Five gaming trends that emerged in 2008

Globe and Mail game columnist writes: "The human brain is built to recognize patterns, and my game-addled mind was busy doing just that over the last 12 months as it processed nearly 200 games and tried to connect dots of similarity between them. I noted, for example, that I found myself going up against Godzilla-sized villains more than ever before. Towering enemies wrought havoc in just about every first- and third-person shooter I plugged in. I also observed that developers seemed to be working overtime to come up with imaginative ways to keep us in the game and away from menus, game over screens, and other spell-breaking game elements. But now I'm starting to give my list away without forcing you to read further. Without further ado, here are five game trends that I picked up on in 2008..."