^[1]It’s looking pretty bleak outside right now: gas is like liquid gold, home sales are falling, mortgage lenders are crumbling, and the government is proposing questionable financial loans in an attempt to repair much of the damage.

What is there left for the rest of us to do? Why, play games, of course.

This week, National Public Radio has posted a report on its website ^[2] examining the connection in America between entertainment and tough times. A few generations back, we escaped from our troubles by ducking into movie theaters and spending two hours in the dark for 5 cents a pop.

Now, says NPR, we’re turning to the increasingly social world of video games for that. And the primary reason …

Video games last much longer.