Part of the deal when we bought my son an XBox 360 was that he get the Rockstar Games Table Tennis Video Game, widely reviewed as a masterpiece of realism.   I’m a regular competitive Table Tennis player and fan and I’m really impressed by how realistic the game is in terms of *watching* the play.  However, since you use controllers rather than paddles much of the play is counterintuitive (e.g. you don’t do anything to hit the ball, rather the controller adjusts for your location, ball placement, and spin.)

I’m glad people will gain more respect for quality Table Tennis, though I doubt much of the viewed skill will transfer to the real game.

My son simply crushes me at the video game.

Ironically this game is made by the same folks who brought the controversial Grand Theft Auto (“GTA”) series of games so wrought with violence and cruelty that they were banned in Australia and have become a poster boy game company for the anti-video game lobby.

No, you can’t shoot or rob your virtual table tennis opponent, though maybe that’ll come in the next version…