Assignment 5: Everyday Algorithms

Scenario:
You have 50 dollars and you take a trip to your local video game store only to discover that there are two great titles that catch your eye. Having no previous knowledge of either title, you grab one and proceed to pay for the game. You rush home, tear thru the plastic cover and pop the game in you system. After about an hour, you get bored sick. You wish you have purchased the other game, but you don’t have any more money. What if you had known beforehand which game wasn’t going to be a disappointment?

The steps to buying a video game that won’t disappoint:

• Select a few game titles that interest you.
• Go to video game websites, like GameSpot, or read video game magazines to view the latest info on the titles.
• If possible, try playing previous titles of the game series so that you can get a feel for what the game is like, e.g. if you are interested in Metal Gear Solid 3, play Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2.
• On the release day, check for reviews of you titles. Read through them thoroughly to see the pros and cons of each game on your list.
• Select which game rates higher, as that is the game that usually is better.
• If both games rate about the same, choose which one interests you the most personally, e.g. if you like fighting games, buy Tekken over NBA Live.
• If the game you choose rates under a 7.5, consider renting the game first before spending 50 dollars on something that may not be good.

The steps listed above tend to work because of society’s rating system as to what a good game is. Websites tend to give more coverage to more popular games, thus making them seem more appealing. However, since several of today’s games have games in a series that preceded them, playing those games tend to help one decide if a game is right for them or not. Afterwards, reviews give a general rating of how good the game actually is. Ratings between 8.0 and 10.0 tend to be the better games, whereas a rating below a 7.5 may or may not be good, depending on the gamer. Therefore, renting games can help decide because it gives a person time to get a feel for the game and analyze it for themselves, versus missing out of a potentially great game, or buying a game that isn’t worth the money. In general, these rules tend to work because they give gamers time to thoroughly analyze a game based on credited sources, and even their own interaction when applicable.