My thumbs are getting really tired. Seriously, my three friends and I have been playing this new video game for over 24 hours. Actually, the game's a new remake of a very old game, but the graphics are great, so realistic!

The game is called World War III. Basically, each of us is a commander for a different faction of the world that fight one another. Simply, it's a game of intellect. The person who wins uses their troops and weapons most efficiently, not that you can run out of either. There are tons of each! Most importantly it is fun!!!

Our video game characters are the all-powerful generals or whatever for our country. At the beginning of the game we had to design recruitment posters or set up a draft. I chose to write recruitment posters. I used slogans like:

"Become a BRAVE soldier for our GLORIOUS nation! Join the army today!"

"Freedom ain't free! Protect your country by fighting for it."

"Lock and load; let's kill those bloody infidels! Join the army now!"

Basically these posters got us an army. When the war was about to start we commanders/generals-whatever were taken to the secret bases our countries had. From these bases we control our troops. However, I quickly found it was much more effective to just use satellite-launched bombs on cities rather than to use troops. All I had to do was press a button and boom, there goes a city or base, whatever. Anyway, it's because of all the button-pressing that my thumbs are so sore.

At times like these, I use troops so my thumbs can rest. I would deliver a command over a mike to the troops; after that I'd sit back and relax. The game shows what happens as the orders are followed. The graphics are great! When a plane gets shot down the pilot would eject and try to parachute to safety. Sometimes he would get torn apart by machine guns. The game would zoom up on one, and I can just watch the body writhe as individual bullets enter it. The force of every bullet makes it squirm; slowly the uniform becomes soaked in blood. The game is so good as to imitate a little scream as the pilot died. Seriously! Isn't that so cool how realistic it is?! I mean it's like I'm watching a real person die, it's so much fun!!! I wonder if it looks the same in real life? Naw, I bet it's even better real.

Ouch! Charlie's troops just destroyed one of my large cities, or at least that's what the notification said. Oh well, there are always casualties in war, no biggie. Besides, now he's an easy target for my troops. Sending my troops in, (my thumbs are still tired) and I sit back and watch them blow Charlie's largest city to kingdom come.

FIVE HOURS LATER

My thumbs are tired again! Damn, I'm out of troops too! About three hours ago I enacted a universal draft on my population, so there are no human resources at home. At least I'm not the only one out of troops. We all are. In fact, all we have left are nukes. All of us are just here sitting and thinking. I mean, I could just quit the game, no winners declared. Awww, what the hell, it's only a game! Pressing the black button on my controller I launch my nuke at John. I can hear him getting the message. Next thing I know, I'm getting a message that Charlie launched his nuke at me. John launched his at Sue, who launched hers at Charlie. All of our screens meld and show a mushroom cloud. Because four nukes were launched, nuclear winter is induced. It's pretty. The innocent flakes fluttering down the screen against the red, orange and black of the background. Coming out of a house, four people look at the snow in wonder just before they dropped dead. Soon the screen fills up with snow, and a red GAME OVER message flashes.

"That was fun!" I said, excitedly. Standing up, I stretch. I'd been sitting for roughly 29 hours.

"Totally!" John agreed.

"The graphics were awesome!" Charlie said enthusiastically.

"Hey, Sue, are there any other scenarios we can play?" I asked. Sue got the manual out and flipped through it. Shaking her head she signaled no. Suddenly, surprised, she looks up.

"Hey guys, it says here we could've won by making a peace treaty and all agreeing to it. From there the players work on building and maintaining world peace," Sue explained.

"Ha! Where's the fun in that?! There's no fun in video games unless you're blowing things up," I said, laughing. John, Sue and Charlie joined me. "That's so lame. Peace treaty. World peace!" Walking over to the window, I went to open the curtains. We had closed them to keep the sun from glaring on the TV screen. Opening them, I see snow falling gently outside; the sky is orange and red.

"Huh, weird, it's snowing in the middle of summer," John commented coming over to the window, the others followed.

"Yeah, and the sun is setting, and it's only 2 in the afternoon," Sue added.

"Let's go outside, guys!" Charlie said excitedly. "It's not every day that it snows during the summer, especially in Texas." Laughing we all went out. The green grass was black, so was the outside of the house. Marveling at the sight, I didn't even see John drop to the ground or Charlie. It wasn't until Sue called out in shock that I turned; just as I did, she dropped.

"Sue are you --?" I exclaimed. Before I even finished, my world went black.

GAME OVER

"Man, it's over!" Ron exclaimed disappointed. Standing up, he stretched. He'd been sitting for roughly 29 hours.

"Still, those final graphics were pretty good, especially with the four people coming out of the house and dying. The game even gave the girl the name Sue," Rory replied.
"Yeah," Bruce agreed.

"Hey Katia, are there any other scenarios we can play?" Ron asked. Katia got the manual out and flipped through it. Shaking her head, she signaled no. Suddenly, surprised, she looks up.

"Hey guys, it says here we could've won by making a peace treaty and all agreeing to it. From there the players work on building and maintaining world peace," Katia explained.

"Ha! Where's the fun in that?! There's no fun in video games unless you're blowing things up," Ron said, laughing. Rory, Bruce and Katia joined him. "That's so lame. Peace treaty. World peace!" Walking over to the window, he opens the curtains. They had closed them to keep the sun from glaring on the TV screen. Opening them, Ron sees snow falling gently outside; the sky is orange and red. ...