FAQ: Why do you waste you time on this? It's only a video game!
Now the vast majority of the comments I received were from fans like me that enjoyed the game and like what I was doing. However, just like in any group, there are always a few masochists who read blogs they hate and the write passionately about how much they hate it. Like I said, one person passionately told me I would have been better off talking about feeding pigeons in the park!
Before getting to passionate about this topic, let's get some facts straight about my motivation and Tap Fish in general. Tap Fish is not like, say World of Warcraft, where there are constant action that could go on forever. In Tap Fish, after feeding your fish, you have to wait at least 4 hours before selling them. I other words is not a game you play constantly all day long. Also, unlike Warcraft, there is a definite end to Tap Fish. When you reach level 80 and have the 4000 Great Whites, you are basically finished as far as leveling up goes.
It was because of these two reasons I decided to undertake this challenge. I knew it would take time, but not a lot of time like some pursuits do. Second, I knew the challenge would be over in a finite period of time. Having researched on the Internet and learned that no one had officially attempted making a Tap Fish record, I thought, "Hey! This is an interesting pursuit I can do in a short time and still have some time left over. My own estimate is that I spent an average of 2 to 4 hours playing the game on most days, but probably about 6 hours a day in the last week of my quest.
Now for some people 2 hours a day is still considered to be a colossal waste of time. However, I think this is a stigma that we have unfairly labeled on video games. If you were to ask someone what they did last night, and they answered "I watched the two hour special of American Idol and then Dr. House." you would think nothing of it, but if they said "I spent three hours playing a video game." suddenly they are sad nerds who are wasting time. TV watching or listening to music has become a socially acceptable way to essentially waste free time but gaming is not.
Thoughts about this are not the same everywhere, however. Where I grew up things like video games and comic books where generally regarded as the pastimes of twelve year olds. However, when I went to live in Japan I was shocked to see grown men an women eagerly reading comic books on the train or playing games on their Nintendo DS. The hatred we have towards these activities is simply not part of this culture. They see these activities as a stimulating cultural activity and not a colossal waste of time.
The cultural significance and quality of games are also underrated. We "adults" might rave about some Hollywood movie we see, but truth be told some of the story lines in games like the Final Fantasy series are so beautiful that they make you want to cry. Games, in fact, are even better because the player is actually a participant in the experience and not just a viewer.
In short, I hope we can one day get a society that will remove the stigma placed on those who play video games and admit them as an activity no more sinful as watching television or listening to music. Personally, when I look at all the wonderful people I met during this quest and the doors it has opened for me, I definitely do not feel that I wasted my time.
Thanks everyone and good tapping today! See you later!
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