Pretty jazzed about the video game Animal Crossing: City Folks. I understand that it is directed at kids ages 8-12 but I delight in catching fish and collecting fruits. My house (in the video game) is empty and my avatar has no friends. I’m positive I’m not playing the game the way it is intended to be played but I’ve never been one to follow video game directions. To illustrate my point I’ll talk about my experience with the game The Sims. One is supposed to create a character (or a few) and find them a job so they can make money and improve their house. Your Sim can develop skills. They can become good cooks, play music and work out to become more athletic. You need to make other Sim friends, go to work every day, pay the bills and feed your Sims. Well, let’s just say I took the directions on how to play The Sims as a suggestion rather than must-follow rules.
The way I played the Sims involved a lot of cheating and a lot of decorating. In the Sims expansion pack you can type in ‘rosebud’ and instantly make your Sim 1,000 simolians (dollars). So, I did this until my Sim was a millionaire in order to build a wicked house with amazing furniture. I’d spend hours coordinating wallpaper and carpet. I’d arrange furniture and make guest bedrooms Oprah would want to stay in. After designing the perfect home I would usually kill my Sim. No Joke. My Sim would sometimes drown but most of the time the Sim would burn in the kitchen. I would try to cook in the kitchen but because I didn’t develop cooking skills or install a fire alarm the stove would go up in flames and my Sim with it. My Sim would then become a ghost and haunt anyone who came to visit. After about 30 seconds (give or take) of this I’d demolish my house and start over again. Sounds boring? It wasn’t. It was awesome.
