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I had an idea, after watching the XBox advert, you know the one. With the baby flying through the air, growing older, then landing in it's grave as an old man. Know the one? Good.
It's the correlation between life, and buying and playing a game.
Age: 0-5 years old. This is obviously when you're born and when you buy the game. When you're first born, you can't do much, you have to learn the basics. Reading, writing, talking and walking. All the basic that you use so easily later in life all have to be learnt at this age. You're taught by someone else (parents) how to do all these things. You take a while to learn them as it's a whole new conecpt to you.
Same with the game. When you first get it, you're not sure of the controls. You don't know how to jump higher, or corner faster. You learn all the basics of the game, often being shown by an NPC within the game itself. Maybe that little fairy thing Zelda, or that geezer in MGs2. (For Ninty's, this stage includes getting your parents to plug the machine in :-) ).
Age: 5-11 years old. Ok, you've learnt the basics, but you're still not proficient with everything. Spelling can still be a bit off, and you sometimes wet the bed still, but you've pretty much grasped the initial ideas of most things. You have a few tests during this time of life as well. The routine spelling test every friday. Well, I had to do one...
Same with game. You've learnt the basics, you're progressing through the game quite nicely. You still make the odd mistake (wetting the bed), but you don't need many re-tries at each level. You have overcome some tests such as the driving licence things in GT. Progressing well with easy mode.
Age: 11-16. Here's the stage where you learn about things in depth. You do your GCSE's during this time interval. You're also having fun with mates, enjoying yourself, growing into adulthood, learning all the time, taking things in constantly.
Same with game. All the theory is learnt, and you're really into the game. You've worked out to take the corner at maximum speed, or to always score the goal or always get to the platform etc. Game is fun, you've got over all the initial learning that may have slowed you down and frustrated you. Time to have fun!
Age: 16-21. Ok, lots of changes in this time group. Now allowed to have sex, which could be likened with completing the game on medium (er, or something...). Very pleased with yourself, feel very grown up. You get your first hangover, this is the same as finding out how hard HARD really is. You feel crap.
A-levels loom over menacingly, like the final end of game boss. You struggle mightily, and finally work your way through, completing the game, you've done it! Hooray! You feel the same when you get your A-level results. You did it! Major challenge complete! Off to university/off to see what secrets you've unlocked.
Unfortunately, at university you see your mates less as you no longer live at home. You've moved away and make new friends at uni. You see them only every so often. This is the same as the game, you play it less and less, probably just a bit of multiplayer, you get new games to play instead so you play this one only every so often.
25+ You harp on about good university life was, how "school days are the best days of you life." You do the same with games, "Games were much better a few years ago, more original" Yadda yadda - standard Rose Tinted Spectacles stuff.
80+ Well, you're back to where you started. Back to wetting the bed. Back to being spoon fed. (Hey, that rhymed! Only if you said it in time). This is similar to how you would be in the game. You haven't played it for ages, so you're completely rusty and crap. Takes a while to get used to everything again.
You die.
Er, can't really play games when you're dead, can you?
It's the correlation between life, and buying and playing a game.
Age: 0-5 years old. This is obviously when you're born and when you buy the game. When you're first born, you can't do much, you have to learn the basics. Reading, writing, talking and walking. All the basic that you use so easily later in life all have to be learnt at this age. You're taught by someone else (parents) how to do all these things. You take a while to learn them as it's a whole new conecpt to you.
Same with the game. When you first get it, you're not sure of the controls. You don't know how to jump higher, or corner faster. You learn all the basics of the game, often being shown by an NPC within the game itself. Maybe that little fairy thing Zelda, or that geezer in MGs2. (For Ninty's, this stage includes getting your parents to plug the machine in :-) ).
Age: 5-11 years old. Ok, you've learnt the basics, but you're still not proficient with everything. Spelling can still be a bit off, and you sometimes wet the bed still, but you've pretty much grasped the initial ideas of most things. You have a few tests during this time of life as well. The routine spelling test every friday. Well, I had to do one...
Same with game. You've learnt the basics, you're progressing through the game quite nicely. You still make the odd mistake (wetting the bed), but you don't need many re-tries at each level. You have overcome some tests such as the driving licence things in GT. Progressing well with easy mode.
Age: 11-16. Here's the stage where you learn about things in depth. You do your GCSE's during this time interval. You're also having fun with mates, enjoying yourself, growing into adulthood, learning all the time, taking things in constantly.
Same with game. All the theory is learnt, and you're really into the game. You've worked out to take the corner at maximum speed, or to always score the goal or always get to the platform etc. Game is fun, you've got over all the initial learning that may have slowed you down and frustrated you. Time to have fun!
Age: 16-21. Ok, lots of changes in this time group. Now allowed to have sex, which could be likened with completing the game on medium (er, or something...). Very pleased with yourself, feel very grown up. You get your first hangover, this is the same as finding out how hard HARD really is. You feel crap.
A-levels loom over menacingly, like the final end of game boss. You struggle mightily, and finally work your way through, completing the game, you've done it! Hooray! You feel the same when you get your A-level results. You did it! Major challenge complete! Off to university/off to see what secrets you've unlocked.
Unfortunately, at university you see your mates less as you no longer live at home. You've moved away and make new friends at uni. You see them only every so often. This is the same as the game, you play it less and less, probably just a bit of multiplayer, you get new games to play instead so you play this one only every so often.
25+ You harp on about good university life was, how "school days are the best days of you life." You do the same with games, "Games were much better a few years ago, more original" Yadda yadda - standard Rose Tinted Spectacles stuff.
80+ Well, you're back to where you started. Back to wetting the bed. Back to being spoon fed. (Hey, that rhymed! Only if you said it in time). This is similar to how you would be in the game. You haven't played it for ages, so you're completely rusty and crap. Takes a while to get used to everything again.
You die.
Er, can't really play games when you're dead, can you?
Glad you liked it.
It was just something I suddenly thought of last night, and it seemed a little different, so I thought I'd write it up and stick it on here.
It was just something I suddenly thought of last night, and it seemed a little different, so I thought I'd write it up and stick it on here.
Nice post YH. Nice way of looking at it. Almost everything you wrote was true. Beginning can sometimes be a hard stage of gaming. It depends how much it inherits the controls of other games the company has made, and if you've bought any of them.
Also i totally agree with the 80+ part. Once you've finished the game and haven't played ot for some time, you get a lot worse. It can be really irritating sometimes, because one day you are really good and you come back to play it, say 3-4 weeks later and you hardly know what's going on. This is usually because you've been tied up in another game and you are unable to redeem the skill you once had.
Great post again YH.
Also i totally agree with the 80+ part. Once you've finished the game and haven't played ot for some time, you get a lot worse. It can be really irritating sometimes, because one day you are really good and you come back to play it, say 3-4 weeks later and you hardly know what's going on. This is usually because you've been tied up in another game and you are unable to redeem the skill you once had.
Great post again YH.
As is the new Nintendo Marketing slogan.
"Life's a game"
"Life's a game"
Have you seen the latest one with the animals?
Open dictionary.
Look up relative, Dringo.
Close dictionary, taking care not to trap big caveman knuckles in it.
Cool post, YH.
Look up relative, Dringo.
Close dictionary, taking care not to trap big caveman knuckles in it.
Cool post, YH.
You leanr to grasp a game meanwhile in a day it takes 5+ years to grab taht concept.
I had an idea, after watching the XBox advert, you know the one. With the baby flying through the air, growing older, then landing in it's grave as an old man. Know the one? Good.
It's the correlation between life, and buying and playing a game.
Age: 0-5 years old. This is obviously when you're born and when you buy the game. When you're first born, you can't do much, you have to learn the basics. Reading, writing, talking and walking. All the basic that you use so easily later in life all have to be learnt at this age. You're taught by someone else (parents) how to do all these things. You take a while to learn them as it's a whole new conecpt to you.
Same with the game. When you first get it, you're not sure of the controls. You don't know how to jump higher, or corner faster. You learn all the basics of the game, often being shown by an NPC within the game itself. Maybe that little fairy thing Zelda, or that geezer in MGs2. (For Ninty's, this stage includes getting your parents to plug the machine in :-) ).
Age: 5-11 years old. Ok, you've learnt the basics, but you're still not proficient with everything. Spelling can still be a bit off, and you sometimes wet the bed still, but you've pretty much grasped the initial ideas of most things. You have a few tests during this time of life as well. The routine spelling test every friday. Well, I had to do one...
Same with game. You've learnt the basics, you're progressing through the game quite nicely. You still make the odd mistake (wetting the bed), but you don't need many re-tries at each level. You have overcome some tests such as the driving licence things in GT. Progressing well with easy mode.
Age: 11-16. Here's the stage where you learn about things in depth. You do your GCSE's during this time interval. You're also having fun with mates, enjoying yourself, growing into adulthood, learning all the time, taking things in constantly.
Same with game. All the theory is learnt, and you're really into the game. You've worked out to take the corner at maximum speed, or to always score the goal or always get to the platform etc. Game is fun, you've got over all the initial learning that may have slowed you down and frustrated you. Time to have fun!
Age: 16-21. Ok, lots of changes in this time group. Now allowed to have sex, which could be likened with completing the game on medium (er, or something...). Very pleased with yourself, feel very grown up. You get your first hangover, this is the same as finding out how hard HARD really is. You feel crap.
A-levels loom over menacingly, like the final end of game boss. You struggle mightily, and finally work your way through, completing the game, you've done it! Hooray! You feel the same when you get your A-level results. You did it! Major challenge complete! Off to university/off to see what secrets you've unlocked.
Unfortunately, at university you see your mates less as you no longer live at home. You've moved away and make new friends at uni. You see them only every so often. This is the same as the game, you play it less and less, probably just a bit of multiplayer, you get new games to play instead so you play this one only every so often.
25+ You harp on about good university life was, how "school days are the best days of you life." You do the same with games, "Games were much better a few years ago, more original" Yadda yadda - standard Rose Tinted Spectacles stuff.
80+ Well, you're back to where you started. Back to wetting the bed. Back to being spoon fed. (Hey, that rhymed! Only if you said it in time). This is similar to how you would be in the game. You haven't played it for ages, so you're completely rusty and crap. Takes a while to get used to everything again.
You die.
Er, can't really play games when you're dead, can you?
It's the correlation between life, and buying and playing a game.
Age: 0-5 years old. This is obviously when you're born and when you buy the game. When you're first born, you can't do much, you have to learn the basics. Reading, writing, talking and walking. All the basic that you use so easily later in life all have to be learnt at this age. You're taught by someone else (parents) how to do all these things. You take a while to learn them as it's a whole new conecpt to you.
Same with the game. When you first get it, you're not sure of the controls. You don't know how to jump higher, or corner faster. You learn all the basics of the game, often being shown by an NPC within the game itself. Maybe that little fairy thing Zelda, or that geezer in MGs2. (For Ninty's, this stage includes getting your parents to plug the machine in :-) ).
Age: 5-11 years old. Ok, you've learnt the basics, but you're still not proficient with everything. Spelling can still be a bit off, and you sometimes wet the bed still, but you've pretty much grasped the initial ideas of most things. You have a few tests during this time of life as well. The routine spelling test every friday. Well, I had to do one...
Same with game. You've learnt the basics, you're progressing through the game quite nicely. You still make the odd mistake (wetting the bed), but you don't need many re-tries at each level. You have overcome some tests such as the driving licence things in GT. Progressing well with easy mode.
Age: 11-16. Here's the stage where you learn about things in depth. You do your GCSE's during this time interval. You're also having fun with mates, enjoying yourself, growing into adulthood, learning all the time, taking things in constantly.
Same with game. All the theory is learnt, and you're really into the game. You've worked out to take the corner at maximum speed, or to always score the goal or always get to the platform etc. Game is fun, you've got over all the initial learning that may have slowed you down and frustrated you. Time to have fun!
Age: 16-21. Ok, lots of changes in this time group. Now allowed to have sex, which could be likened with completing the game on medium (er, or something...). Very pleased with yourself, feel very grown up. You get your first hangover, this is the same as finding out how hard HARD really is. You feel crap.
A-levels loom over menacingly, like the final end of game boss. You struggle mightily, and finally work your way through, completing the game, you've done it! Hooray! You feel the same when you get your A-level results. You did it! Major challenge complete! Off to university/off to see what secrets you've unlocked.
Unfortunately, at university you see your mates less as you no longer live at home. You've moved away and make new friends at uni. You see them only every so often. This is the same as the game, you play it less and less, probably just a bit of multiplayer, you get new games to play instead so you play this one only every so often.
25+ You harp on about good university life was, how "school days are the best days of you life." You do the same with games, "Games were much better a few years ago, more original" Yadda yadda - standard Rose Tinted Spectacles stuff.
80+ Well, you're back to where you started. Back to wetting the bed. Back to being spoon fed. (Hey, that rhymed! Only if you said it in time). This is similar to how you would be in the game. You haven't played it for ages, so you're completely rusty and crap. Takes a while to get used to everything again.
You die.
Er, can't really play games when you're dead, can you?