As I was playing Far Cry 2 on the Xbox 360 console and driving around (in the game, not in reality!), I had a sudden urge to have some coffee.
This is not an unusual event, in and of itself. After all, it’s nice to be sipping a favorite beverage (although if you happen to drink a lot of alcoholic beverages while playing networked games, you may have wondered why your reflexes continue to degrade throughout your session…) while engaging in some online games.
Wireless left-thumbed driving...
But here’s the thing: like many gamers, I have an area at home, a “comfort zone” where the Xb0x 360 console resides, with the TV and receivers and some comfortable furniture. (Sorry, gals, no bean bag chairs!) Usually, I just place my wireless controller down when I’m leaving the ‘zone and pick it up when I return.
Unconsciously, though, as I was headed toward the coffee station, I was still gripping the wireless controller and, more than that, I was still playing– driving the dune buggy around looking for more of the diamonds scattered about the game world. I did not realize I was still playing the game with the wireless controller, even as I had picked up a clean mug from the cupboard area and placed it down next to the coffee machine… I was actually steering one-handed using the left thumb stick. It wasn’t until I picked up the carafe to pour coffee into the mug that I had to set down the controller. Ah-ha!
Mug and controller in hand, I headed back to the ‘zone, drivin’ and sippin’ along the way.
Hmm… This could be the start of something new… 
But, I wonder: how many Xbox 360 gamers are also doing a lot of walking, driving, and coffee-drinking?
