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I have noticed several times in the past that once I write a post about losing interest with something I suddenly find myself interested again. As it just happened with gaming. Last week I wrote a long post on how I’m not interested in gaming these days and how I’ve lost interest in gaming journalism marking all but a few feeds as read without even skimreading the headlines.

The day after I had written the post I subscribed to a new RSS feed from a gaming website which isn’t focussed on news, but rather editorials and I liked their style.

A few days after that I made it my mission to actually get KotOR II working and did after a lot of struggle.

Since Saturday I’ve played a lot of KotOR II mostly just stopping to have a break, googling ways to circumvent a glitch and taking a breather after a crash losing me 30 minutes. I’ve enjoyed it a lot and, surprisingly, the game is even better than I remembered it. Predictably I’m playing with a lightside female Guardian which means that I’ll recruit the same party members as the two times I played it on release though I’m planning to replay it as a darkside male character at some point down the line.

However, I can’t help but feel that I’m playing it for the wrong reasons. Yes, I’m playing it on the hardest difficulty [with ease], but I’m not really playing it as a game. It’s like watching Lord of the Rings or Star Wars or any other favourite film or TV show again. It’s the great writing, the familiarity and the overall experience that cause me to go back. I almost feel like a fraud when I say I’m gaming, even if technically I am!

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On the topic of gaming, I’m going to London tomorrow to see a talk by Jane McGonical on Productivity:

Jane McGonigal will take to our pulpit to challenge our assumptions about games as ways to “pass” or “waste” our time – and argue instead that we are never more productive than when we are immersed in a good game.

I first came across Jane McGonical in March this year when her TED video made the rounds and am looking forward to seeing her tomorrow.