Omnipresence

So, I've been toying with the idea of switching to Linux for a while now.
There are a lot of reasons I think it would be better for me than windows,
but there's been one major point holding me back: my computer is my
entertainment center, and most video games don't run natively on Linux.
High-value games include City of Heroes, Guild Wars, Call of Cthuhlu: Dark
Corners of the Earth, and Elder Scrolls: Oblivion.

I've been disinclined to dual-boot mostly because of the duplication (or
isolation) of data between the OSs, and the need to reboot every time I
switch context from Windows to Linux.

Anyways, I've been hearing for a while now that there are apps for Linux
that let these programs run correctly: I've heard WINE (which stands for
"WINE Is Not an Emulator") thrown around, but I'm not sure if that's the
right thing. Either way, I'm hoping that the good LiveJournal can maybe
help me out with my research and/or (not that I'm specifically looking at
Louis) help me get my system set up.

A major benefit of this set up is that it would make getting a laptop useful
for me: with ssh and an x-server, I'd effectively have access to my desktop
*everywhere*. The more I think about this possibility, the more I like it.

So... anyone out there know anything?