Sunday, March 04, 2007

Too Fast For Me! - a post by Rebecca

First, please let me make this clear - I not a gamer! Neither is my boyfriend...so when he told me that he had just purchased a PSP for himself, I was slightly confused....we love music, movies, books, cars...but video games? Hmm...but hey, at least I can blog about it! Video games have certainly become something far more intricate than when I was a kid! I haven't really played a video game since my super nintendo days, and even back then, it was the generic mario brothers games. That game only required one or two buttons - this one has about ten!!! With that in mind, you might be able to appreciate my surprise (and slight frustration) when I attempted
to play "Need for Speed" on Ryan's PSP.

The concept for the game is fairly simply - similar to most racing games. The player gets to pick their car from the models available and then race others at different degress of difficulty. The player gets to collect points throughout the race for their performance level, their ability to outrun the cops, and the respect they earn as they drive. These points are accumulated to unlock new levels, new cars and new car parts that the player can then use. The driver can use the different car parts to do up their own cars very much like a real high performance car - the details that the writers of this game included are simply incredible!

After being able to watch Ryan play his new game for well over an hour (and yes, I did chuckle a few times at his own intensity), I was finally given a turn! My light-hearted laughter quickly disappeared as I struggled to control the car. Ryan set me on the easiest course in the game but my poor car still took quite the beating! The cops didn't even bother with me for the first half hour or so because I wasn't able to drive fast enough to catch their attention! To be honest, I really have no idea how long I played that game...perhaps two hours or so? By the time I did stop, my back, neck,shoulders and fingers were aching from playing for so long. I did manage to learn how to outrun the cops and even came in first place at the end of the
race! I know it was the easiest level but so what? Ha ha! I haven't touched the PSP since that night, but I do understand how these games become so addicting. They completely suck you in and make you lose all sense of time!

As for me though...I think I'll stick with slot cars...

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

It is so true how video games can suck you in. I wonder why though. Is it because when we are playing them we are in a fantasy world. I world that we could never experience. Or is it just the fact that we can turn our brains away from the world and onto a simple game, where the goals are laid out before us. I dont know the answers to these things. However I do know that I have been sucked into a video a couple times before, and am not the only in my family or group of friends to do so. I wonder if the creators of these games do that on purpose just to make us wanta play more and more and more, to buy there next game with better graphics or game play. I dont know these answers but I dont plan on giving up video games, so I guess I will continue to be a sucked in player

8:27 p.m., March 07, 2007  
Blogger Unknown said...

Perhaps a little less caffeine will take away those aches. I play for a long time per session and don't really get those aches. Though I suppose for a new gamer playing a handheld it could be new to your motor skills.

I did enjoy the honesty of, well in your own words 'sucking'. I have witnessed many people that 'suck' and in their frustration and to my disappoint throw the control and leave it be. Saying you dislike video games and not trying them is one thing, trying them and coming to a conclusion is another thing.

4:41 p.m., March 08, 2007  

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