Not much has changed since I last wrote about playing Fitness Dash. I have successfully moved on to the third level but I find myself getting slightly bored with the game. I think it is the genre of game that I find boring. It's a Dash/Time Management game. I find that the only way to move to higher levels is to move quicker. I often find myself thinking, 'If this is the speed needed for a 3.1 level, how much faster do I need to move to beat the 4.9 level?' Obviously I'm sure that game design considers how fast a human is capable of moving their fingers.
Feeling frustrated and slow, I decided to see what other gamers suggested. I found a forum on PlayFirst, the website where I purchased the game, that had a few tips that have been helping. For example, one gamer recommended that before you put gym members on machines you should put them on the stretching mat and do the same after the workout. I thought this would make the members' workout longer and upset them (upset members can steam off and leave the gym causing major point deduction) but I found that they are happier and therefore you earn more points. I also learned from another gamer not to forget to give members bottles of water, even if they don't ask for it. It keeps them hydrated and you earn more points. Even though I have been slightly bored and sometimes frustrated with Fitness Dash, I still find myself excited to sit on the couch after a long day of work and play for a little bit. My attention span usually maxes out around 30min, so it's a nice quick break from the everyday world. And of course the appeal to be successful at something always draws me back in.
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When you read about the suggestions from the gamers did you say, "Why didn't I think of that?" I find that there are so many aspects of a game that do not even cross my mind. I'm glad that you have continued to work at the game, but since at times you find it boring, do you think you would continue with it if you did not have to do so for this class?
ReplyDeleteRading forums is exactly the kind of literacies our students engage in around games -- students who don't like to read will spend hours looking up cheats, codes, and information and quite a bit of the information can be pretty sophisticated, depending on the level of the game. There's also gamer magazines that can be incorporated into the classroom as reading materials that will build on student interest. Nice connection.
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