Droughts in the gaming industry are the worst. They make you question why you spent upwards of $500 on a piece of hardware just to watch it sit on a shelf and collect dust. And sadly, we're in one right now. Even our July Gaming Guide suffered--only offering up five titles worth checking out in the entire month. But take comfort in the fact that you're not alone. You share this burden with every other gamer on the planet. That's why we've compiled a list of things to do to get your mind off gaming during these dark times.

Revisit Older/ Classic Games

This seems like the most obvious choice for gamers in a time of need. There is no gamer on the planet with the time to play every video game release. Even us here at Crave, who specialize in playing video games miss out on titles from time to time. It's just the way of the beast, some games just fall through the cracks. That's where the one beautiful aspect of a gaming drought comes in. It gives you the time to play catch-up. Whether it's an Xbox Live Arcade title you were interested in giving a shot, or a blockbuster release that just hit shelves during a time when you had far too much stacked up already or had no money to shell out, now is the time.

Get yourself to a local shop, Gamestop, or Best Buy and just peruse the aisles, looking for anything that catches your eye.

Play a Sport

We know, we know. Blasphemy. What self righteous video game player wants to get out and participate in physical activity? However, consider the perks. 1) It can actually get you in shape. 2) Sports can be fun. And most importantly, 3) you could meet someone of the opposite sex. And to think you wouldn't even have to trade-off video gaming to make this possible is a nice added bonus as gaming is already dead to you at this particular moment. And until a game hits shelves that has you slamming down your hard earned money on the counter, you can work out to achieve that perfect Zack Efron body...

In fact, let us be the first to suggest picking up golf or tennis as both of those are in season right now, and don't require much socializing skills to enjoy. Also, ladies love plaid pants, knee high socks, and headbands.

Catch Up On TV

On a personal note, this is what I find myself doing the most when I'm at a lose for video gaming. I find a TV show that has wrapped, buy the complete series box set, and plop myself down in front of the television, press play, and just go until the show is over or I'm dead. Luckily the latter hasn't happened yet. What is also great about this option is that there are plenty of grade A television shows to watch, and if you're like me, you missed most of them when they aired. So in a way, this kind of fits in line with catching up with old/classic video games. But with TV you don't even have to pick up a controller. It's laziness to the maximum. And we know that's music to your ears.

And if you don't know where to start, may we suggest The Wire, Arrested Development, Freaks & Geeks, The Shield, Battlestar Galactica, Sports Night, The Office (British), and Dexter. All quality television, and all finished outside of Dexter, whose currently getting ready to air its fourth season.

Kill Oneself

Last ditch scenario. Only for the incredibly bored. While we don't condone this, desperate times do call for desperate measures. And these are definitely desperate times. However, please factor in that eventually good games will start to rain down on us, as if the gods have finally opened the flood gates and deemed us worthy to play in their sandboxes. And when that happens, after your whole "suicide thing" blows over, you're going to be incredibly pissed.