It’s been called one of the most mainstream games of the moment, the largest mobile app success the world has ever seen, genius, addictive … it may even be riveting when plans for a TV series are put into action – something that actually may be on the cards. Who knows why it’s become so popular – people have been pondering that since its release in 2009. What the hell do birds have against pigs anyway, and why are they so damn angry?

The truth is, no one cares – all anyone cares about is whether their cunning and destructive plans can beat the puzzle or not. We may have some of the most advanced gaming platforms, story lines and online challenges available on PC, PlayStation and Xbox these days, but something like Angry Birds can transform even the most technologically challenged individual into an obsessive gamer in under ten seconds.

There’s the popularity right there – that, and the fact that horrid little birds attacking green fatties is cute. It’s got the strategy of Worms, the brain-tease factor of Tetris, the tenacity of Snake and the looks of Mario Brothers all mixed into one simple and effective package. The fact that it’s been downloaded more than 300 million times is testament to this. A few online polls suggest that a percentage of people delete the game once they realise how addicted they are, and the rest of us will keep flipping the bird to anyone who doesn’t love it like we do.

The light hearted and simple game play ensures you’ll keep coming back for more, whether you’re waiting in line at a shop, surviving a boring meeting or sitting on a bus next to someone staring longingly at your score. If, like me, you’ve racked up hours of game time with Angry Birds and are wondering how on earth you could possibly ever get through another family lunch without it, there’s only one answer.

You can’t.

Either delete it, wait till something even weirder comes along to keep you entertained on your silly hipster Smartphone, or keep playing the game while your parents take you on those Southern African safaris or Cederberg luxury accommodation spots.

My baby

Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins once sang, ‘Today is the greatest, day I ever knew.’ And yes, today is that day for your humble narrator. I ordered a monster 23 inch Samsung LCD monitor for a price that is too good to print in this blog. You live in Cape Town your whole life, with an auspicious fortune always within your grasp. You would never imagine that a man, such as I with a modest salary could snag such a beast. But snare it I did. The resolution and clarity is second to none. Previously unseen images, blurred by the soft pixilation of a TV set are now as clear as Lion’s Head on an autumn morning. I installed a 2.1 speaker system to boot; this has taken my gaming into an unheard of stratosphere.

My colleague, who I so dearly call AB, will usually write about viticulture or her experiences in the many restaurants in Cape Town. I am a gamer; my pen is dedicated to the fine arts of the pixel Eden which I inhabit. Miss Sunshine, my girlfriend, has tried her hardest to embrace my hobby and she does so admirably, joining in on many a session. It was a childhood comfort that I have now nurtured into a full blown obsession thanks to my monetary achievements. Sometimes, the outside world becomes a dull blur of shapes as my screen captivates the whole of my attention.

Each one of us has our individual loves. A human being without an obsession is but a hollow shell of a person, akin to a snail’s cove minus the slimy inhabitant. I enjoy shopping, as Cape Town thankfully has a multitude of malls and boutiques to ensnare even the hardiest of anti-shoppers. And I love the outdoors, with the sound of the wind whistling through pine needles and the soft chirrup of crickets being an auditory favourite of mine. Food, friends, music and so on, I strive to diversify my life to the tenth degree. Take a hobby; obsess over it if you will. Do not forget to open the window every now and then to see how the world turns. The gaming calls me away from my writing now. Enjoy your weekend.