another other way

if i had it any other way, its possible that i would change sly to a wii game.

I have only had gaming experience with GameBoy, GameBoy color, original nintendo, n64, playstation 2 and wii. I personally have owned all of the above except for a wii. i think that wii's are SOOOO COOOLLLL!!! and have been fortunate enough to play with my friend's wiis. They make the game a whole lot more interactive and intern personally motivates me to play more. I think that with having a handheld device other than the standard game controller(ie. the one for ps2 or nintendo) change up the vibe of the game. playing a racecar/taxi/driving game with an actually mock steering wheel makes it wayyyy more exiting and motivating! you can delve yourself deeper into the feelings and virtuality of the game. I feel like if i were able to hold a sword like object as the controller i might find the game more fun. or maybe even putting on two paws so i could act out the motions that sly uses to fight out people. or maybe even shoes so that i could run in place or have a track mat like DDR(dance dance revolution) so i could steer him in certain directions.

i feel like im constantly thinking of ways to make sly more fun than just accepting it for as is, maybe this game is a straightforward to the books game.

Game play around me

i found that different things happen when people are around me during game play. i think that it is somewhat easier to play when i am with a person who knows the game, this is obvious for many reasons. they already know where to go and what to do and how to do it, EFFICIENTLY. When i'm alone or with unexperienced players, theres a completely different comfort level with the game. I am the one who has to figure out where to go, what to do, and how to do it. If i'm in the adventurous mood playing the game always seems a bit easier. i hate it when my friends try to tell me to go one way, and then it turns out to be wrong, and i have to start all over again.

Cheaters

With the topic of cheating on mind for this week, I thought why not see if i could find codes for playing sly3! before this week i have made a conscious effort to stay away from searching for cheats and codes to make my play time go more quickly or easily. I thought since I would be playing this game for the entire semester than i would want to extend my playing. Google came up with over a hundred websites when i searched for cheating codes for sly 3! i can't believe it! here are some of them... Codes: Restart at Day 1, Episode 1	Press Left, R2, Right, L1, R2, L1.
Restart at Day 1, Episode 2	Press Right, L2, Left, Up, Right, Down.
Restart at Day 1, Episode 3	Press R2, R1, L1, Left, L1, Down.
Restart at Day 1, Episode 4	Press Left, Right, L1, R2, Right, R2.
Restart at Day 1, Episode 5	Press Left, R2, Right, Up, L1, R2.
Restart at Day 2, Episode 1	Press Down, L2, Up, Left, R2, L2.
Restart at Day 2, Episode 2	Press Down, Up, R1, Up, R2, L2.
Restart at Day 2, Episode 3	Press L2, R1, R2, L2, L1, Up.
Restart at Day 2, Episode 4	Press L1, Left, L2, Left, Up, L1.
Restart at Day 2, Episode 5	Press R2, R1, L1, R1, R2, R1.
Restart at Laptop Retrieval	Press L2, Left, R1, L2, L1, Down.
Restart at Op Moon Crash	Press L2, Up, Left, L1, L2, L1.
Restart at Op Reverse Double-Cross	Press Right, Left, Up, Left, R2, Left.
Restart at Op Tar-Be-Gone	Press Down, L2, R1, L2, R1, Right.
Restart at Op Turbo Dominant Eagle	Press Down, Right, Left, L2, R1, Right.
Restart at Op Wedding Crasher	Press L2, R2, Right, Down, L1, R2.
Faster play i also found a bunch of hints for the game at "http://www.gamewinners.com/playstation2/Sly3HonorAmongThieves.htm" i haven't a chance yet to test out these codes and hints but when during my next game play i am going to check it out. I'm a little bit skeptical that they will not work, but at this point i guess ill just do it.	Pause the game play and enter Right, Up, R1, Right, Up, Down

Location, Location, Location

Its all about the location, the mind set your playing in and the people (or lack there of) that you surround yourself with while playing a video game. If you were to be in a sour mood, the video game could turn that around! Other people believe that video games can suck a person into a virtual world that they get lost in, where time does not matter, leading that person to potentially fall into isolation. I for one, have been experimenting with the different contexts in which I could play my video game. In line at the bar, I talk to my friends about my video game. some are more interested than others.... but for the ones who I have found that are interested in playing sly 3 with me, i immediately take them up on their offer! In the beginning of my play, I would work alone in my work trying to accomplish as many tasks and learn as many skills as I could. My friends and roommates would walk in and out of my room, becoming more destructive to my game play than helpful. They would block my vision and make poor sly fall into the water. A few would try and steal my controller and play for me, but i told them it was my homework not theirs! Some became very envious. As the semester has progressed, I have found that its more fun to travel around with my PS2 and the Sly gang. I find that its more motivating if you have a friend either playing along side with you or just keeping you company while you play. I love to play with other friends who have played the game in the past!! they help me out by giving me hints in what direction i should head next, something that has begun to seriously frustrate me when i cannot figure it out (since im a nubby). My friend N claims that he can beat the WHOLE game within one weekend... I think that im going to let him borrow it just to see if he really could. He also offered to play with me, which i might take him up on as well. I've played in basements, houses, sororities, frats, and this weekend i'm bringing my game play to New Jersey! I am here for a family event, and am hoping to get my cousins in on the game! I have also been talking to my dad, who is quite the techie, about setting up a projection screen outside for me to play SLY!!! i think that this would REALLY REALLY get me amped about playing, so that for now is my light at the end of the tunnel.

sorry for not posting, its coming soon!

the game

As I was sitting at home this weekend, there became a lot of talk about how maryland did so well creaming george tech in the last second. i began to think about how excited i was for the upcoming march madness tournament. i thought about how much i love basketball and the thrilling and upbeat pace of the game. i played NBA Live 2010 to take care of my desire to feel the basketball environment. i LOVE this game. its soooo realistic, i feel like i am IN the game. EA sports is the maker of this game. there is a play by play audio of commentators during your game play. they are either encouraging you and commenting on your play or making fun of you for doing bad. there is even a half time report!! i did a little research and found that NBA live 10 includes "a couple hundred signature sound effects and new animations." i think this is so cool!! there has been so many versions of this game and they are still finding ways to update it and keep gammers wanting to play the sports franchise. i'm really interested in playing this game, and potentially for the rest of the semester.

we shall see

I think that the game could do a few things to help me remember all of the skills that you have learned throughout the different levels. I think that there should be a scroll on the top of the screen stating what you need to do to complete the task. Even though there is the purple sparkles on the ground indicating what way to head through the little community, the game does not indicate if you should go left or right or are actually going the correct way. For instance, if I were to begin following the purple sparkles, and then it leads me to edge around the circle tower, then I have no where to go except around and around and around. I wish that the voices of the game could be a little bit more motivating, like encourage you " yay you're going the right way!" or "whaaawhooo! keep up the good work" or something along those lines. I think that it would be really cool if it was possible for the skills review to be tied into the music. Maybe the words in the songs could be clues to the game! I think my current boredom with the game is because I no longer have a desire to defeat doctor m and save the cooper vault. I'm not being driven to want to accomplish more jobs. I think this is also because i'm still a little bit confused on what I am suppose to be doing for each of the missions and my "gang" is not speaking to me in a motivational tone. My gang has grown significantly since the first time I have played, which is fun. I do enjoy expanding my gang because it actually makes me feel like I am making progress in the game. I am going to continue playing my game and see where things go, I have high hopes for my next round of play. I'm going to start with a different attitude :)

Educational Engagement

Another Friday afternoon spent playing Sly 3. I am starting to get bored with this game. I feel like the different jobs are not becoming more challenging. They are just frustrating to me because I cannot remember all of the skills that I have learned throughout the different levels. Again the music is the only thing motivating me to continue play. I think the music draws me in so much because its the only part of the game I am interested in besides the graphics. The fast up beat nature of the music intrigues me to continue exploring throughout the little community. The slow creepier music of slow beats is also keeping my attention on the game because I am waiting for it to speed up again. When the music speeds up I know that I (Sly) am heading in the right direction. The music in other games that I have played also play a large role for me personally. One of my favorite games Mario Kart has some UNREAL music. Each of the different race courses has a different tone and type of music. I think one of the most important aspects of Mario Kart is the music because it blurs out the background and places full concentration on the course and just making it that one extra lap. The difference is that there are specific noises in Mario Kart that signify when you are doing amazing, or when you have a speed up. This is encouraging.

Collins and Halverson stated in their book Rethinking Education in the Age of Technologythat “people around the world are taking their education out of schools into homes, libraries, internet café’s and workplaces where they can decide what they want to learn, when they want to learn and how they want to learn.” Videogames are allowing this new knowledge revolution be able to take place. There have been many videogames created over the past decade that are intending for the learning of different skills. Many children are learning how to add,subtract,multiply and divide from computer games. Some are even mastering different skills and knowledge about different topics before they are even able to speak. Children born in this new technology dependent era are gaining an immense amount of information via digital games. Adults too are taking advantage of these resources. You can even learn an entire new language from a CD ROM inserted into your computer! This fascinates me that people have 1. invented educational programs that are easy to use and accessible and 2. these programs really work! Engaging in learning has taken on a whole new genre with the help of the digital world.

Epic Evening.

During my last play, I felt frustrated because it was not clearly stated what my job at hand was. I was forced to adventure around the little communities. With using the controller you are able to look at different angles/shits of the surrounding area. I feel like I would have a better grip on the game if there were a bird’ eye view of the entire little community that Sly (I) was in.

The game relies heavily on listening and following the instructions of Bentley and crew. They are giving instructions on how to complete the next job. It is really hard to listen to what they say because if you don’t catch it the first time that they give directions you have to hope that they will repeat them. Sometimes the clues are presented as subtitles, but when they are not my frustration begins to stir up again.

I was able to stay motivated during the game because I really wanted to feel as sense of accomplishment and progress with sly. I completed three jobs at this time. I was also driven to continue playing because I wanted to figure out what it was that I was doing. The music as I had mentioned in one of my last posts, definitely was a big factor in keeping my attention on the game. It was constantly changing with every move I made. It would become more upbeat when I was running or would slow down when I would stay still. This is seen as a form of intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation comes from rewards inherent to a task or activity itself - the enjoyment of a puzzle or the love of playing.

Also in the game I notice that they have been testing Sly (me) periodically throughout the jobs. They would test me to see if I would remember how to demonstrate certain skills. Some of the skills include jumping, double jumping, walking on wires, cutting/punching objects and shuffling on a ledge.

Within the first few moments of the game, I was first taught the basic skills of jumping and walking on wires. I have had to keep in mind the different buttons that need to be pressed either together or on their own to do a skill.

In the Gee Book, he mentions the transfer principle. This is when learners are given ample opportunity to practice, and support for, transferring what they have learned earlier to later problems, including problems that require adapting and transforming that earlier learning. I found that this is relating to what I am doing in the game. There were many different canals in the little community that I had to cross by walking on wires. I had to make sure that I jumped by pressing the x button and then hold down the circle in order to walk across the wire successfully.

I began my search of games by browsing through the online Computer & Video Games Archive of The University of Michigan. With an overwhelming list of video games, I had to narrow down my search. I wanted to select a game that had an adventurous story line and would hold my interest throughout the semester but would not be excessively violent. I turned to one of my best friends from summer camp, Taylor Wayne, whom I consider a video game enthusiast for help. With knowledge of my requirements, personality and passion for adventures Taylor advised me to research a short list of games for each system. The video game that I have chosen to play this semester is called Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves.

“The game begins with Sly and an undisclosed band of thieves infiltrating Kaine Island, a safeguarded land mass owned by the mysterious Dr. M. The island is the home to the legendary Cooper Vault, where the Coopers over countless generations have hidden their fortunes pilfered in their lives of crime. According to family legend, only a "true Cooper" can open the Vault, though M has been trying for years to crack the Vault, with no success. After sneaking onto the Island and opening the Vault, the plan goes awry when Dr. M confronts Sly, attacking him while controlling a large, mutated monster. The events leading up to the heist are revealed as Sly's life flashes before his eyes.” Wikipedia

Sly 3:Honor Among Thieves is all about working together as a team to accomplish a common goal. With an anticipated release, Sly 3 was made available in stores in late September of 2005. Sly, a raccoon thieve, is the main character. My first time playing I was immediately enthralled with the graphics and music. I am literally freaking out when I look at the screen; the graphics are incredible. I cannot believe that someone was capable of drawing the characters and sly community. Although my roommates were not so happy, I kept the sound on full blast while playing. It keeps me motivated to play the game for a long period of time. The music changes as you move through different parts of the game. When finally reaching the top of the mound-like structure, the music speeds up and becomes more intense. I’m frantically trying to sneak around the edges of the mound in order to not get shot at. All of my attention is focused on the game and away from surrounding distractions. I fall down, I die. I GOT ANOTHER CHANCE!! I try again, and this time I am able to avoid getting hit and make it out safety.

Gee’s design principle states “ learning about and coming to appreciate design and design principles is core to the learning experience.” I have noted that the design and set up of the game is absolutely amazing. The story line of sly’s life and the animations involved make it so you do not have think about how the game was put together. The graphics as I stated before really put your mind at ease and let you believe that this virtual world could be real.

Two more of gee’s principles : multiple routes principle and situated meaning principle are seen in the game. The multiple routes principle is that there are multiple ways to make progress or move ahead. This allows learning how to make choices, rely on their own strengths and styles of learning and problem solving, while also exploring alternative styles. The situated meaning principle states that the meanings of signs (words, actions, objects, artifacts, symbols, texts, etc) are situated in embodied experience. There are clues in the game, such as the glowing light purple color on the ground. I didn’t know at first what this meant, but I slowly realized that this was a clue. The glowing ground meant that I was going the correct way. I have found that there are multiple ways that I can control sly to get to the top. He does not need to take the same path every time. i found this frustrating at first because I like things that are more straight forward, but I am finally getting the hang of it. We’ll see where I end up next time!

Let the games begin

After researching endless video games, I finally found the one I want to play! Sly 3: Honor among thieves! Luckily it was approved :)