I was bored the other day when I sat down at my computer. Like any day I started off hitting my favorite sites in the same mechanical order I visit them in every day. But as that list grew thin I began to search Google for some new information to soak up. I came across a group of video game junkies who were organizing themselves into teams to play a popular online shooter, "America’s Army."

"America’s Army" is a FPS, or first-person shooter, where you control an army recruit from boot camp through all out war. The game was designed by the US Army and has been distributed freely over the Internet and at US Army recruitment sites. The point of the game is, quite simply, to kill all of the enemies by any means necessary while meeting certain mission objectives.

Admittedly, the game is a lot of fun to play. The early missions are somewhat tedious but enjoyable as you hit the shooting range to qualify as a marksman before you are allowed into combat. The full-blown combat missions are extremely tense, and can be overwhelming if you are competing against the right teams. It’s these teams that I’ve grown concerned of.

As I started reading homepage after homepage for each “squad” or “corps,” I saw a trend developing. This game was the most important thing in some of these players' lives. One page listed a “top 10 rules for potential privates.” While the list mainly covered the rules of combat and the times that the team would try to play, there was one rule that definitely stuck out. It read, “We understand that real world stuff is going to happen; just don’t let it happen all the time.” Don’t let life happen all the time? Have videogames become so addictive that we let them dictate our personal and social behavior?

I love videogames. I’m sure that it could be said that I spend too much of my time parked in front of the PS2, but I know where the off button is. I know when it’s time for my test or for my trip home to see Mom. I realize that there are bigger things than Tony Hawk 4, albeit very few things.

Videogames are fun; that’s what they were designed to be, but we have to be able to draw the line somewhere. Go out and buy a PS2 or an Xbox, drop a few bills on some great games to pass the time and let you escape reality, but never forget that you are the one playing the game. Don’t let the game play you.