Saturday, February 4, 2012

Video games with real-live outcomes

I'm sure you all remember, and may have played, a cheesy video game called Frogger (see the date in the left-hand lower corner of the game cover below).
As you'll recall, the object was to get your little frog thingy across increasingly frantic traffic streams, timing your jumps in to gaps in the various lanes to get across; the penalty for messing up was that your little frog thingy became flattened fauna, and your score wasn't so hot.  Note that various obstacles came hurtling down the lanes, like logs, bug-looking things, etc.
Well, in Bogotá, they've taken it one step further.  Here, you play it with real cars. 
And instead of logs and bugs, the random things are motorcycles, school buses and cement trucks.  And if you miss, you become flattened fauna, and your score doesn't really count for much.
So, screwing up your courage, making sure your shoelaces are tied, and waiting for a tiny gap, you run like crazy, ignoring the honking horns, which would have been honking anyway.
Wow!  Paula scored 750 points on that one, as the guy in the motorcycle she didn't see almost clipped her heel!  What good fun in Bogotá!!
And by the way, jay-walking is a concept that hasn't made it this far south.
We hope all your video games are as thrilling.
Dave & Paula

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