Hardcore Gamer: Shang Xiang

She may play it down but I have witnessed Shang Xiang on several occasions playing more than one game at a time! How the hell is this possible? I have a hard time managing one controller at a time and here she is playing on the laptop, 360 controller at herside, with FireFox open in the background. Ok, she’s usually playing something like The Sims or The Movies on the laptop and it’s not like she’s playing simultaneously but I have to admit the idea has never crossed my mind. Even when I’m playing a sim game I have to be fully committed, eyes focused on a hundred tiny sprites and their fun-ness meters while watching my cash stockpile dwindle. If I have to avert attention for a second I immediately quick save and then pause. If it’s an online game then there’s just no time for food, bathroom breaks, phone calls, instant messages, or natural disasters.

Yet there she is, managing a movie studio, conquering feudal China, and uploading pictures to Flickr. She may not be a headshot-callin’ competitive player but it takes just as much focus and skill to manage all that and still have fun. Hell, she’s being productive while gaming. How many of us alleged “hardcore gamers” can say that?