Hi everyone, my name is Audra Stafurksy and I am a junior in IST Design and Development. I am not a very intense gamer, however I love programming so anything that involves code has got my attention. One of my favorite genres are simulation games like The Sims and FIFA Soccer. Growing up I used to play the Sims just about all the time. I used to love building all the houses and decorating them perfectly. I cared more about what the house looked like than what the people were actually doing. Every cheat code I used was always for more money so I can expand on the house. The precision when building actually got me interested in architecture/drafting that I took when I was in high school. I really liked the level of involvement and decision making that was in the game.
Another genre I enjoy is adventure games. Two examples would be the Batman computer game and Sherlock Holmes (though I have never played them). An adventure game I used to play when I was young was Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The main reason for buying the game was just my love of the Harry Potter movies. I used to enjoy watching the characters explore Hogwarts as they pleased, and the computer gave me the ability to explore the castle as Harry himself (although I would’ve preferred to be Hermione). My favorite parts of the game were the ability to find trap doors, cast spells on random objects, partake in a game of Quidditch, and sometimes just troll random students wandering the halls. Being able to do the same things you see in the movie made it feel like you were part of the movie and writing your own story.
Lastly, I love competitive racing games like Gran Turismo and the old dirt bike racing game I used to play with my brother when I was about 10 years of age. My favorite racing game currently is Mario Kart for the Wii. I like how the hardware elements (the remote inside a steering wheel) are involved in the game-play. The element I like in that game is how real it feels. For instance, if you are driving on the beach, the ocean water might creep up on you and drag you in. Of course some of it is exaggerated, like slipping on a banana peel, but for the most part a lot of the environments feel like the would in real life. As another example, the tracks on icy roads feel more slippery than the ones on pavement. It was mentioned in class on Monday that we have the tendency to drive faster after playing those games and I can definitely attest to that. I also love the intensity of the game when many people are playing at once. It is one of the most competitive games for a group of people that I have experienced.