Real news from the virtual world: —AT LONG LAST, 'SPORE': When "The Sims" creator Will Wright announced "Spore" back in 2005, every gamer in the world had the same reaction: "I can't wait to get my hands on that."

How will you survive the inevitable zombie apocalypse? After 40 years of zombie movies, from ''Night of the Living Dead'' to ''28 Days Later,'' your first line of defense should be clear: Don't get infected. Then run.

News from the virtual world: -SECOND GEAR: The one big announcement at this year's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco came as a surprise to absolutely no one: Epic Games is working on ''Gears of War 2,'' the sequel to its 2006 smash. Lead designer Cliff Bleszinski promised it will be ''bigger, better and more bad-ass'' when it comes to the Xbox 360 in November.

Did you know the original protagonist in Tomb Raider was supposed to be a guy? Much to many a pubescent gamer's delight, Lara Croft ended up taking over and a franchise was born. Flash forward a decade or so and meet Nate Drake, a pistol wielding treasure hunter and star of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune for the Playstation 3.

News from the virtual world: -LIVE WITHOUT A NET: Since its launch, Microsoft's Xbox Live has redefined console gaming. Whether I'm playing ''Halo 3,'' ''Madden NFL'' or ''Catan,'' or downloading pictures, game demos or ''Looney Tunes'' shorts, I spend far more time on Xbox Live than on the competing online services from Nintendo and Sony.

As a grizzled virtual combat veteran, I've fought through most of history's greatest conflicts, from the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage to the battle against the Locust Horde on the planet Sera. And as I've slogged my way across miles of ravaged landscapes, slaughtering thousands of Nazis, orcs and aliens, I've dreamed of one thing: flight.

Nintendo's impressive comeback over the last couple of years has been driven largely by ''casual'' software - the sort of games anyone of any age can quickly learn to play.

People have been playing board games for thousands of years, while video games have only been around for a few decades. So it makes sense that designers of video games would copy their ancestors. Just about any board game you can name - from chess to Trivial Pursuit - has probably been translated into an electronic version.

A healthy gaming diet requires balance. After a few hours of chain-sawing aliens in "Gears of War," it's good to kick back and play with your Nintendogs for a while. Once you've released your aggressions, why not get in touch with your nurturing side?

News from the virtual world: -LEAP INTO THE VOID: In May, video gamers usually turn their attention toward Los Angeles, site of the industry's biggest annual trade show. But this year, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) has been downsized and moved to July - and those of us who have gotten used to a pre-Memorial Day trip to California are left twiddling our thumbs.