Only a few more weeks with Shaun White

There are only a few more weeks in the semester, and I have not made much progress with Shuan White's Snowboarding. At the beginning of the semester I was motivated to learn how to play the game. Once I started playing regularly I wanted to improve. As time went on I realized that the only way to improve is to study the game and spend a lot of time playing it.

This week I did not spend a lot of time playing. Instead I set a personal goal to improve on one aspect of the game. When I accomplished my goal, I allowed myself to stop (even though I did not actually advance in the game). I decided that I needed to practice making my feet do exactly what was necessary for specific tricks, so that is what I practiced. Previously I would just move my feet and push buttons on the controller, and I would be happy with whatever tricks I wound up doing. Now I am trying to perfect individual tricks so I know that I can do them. This way I will be able to use these tricks to score points when I need to.

This method has given me a different kind of satisfaction. Although I haven't progressed closer to the end of the game, I now actually have the ability to do certain tricks. I'm not sure which feeling is better, having acquired knowledge, or getting closer to beating the game. I guess real gamers use what they have learned to complete the game.

It is going to take me more than one semester to finish this game, but I am ok with that. I don't know if most video game players would be.