There are two types of people who get into mobile gaming: those who have long periods of down time and those who only have a few moments. While these two people have the same need for mobile gaming, they have vastly different needs when it comes to the type of software they buy.

If you're the type of mobile gamer who has long periods of free time, then you're the lucky type because you're choices are not limited. You can either play games that require your attention for long periods of time, or you can play games that are broken up into smaller, quicker chunks. Depending on your budget, you may even want to think about getting a portable device such as a Nintendo DS or a Sony PSP.

If you're the type of mobile gamer who only has short but fairly frequent periods of free time, then you're a bit out of luck. You're going to be more limited in your game choices but if done correctly you can also enjoy your gaming.

A lot of people go with more complicated games thinking that it will be worth their buy more, but these games usually demand more time and if you don't have the time they may start to feel frustrating because you rarely get to finish a section of the game. Instead, go for such games as Monopoly, Bejewled, Chess, and maybe a turn-based RPG such as Orcs & Elves. This is because you can take a turn, make a move, or take a few actions and pause the game at one if its natural breaking points. The more complicated games can also be paused, but it will most likely be at random points, making the experience feel broken, it breaks the flow of the game, and this may suck the fun out of it.

Being a mobile gamer does not mean playing boring games. All mobile games can be fun, you just have to choose the right game for you.

To say that most of the non-gaming world sees video games as being a bad thing is an exercise in stating the obvious. You'll hear comparisons to how people felt about t.v. as well as rock when they were first introduced. Another comment you've probably heard is that this is a case of the previous generations being afraid of video games because they are something new and hard for them to understand. Some people say that we will feel the same about whatever our children and grandchildren do. They're probably right for the most part.

Video games can actually be really good. Not too long ago there were stories of hospitals using video games in different rehabilitation settings, for people of all ages. I don't think that anyone could argue that in those cases video games were being harmful.

Video games have for a while now being used in psychology as well as psychiatry, (yes there is a difference) in the treatment of patient's phobias. These for the most part consist of virtual reality set-ups that allow people to deal with their problems in a safe environment. You can learn to touch a spider, be in a crowded or enclosed space, or control feelings of anxiety while in a plane. How is that not beneficial?

Virtual reality games have also being used for a time now to train commerciar and non-commercial drivers alike. VR is used to train our armed forces to fly different airplanes, some driving schools use video games to put would-be bus drivers behind the wheel and see if they're really ready.

Structural engineering and design also take advantage of video games. VR is used to design and create buildings people can actually walk around in and test whether or not the spaces are big enough, the lighting, and the flow from one room to the next.

Some hospitals now recommend doctors play some video games before they perform surgeries because it helps with their fine movements, which are obviously very important since they can mean the different between saving someone or not.

To the more general public, video games help people keep a sharp mind by exercising their brains in keeping attention to a lot of information coming at them at once, as well as helping them keep good reflexes and hand-eye coordination.

Most people see video games as a bad influence to out generation, but next time the subject comes up, tell people about some of the things in this post. Maybe people will slowly change their minds.

There is no doubt that Rock Band took the world by storm. If you read this and ask yourself just what exactly Rock Band is, then you're probably better off not reading it at all.

All video games have side effects to them and their strength vary depending on how impressionable the gamer is. This is sadly part of what's to blame when some loser gets an idea from a violent video game and decides to act on it, many times ruining people's lives in the process. But I believe I'm going off on a tangent.

When talking about Rock Band the side effects can be pretty predictable, I think. Some of them are good, like the fact that you are actually moving around, exercising. A gamer's life can be pretty inactive and a little exercise here and there is a good idea. Of course, some of the side effects can be bad and this is where the meat of my post is.

I am completely aware of the fact that one of the goals of Rock Band, if not the main goal is to make you feel like a rock star, I get that and I like it. What I don't get is why people seem to believe that just because they are able to play the guitar or the bass parts in the game that they can now almost magically be good at playing the real things. I see this time and time again. People tell me they are able to play the hardest songs at high difficulty levels and that they are awesome guitar players. I ask them if they are willing to prove it and after getting an affirmative answer I let them play my guitars. 100% of the people who have only played Rock Band are useless playing a real guitar at all. Did you notice something weird? I said nothing about the drums and that's because those are actually pretty faithful to what playing a real drumset is like. If you really want to feel like you're playing the real things, then play the drums with your friends.

If you play Rock Band and all you do is play the guitar or the bass parts, then you're dumb for missing out on the fun of playing the drums. On top of that, if you believe that you are now good at playing a real guitar because of Rock Band, then I don't want to run into you on the street and have you tell me all about it. You're wasting your time and what is infinitely worse, mine.

Strategy guides are something of a hot topic with gamers, especially "hardcore" gamers. If you're seen with a strategy guide you're automatically "softcore", or "casual", or just plain dumb. It's not true that having and using strategy guides makes you "softcore", a guide can actually be a sign of just how "hardcore" you really are.

In case you're wondering, I deliberately put the quotation marks around hardcore because it is such a useless term... I can't really define what a hardcore gamer really is and neither can you. If you think you actually can then let me tell you that you're wrong.

I don't consider myself to be either hard or soft core at all, I simply consider myself a gamer who like most of his friends has a life. I work, I go to college, and I have a girlfriend. Not much time left to game. At all.

Gaming recently got a bit more expensive, and I am not made of money. If I'm going to pay $60 for a game it better be good, and I better get the most out of it. That's where the strategy guide comes in. I only get to game for about 30-40 minutes a day and I'm the type that likes to get everything in a game. It sucks to have to play a game twice only to get a few items that were missed the first time, or to get the "good" ending to a game. RPGs are good examples of this.

If you're as busy as I am, games go from being a simple time killer to being more of an investment, and as such you want to take full advantage of it. Strategy guides help you do just that. Before I used to just play a game until I got bored with it. In a sense, you could say that I was paying $50 for a game and only playing some of it, throwing away my money. If you're sure you've completely covered a game then you have made a solid investment and your money was not lost.

Of course, I could just go through the entire game trying to get everything myself, and a lot of people would say that's the way it should be done. I have to admit that I agree but then reality sets in and I see that I can't do that; it would take me months to finish a game.

Strategy guides make me "hardcore" I guess you could say since I'm going the extra mile to make sure I know all about the game. I say they make me a smart gamer and a smart consumer for getting the most bang for my gaming buck. I know that I'm having a lot of fun with my games and I know that I'm actually seeing everything there is to see and doing everything there is to do. I'm playing the entire game. Are you?