Two possibilities here:

1. It's much ado about nothing, and he will be more careful in the future

2. He's seriously addicted to video games, and could re-injure himself.

I'm still leaning toward #1 ....

tiger337

12-27-2006, 04:37 PM

Can someone explain the point of Guitar Hero? I've been reading about it but I really don't understand it.

Yoda

12-27-2006, 04:40 PM

Can someone explain the point of Guitar Hero? I've been reading about it but I really don't understand it.

I'm under the impression that its simmilar to DDR, which I know nothing about. But I think it has like 4 buttons. And as the song is playing, it tells you what button to hit, and it gets faster and faster. Just a guess anyhow.

Tigercub33

12-27-2006, 04:49 PM

WTF is DDR?

Yoda

12-27-2006, 05:20 PM

WTF is DDR?

Something very dumb. Dance, Dance, Revolution. This game you've probably seen where people are dancing around on some stupid pad. I don't get it.

Tyrus

12-27-2006, 05:21 PM

It's important to note here that the media didn't report this story. They had it, but it was told to them off the record, and nobody wanted to burn Jim Leyland. So the media sat on it for months.

I know for a fact that several media outlets had this story back during the playoffs. But who wants to burn Jim Leyland if he tells you something is not for publication? Personally, it was tempting for me...that would have been a national story during the playoffs. But it just isn't worth it for me to burn sources.

If it were power lines killing children, that would be one thing. But most folks in the media, including me, figured this wasn't a life-and-death situation, so we put the story in our pockets.

It was DD who broke this story on 1270, not the media.

DrWho17

12-27-2006, 05:28 PM

Can someone explain the point of Guitar Hero? I've been reading about it but I really don't understand it.
http://ps2.ign.com/articles/663/663674p1.html

Yoda

12-27-2006, 05:28 PM

Tyrus - We know that. I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.

Gabraham

12-27-2006, 07:58 PM

They need to get it written into his next contract, no "Guitar Hero" or any other video game that could cause injury.

This is the simple truth.

What's the worst that could happen, anyway? He gets injured again and misses a few days? After that, he'll wise up, or they'll put it in his contract.

He's 22. And he's not the only baseball player to do stupid, potentially self-destructive things. If DD or Leyland are greatly disturbed by his Guitar Hero fever, they'll deal with it.

Yoda

12-27-2006, 08:00 PM

I wonder how much they're paying him for all of the advertising?

How long before all players start blaming injuries on video games and things like that? There would have to be some pretty good money involved there, especially the star players. Mention it once and it'll be talked about on every media outlet for the next week.

Hongbit

12-27-2006, 08:27 PM

It is a VERY easy to improve on. I finished it in a week..playing about 20 minutes per day.

L337!!

What bothers me is that the Zumaya/Guitar Hero situation was totally avoidable. He just needs to learn to make better decisions.

If he'd been out doing drugs and hanging with strippers, he wouldn't have had time to stay at home and play video games.

Yoda

12-27-2006, 08:31 PM

And now we know what Lee does in his spare time!

DrWho17

12-27-2006, 08:51 PM

This is the simple truth.

What's the worst that could happen, anyway? He gets injured again and misses a few days? After that, he'll wise up, or they'll put it in his contract.

He's 22. And he's not the only baseball player to do stupid, potentially self-destructive things. If DD or Leyland are greatly disturbed by his Guitar Hero fever, they'll deal with it.
He missed the ALCS this year, how much worse does it have to get?

tiger337

12-27-2006, 08:52 PM

It is a VERY easy to improve on. I finished it in a week..playing about 20 minutes per day.

Apparently Zoom hasn't figured it out yet.

tiger337

12-27-2006, 08:55 PM

And now we know what Lee does in his spare time!

Me and Estrepe and Troppens get together every weekend to check out the srip clubs and snort a little Coke. We are wild guys.

DaYooperASBDT

12-27-2006, 09:00 PM

I think Dance Revolution is one of the better games, just for the simple fact that the kids actually get some exercise out of the deal !!

Yoda

12-27-2006, 09:23 PM

He missed the ALCS this year, how much worse does it have to get?

To be fair, he was probably only held out for 2, maybe 3 games. He wasn't needed after that. That doesn't take away from the severity of the problem though. Just saying, it was that big of a problem at the time.

JTShow

12-27-2006, 11:53 PM

dont know if its already been said but joel is this weeks sign of the appocolypse in this weeks sports illustrated (with LT on the cover) ... "The Tigers asked reliever Joel Zumaya to stop playing the video game Guitar Hero because it caused his forearm injury."

DiscoStu

12-27-2006, 11:57 PM

This game is addicting.

Cult of Guillen

12-28-2006, 02:11 AM

Guitar Hero is extremely addictive--just got if for Xmas (asked for it after playing it in Best Buy for 20 minutes). My entire family, young and very old, were playing it Xmas night and having a blast.

thewave84

12-28-2006, 09:57 AM

Maybe we should all chip in and get him a Wii and some other games that he can get addicted to instead of guitar hero. :confused:

Tigercub33

12-28-2006, 10:40 AM

Maybe we should all chip in and get him a Wii and some other games that he can get addicted to instead of guitar hero. :confused:

If he can't already afford one...he is doing something wrong.

whitecapkat

12-28-2006, 11:01 AM

A wii would be dangerous...lets stick to NES or Atari for JZ. If he can handle those maybe we'll upgrade to a SNES

DaYooperASBDT

12-28-2006, 11:16 AM

With a WII, he might really throw something out of joint !!
No thank you. :lick:

DaYooperASBDT

12-28-2006, 11:17 AM

I would suggest crossword puzzles. Or maybe Sudoku.

No, forget Sudoku. Haven't seen my wife in weeks because of it !!!!!!!

tiger1983uk

12-28-2006, 02:06 PM

My brother got Guitar Hero for Christmas, I'll have to wait until the Summer to see if he's still got a 103mph fastball:happy:

Tyrus

12-28-2006, 02:21 PM

Tyrus - We know that. I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.

The question came up whether the media should report these kinds of things.

DET Mr Malefic

12-31-2006, 09:49 PM

JZ shouldn't even be mentioning to the press thats hes still gonna play Guitar Hero, thats even worse than going ahead and still playing the game irregardless of its impact on his future earning power.

I agree completely. Continuing to talk about it gives rise to threads like these and only lets people who don't know what they're talking about continue to talk. If he leaves it alone and continues to play in private, no harm is done.

And yes, Yoda, the game is like DDR only with a guitar. My girlfriend has it and plays it religiously. I don't particularly care for it or understand the attraction, but then again, I also don't understand the attraction to DDR either.

DTownDave22

01-02-2007, 07:59 PM

Here is one perspective that I think some are failing to think from.

http://www.wired.com/news/holidays/0,1882,48479,00.html

Most people of the older generations can't really relate perhaps. In South Korea (gaming is huge in the Asian countries), there is actually a video game addiction rehab center I have heard of. Granted, it's not nearly as bad as drugs, but video game addiction is tough to overcome if it is a pattern of behavior that has persisted for a long time. I can comment on it.

It just comes from being freaking bored, like the link I provided says. I can't comment on Zumaya's situation, but obviously he has some boredom and probably a moderate amount and finds the game very fun. I gave them up altogether for several months, then succumbed to it again and seem to go on and off after an attempt at picking up a hobby in piano failed. I thought of video game addiction as soon as I heard about this story and I can feel for Joel.