To: Crecente
From: Luke
Re: For That Guy I Met In Japan Who Only Reads Kotaku Day/Night Notes...

I think Stephen needs a good lie down...

So! Yes, I am back. First week back of proper work since my wedding and honeymoon, which incidentally was the first long holiday I'd taken in years. It's strange settling back into things, not because I missed the work or had forgotten how to love video games, but because I'd gone an entire month without them.

Can you remember the last time you'd gone a month without games? And not just playing them, but reading about them as well? I couldn't. It was both strange and liberating at the same time. Strange because, well, they're my passion in life. Hence my gig here.

But liberating as well, because it gives you a chance to take a step back, and put this medium in perspective. So many people get so caught up in it, in all the fanboy wars, the importance of dedicated servers, of framerate counts, that it's easy to forget this is a pastime. A hobby. A leisure pursuit, a form of entertainment.

It's not life and death, and it's not til I got back to work that I remembered too many people treat it as such. Relax, guys. Games are for fun.

New Zune Game Revue, Coming Right At You
So, How Different Does Modern Warfare Wii Look?
Meet Final Fantasy XIV's Gladiator & Pugilist
Rumor: Here's Some Possible New PSPgo Colors
Modern Warfare 2 Sells 1.2 Million, In One Day, In One Country
Borderlands Sequel A "No-Brainer"
This Is About As Sexy As Ultima Gets
Aliens vs Predator vs Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle
The Mario Suits That Were, Are And Should Be

And now, because I have received requests, I shall bore you all with a holiday slideshow consisting of two photographs.

Send an email to the author of this post at plunkett@kotaku.com.