One of the things that keeps getting more interesting as the recession rolls through is the entertainment industry. It seems as if nobody these days wants to see a movie that has any grounding in reality, or one that has a dark, depressing story. When Paul Blart: Mall Cop is the top-selling DVD in its release span, and serious movies sprawl out into debates on being “misunderstood,” you have to question where our heads are.

And quite simply, they’re on escapism—anything to take you away from your problems, and nothing to remind you of them. The sheer amount of escapism on television screens is a wake-up call to anyone making a heart-tugging down-on-your-luck story. Popcorn sales are up, at-home family dining is at a high, and the closeness that the recession has brought us makes for no better time to sit down and watch a good movie.

However, there’s an equally interesting escapism movement that’s starting to trump the film industry when it comes to at-home entertainment. Video games are becoming the product of choice, having longer holding time; a heavy replay factor, and, generally, they entertain for more than 2 hours. More and more video-game companies are creating cinematic-heavy, story-rich games that exceed playtimes of 60–80 hours. And when you’re trying to get away from the real world for a while, $50 isn’t that bad for so much entertainment on a first play-through.