(The ratio of the former to the latter shifted significantly through the years.)

When I went with my mom, we’d usually go east to the Toys “R” Us in Utica. When I went with my step-dad, we’d usually go west to the Toys ”R” Us in Pontiac. (With my dad, the GameStop down the road near downtown Rochester did just fine.)

That was the only time I ever saw downtown Pontiac. The boarded up windows and empty high-rises always piqued my suburban sensibilities as we drove there, but on the way back I was too preoccupied with my new swag to peer out on the dreams deferred.

My interest probably came more from that colonialist fascination with urban decay which compels us rich kids to take moody pictures of broken down factories and train stations than real empathy for the current of life which used to run through them.

I remember wondering why we always went through the city itself, with its endless stop lights, when the store was on the other side by a good margin.

I don’t know if my step-dad stuck to a route straight through the heart of Pontiac on purpose, but I hope he did.

A lot of the kids I saw as I looked out from high up in his green Ford F-150 would have been glad just to attend schools that gave report cards representing an education worthy of pride. Their dropout rates could pass for my school district’s graduation figures.

I didn’t work half as hard for my second Lego X-Wing as some of those kids did just to stay in a system that couldn’t afford enough to give a crap about them.

It wasn’t fair, but I can’t detest myself too much for the youthful indifference. I was just a stupid kid, and I couldn’t appreciate what my middle-class parents scraped together through years of work, scrimping, and saving.

But the further I go out into the real world, where high marks rarely get us rewards greater than continued employment, the more I see I was, and still am, a lucky bastard. I earned very little of what I have now.

Some day, I hope to be worth it.

Lansing senior Zack Benezette said the development of video games for smartphones and social networking sites is resulting in more casual gamers.

Games like “Angry Birds” for the iPhone and “FarmVille” on Facebook have allowed non-traditional markets to become more familiar with video games.

“I think you’re seeing more of the casual gamer,” said the Lansing senior. “You’re seeing a new market for games like FarmVille, FrontierVille and whatever-ville.”

Benezette considers himself a traditional gamer who regularly games on his PlayStation 3 and computer. He said his favorite genres are shooters and puzzles, which might be why he enjoyed “Angry Birds” so much.

One of last year’s biggest hits, “Angry Birds” is a puzzle game where players launch birds out of a slingshot at intricately designed castles housing evil pigs. The Rovio-developed game started on iPod, iPhone and iPad and spread to several other platforms.

Benezette said the appeal is that players can play the game on their phones when they need to pass time instead of being bound to a TV or PC.

“I think it’s a game you can pick up, play for 10 minutes and then you can be done with it,” he said. “It’s fun, but it’s easy to walk away from.”

St. Joseph sophomore Jill Simpson said “Angry Birds” is the only game she ever plays. After a friend got her hooked on the mobile version, Simpson could not help but buy the game for her computer.

“It’s pretty addictive,” Simpson said. “When you can’t beat a level, it’s pretty aggravating.”

Simpson said the game’s appeal lies in its simplicity as well as the way it helps get through boring interludes, including when when professors lecture for too long.

Sparta freshman Tracy Shupe plays “FarmVille” and “CityVille” every day on Facebook. Shupe compared the games to “The Sims,” saying that players must build an environment and keep its residents happy.

“My friend is trying to get me into (role playing games), but I’m not into them,” she said.

Like Simpson, Shupe also said this new wave of games helps her pass the time. She does not consider herself a full-on gamer, just somebody who likes playing here and there.

“It’s a time killer,” Shupe said. “They’re just kind of stuff to do when you’re bored.”

Though Isaac may not be pleased about having to once again fight for his survival, fans of 2008’s “Dead Space” will find a lot to love in this gore-ridden sequel.

Isaac wakes up in a hospital on the Sprawl — a space-colony built on one of Saturn’s moons — three years after the events of “Dead Space.”

With no memory of the time passed, he must fight his way through an endless onslaught of murderous monsters all while battling his own deteriorating mind — a dementia resulting from his contact with the Marker artifact from the first game.

Series veterans will find the latest iteration a familiar experience, but make no mistake — “Dead Space 2” improves on the original in every aspect.

The game is absolutely haunting- a nice mix of harrowing hallways, dark, gritty environments and wide-open areas provides a sense of freedom compared to the first game’s claustrophobic corridors, though some areas are a bit repetitive.

Huge amounts of detail embellish every environment, weapon and character, while the superb soundtrack and eerie ambient audio will keep your anticipation peaked.

New necromorphs show their ugly mugs, making nearly every enemy encounter feel more fresh and varied than before. Some of the new monstrosities are terrifying to face, sending chills up your spine every time you hear them release a blood-curdling howl.

The game’s intensity is rarely broken — I often found myself pushing on, promising to stop at the next save point, only to realize that was four save points ago.

Necromorphs hide in some pretty creative places, and will often scare the crap out of you. However, the delicate equilibrium between destroying the reanimated dead and overcoming Isaac’s dementia makes “Dead Space 2” a psychologically exhausting ride that offers more than simple “jump scare” tactics.

Even being eviscerated is mildly amusing, as most necromorphs have a unique execution animation while exploring Isaac’s innards.

On its normal setting, the difficulty of the game fluctuates between being fairly easy and downright frustrating.

An expanded arsenal of dismemberment includes several new entries with different capabilities and uses.

There’s nothing quite like using the awesome Javelin gun to impale a necromorph through a space window, causing said window to burst open and suck all remaining stab-happy creatures into the cold void.

“Dead Space 2” also offers a multiplayer component in which one team plays as humans and the other as necromorphs — a style similar to the “Left 4 Dead” versus multiplayer.

While nothing special, the addition is an enjoyable change of pace from the intensity of the single player campaign, and is great for some mindless mayhem.

Independent game developers can unleash their creations upon the gaming world like never before by utilizing online software distribution outlets, such as Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade, Sony’s PlayStation Network and Nintendo’s WiiWare.

Don’t have the cash for triple-A titles? For a fraction of the cost, gamers can find hours and hours of fun in independent games.

Unlike well-known developers that receive a boat-load of money for the creation and production process, indie devs are cash-strapped and face a grueling reality: Either their games sell well, or their company croaks.

Below are three indie games that are definitely worth your hard-earned cash.

“Limbo”
X360 (XBLA)
Rated: T for Teen

A young boy awakens alone in a dark forest. His only desire is to find his sister, who is presumably farther ahead.

For a game that says little, “Limbo” is a genuinely haunting and ambiguous puzzle-platformer that will surely give the player chills. The game’s silhouette-based art serves as a perfect backdrop for its creepy environments.

Players must execute perfect timing during platform sequences while solving brain-teasing puzzles — the two elements are often seamlessly combined into one heck of a package. A simple control scheme and unique gameplay make “Limbo” a memorable, albeit brief, experience.

“Castle Crashers”
X360 (XBLA), PS3 (PSN)
Rated: T for Teen

There’s nothing quite like teaming up with some buddies and beating the crap out of baddies with sharp and/or blunt objects.

Welcome to “Castle Crashers,” an incredibly addicting, thoroughly enjoyable and hilarious medieval beat-em-up title.

A team of up to four knights can work together to try and thwart the evil dark wizard and his cohorts. As evil-doers are destroyed, experience points are won and can be used to upgrade a knight’s attack, magic and defensive capabilities.

A large arsenal of weaponry coupled with an even larger dose of pure fun makes downloading “Castle Crashers” a no-brainer.

“Hoard”
PS3 (PSN), PC
Rated: E

What could be more rewarding than saving a princess? How about kidnapping one?

When playing as a heroic knight gets horrifically tiring, don’t despair: “Hoard” puts the “eval” in “medieval.”

Players must strategically loot as much gold as possible by burning down villages, destroying would-be heroes and holding princesses hostage while controlling a fire-breathing dragon of destruction.

Gamers in need of a quick fix of instantly gratifying fun need look no further.

But with research being done for developing glassless 3D technology, the Novi junior has high hopes for the future.

“People like new — people like immersive,” he said.”The more they feel they’re right there experiencing it, the better.”

Nintendo unveiled its new 3D handheld gaming system, the Nintendo 3DS, last summer during the 2010 E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.

Nintendo’s press release stated the device boasts a 3.53-inch widescreen LCD display with an 800×240 resolution, with 400 pixels allocated to each eye to enable 3D viewing.

According to www.tomsguide.com, a 3D effect is achieved when different images are sent to each eye through a directional filter on the screen. The images are then meshed together into one image by the brain and appear to jump out of the screen.

For modern 3D shutter glasses to work, a display must be coated with an overlay known as a parallax barrier, which polarizes the glasses. This makes the lenses darken and lighten in sync with a display’s refresh rate, creating a 3D effect by displaying an image to only one eye at a time.

According to the website, Nintendo’s new handheld achieves the effect with a “3D Depth Slider,” which allows the device’s parallax LCD to be toggled on and off.

When turned on, the parallax LCD controls the way light leaves the display, allowing different light patterns to reach each eye.

This allows gamers to decide whether they want to activate the 3D image or just play in 2D. According to hands-on accounts from technology blog Gizmodo, the 3D effect is dependent on gamers holding the device in a specific position. Otherwise, the effect does not work.

While Zamplas is skeptical of the 3DS, he said he is excited to see where glassless technology can lead.

“I’m sure in a couple hundred years you’ll see computers producing smells and feelings with electrical signals,” he said. “It’s all about virtual reality. Experiencing it in a perceivable dimension is the next step for visuals.”

Zamplas said he had an opportunity to experience 3D gaming on a 3D compatible gaming computer and, while the experience was intriguing, he had a headache after 10 minutes of use.

“The technology is not there yet,” he said. “If you wear [3D glasses] for too long, you get a headache. They’re uncomfortable, they’re heavy. The marketing companies don’t show you that before people get into it.”

Nintendo is not the only company working with 3D. Sony released a firmware update for the PlayStation 3 in December that allows for Blu-ray 3D disc playback. Games like “Super Stardust HD,” “Pain” and “Wipeout” are available in 3D form from the PlayStation Store, while some AAA titles, including “Killzone 3,” will offer 3D functionality.

Unfortunately, Zamplas said, 3D gaming requires more than just a 3D-ready gaming console. People also need expensive 3D compatible TVs or monitors and 3D shutter glasses, which can cost upwards of $100 alone.

Jeff Smith, a broadcast and cinematic arts assistant professor, said most consumers are not ready to replace their recently purchased high definition televisions with more expensive 3D-capable displays.

Additionally, a big challenge for companies producing 3D media is to find a way to include the effects without producing overwrought visual displays with little substance.

“We went through a cycle of 3D back in the `50s and we’re going through another one now,” he said. “I think for gaming, it seems like that would be a pretty simple add to the tech that’s already there.”

She responded with some form of the phrase, “And I thought you were acting like a grown up today.”

Also, when I told my girlfriend that my Thursday afternoon plans included a large dose of “Call of Duty: Black Ops,” she scoffed at the idea.

While not surprising, I had hoped society had grown past these points.

Just because I had a Nintendo when I was five does not make gaming a childish activity. If anyone walked past Gamestop last Monday night, they would not have found a group of children waiting for “Call of Duty” — or at least I hope not.

Just because I play a video game for a couple of hours does not mean I am wasting my time. If I had chosen to watch a movie instead, I doubt anything would have been said about it.

I understand where both points are coming from. Video games took off in the ‘80s and ‘90s when kids started playing, and society still thinks of a “gamer” as someone who plays “World of Warcraft” for 14 hours a day.

But there’s a reason games like “Call of Duty,” “Halo” and “Grand Theft Auto” sell like hotcakes: Gamers are older now. They have moved past the simple gameplay mechanics and storylines of days gone by.

I know gamers who are 40 and I know gamers who are 12. I know people who play for hours a day, and some who only play an hour a week.

To me, it’s all entertainment. If someone chooses to watch a marathon of “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team” or James Bond movies all day, I don’t see why I cannot put a few hours into “Fallout: New Vegas” without any grief.

Luckily, the Supreme Court seems to agree. After oral hearings, the Court’s initial leanings indicate games deserve equal protection as movies, books and the like.

I wish society would follow suit and deem games equal to other forms of entertainment. I have seen it in small glances, like my mom and girlfriend with Mario and Harry Potter games, respectively.

On my end, I am growing up and still enjoying video games like I did when I was 10. And I do not see that changing.

Return to Rome as Ezio Auditore in this direct sequel to “Assassin’s Creed II.”

With the new ability to recruit a team of assassins, Ezio and his brotherhood are sure to form a face-stabbing force to be reckoned with. For the first time in the franchise, a multiplayer mode is available in which players hunt one another, creating an interesting cat-and-mouse style of game.

Now you can take the assassinations to your friends, which will surely ruin relationships.

- Ryan Taljonick

“All Day” by Girl Talk

Girl Talk, the erstwhile Gregg Gillis, has been the most talked-about mashup DJ since his 2008 album “Feed The Animals” became a seminal party album.

His new release, “All Day,” takes the formula of combining unlikely songs (Missy Elliot’s “Get Ur Freak On” and The Ramone’s “Blitzkrieg Bop,” for example), and tweaks it even further.

Focusing less on the shock and humor value of unlikely combinations and even more on making something sublimely new out of existing songs, the slightly more downbeat album remains as much a must-listen and must-dance piece of work as its predecessor.

- Brad Canze

But how many know, or care, about the people behind the games they have poured so many hours into?

The hardcore gamers out there could quickly protest: “Bungie, Infinity Ward and Harmonix, respectively!” But it doesn’t change the fact that there is just not enough recognition of the faces behind these hits.

Especially since, in the case of the first two, the people who made those titles such great successes made their final contributions to the series within the past year.

Infinity Ward all but dissolved after disputes with publisher Activision drove out its lead designers and Bungie’s contract to produce “Halo” games for Microsoft ended with “Reach.”

Harmonix is being sold by parent company and publisher Viacom, though the developers say they will continue to produce “Rock Band.”

It has never been more true that players should know more about their games’ pedigrees than the numbers after their titles.

It may seem silly to care so much about the creators of what ultimately becomes a corporate product.

Just because developing big-budget games is always a collaborative process, individual talents can contribute heavily to the final product.

In BCA 288: History and Appreciation of Cinema, I learned about the auteur theory: a single creative force is often the best way to produce a truly meaningful and creative product.

While my professor was referring to directors like Woody Allen and Stanley Kubrick, it can be just as easily applied to game developers like Shigeru Miyamoto, Tim Schafer and Hideo Kojima.

If you can’t tell the difference between a Schafer title (“Grim Fandango,” “Brütal Legend”) and a Kojima production (“Metal Gear Solid,” “Zone of the Enders”), you’re not paying enough attention.

Schafer’s signature humor and penchant for creating bizarre but believable characters and worlds is evident in every title he touches and Kojima’s love for overwrought dialogue and strong anti-war messages make his games unique.

And who else but Shigeru Miyamoto could have pulled off the perfectly intuitive world of overgrown mushrooms and tyrannical lizards that is “Mario”?

The men and women behind these games dedicate not only thousands of hours (and millions of dollars) into these games, but also their love and inspiration — just as much as any other artist.

So next time, don’t pound the “Start” button as soon as the credits begin to roll.

It’s about time they got their due appreciation.

But instead of working on free throws or pitching techniques, he practices head shots and memorizing map strategies.

Lehman, a Hope senior, plays “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” on a competitive level, participating in online team-based tournaments that pay cash prizes to the top teams in the world.

On a typical day, he spends about six hours playing video games.

“I feel like I’m more busy with competitive gaming than I am with work and school combined,” he said.

Lehman said first-person shooters, such as “Halo” and “Call of Duty,” appeal to his competitive nature.

He hopes to someday make a living by competing in professional gaming tournaments.

“Most of the people that I play with are just normal people. You wouldn’t be able to tell from their physical appearance that they play video games a lot,” he said. “It’s always nice to know that there are other people who think and do the exact things you’re doing.”

Gaming pride

Grosse Point Farms graduate student Alex Grabski said he’s proud to be a gamer.

“There is a sort of perception that gaming is more for kids or teens; it’s like admitting that you’re some sort of recluse,” he said. “I think for the most part, it’s definitely something that is more socially acceptable than it has ever been before.”

According to the Entertainment Software Association’s report, “2010 Sales, Demographic and Usage Data: Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry,” 67 percent of American households play computer or console video games.

The report also states the average gamer has been playing video games for about 12 years.

“Games are more involved now,” Grabski said. “People are involved in social groups, a community of people that are playing a game, trying to achieve goals together.”

Grabski said he enjoys role playing games, such as the “Final Fantasy” series, because they immerse players in involving, fulfilling stories.

“I play once or twice a day, I set aside some time between studies, work and writing papers to play,” he said. “It’s something to do for relaxation. Other people watch TV, but I need a little bit of game time each day to unwind.”

Grades

Lehman said his gaming habits have had a negative impact on his grades.

“I had a 3.2 GPA my freshman year and I had a lot of college paid for,” he said. “Ever since I moved out into an apartment my sophomore year, my grades have been declining steadily.”

Though his grades also suffered, alumnus Mason Shapiro said he could not help being drawn to games by the sense of adventure they offer.

“You’re actually doing stuff instead of just reading about it,” he said. “The choices you make reflect what story you get. The participation keeps me coming back.”

Shapiro said modern gamers can relate to each other, regardless of what type of games they play.

“I really honestly don’t think that any gamer is going to care if they’re called a geek,” he said. “There will be jocks playing ‘Madden,’ and they’re gamers. When you know a gamer is a gamer, you can automatically relate to them.”

If you’re itching to slay some mindless undead, “Dead Rising 2” is your ticket to zombie-slaying euphoria.

The sequel to the 2006 hit “Dead Rising” follows motocross champion Chuck Greene as he participates in a game show known as “Terror is Reality.” The program requires its contestants to decimate hordes of zombies and with hundreds of weapons and tools of destruction at your disposal, zombie genocide will never get boring.

Supporting up to four players in its multiplayer component, “Dead Rising 2” will surely offer hours of zombie-apocalypse entertainment for you and your friends.

-Ryan Taljonick

“So Appalled” by Kanye West feat. RZA, Jay-Z, Pusha T, Swizz Beatz and Cyhi the Prynce

The latest entry in Kanye’s weekly “Good Fridays” series, in which he releases a track online for free each week, is one of the strongest yet. An aggressive and foreboding beat sets the mood while the all-star line up of MCs take potshots at their respective haters. Already in its 7th week, the Good Fridays series finds Ye back on top of his game. If you’ve missed out so far, it’s time to get caught up.

-Ben Weissenborn