The Escapist - Loading Times

Shamus Young takes an amusing look at Loading Times in games over at The Escapist, using The Witcher as his prime example. Here's the introductory paragraph:

Loading screens. Satan's immersion-breaking intermissions. Long enough to break the flow of gameplay, short enough that you can't just fire up the DS and play something else. It's a slice of time you're obliged to throw away, the gaming equivalent of sitting in traffic. You can't leave the computer but there's nothing to do. You sit slack-jawed and stare at the screen in anticipation of the computer getting back to the entertainment. 

 He actually makes a few very good points.