FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Swordfish?

Swordfish is a location-based fishing game. You use your mobile phone to find virtual fish and go fishing. 

Why is this different from other mobile phone games? 

Swordfish uses Assisted Global Positioning Systems (A-GPS), the latest in mobile location technology.  With this game you have to move around to play. For example, you may have to move 70 meters west or 40 meters south to find and catch a fish.

How do I play?

To start, you need an Audiovox 8450 or 8455, a Samsung SPH-A600 or Sanyo 8100 phone provisioned on the Bell Mobility network and is subscribed to data services.  Swordfish may be available for more models as time goes on. The game can be downloaded from the Bell Mobility online network. At this time there is no cost to download the software.

What do I need to do?

Visit Bell Mobility's website www.bell.ca  to set-up the Swordfish game for download in your phone account or go directly to the Games download site on your phone's web-browser.  Select the Swordfish game and download it to your phone.  Once the download process is complete, simply start the game and follow the instructions.  It's that easy.  If you own a Samsung SPH-A600 phone, there is a simple registration process that you must follow for us to position you relative to the schools of swordfish.  Your privacy is important to us.  Please refer to www.blisterent.com to view our privacy policy or contact us at info@blisterent.com if you have any questions or concerns.

 Where can I play?

 Log into www.bell.ca/finderservices to check for coverage in your area.

 What is GPS? A-GPS?

GPS stands for Global Positioning Systems.  GPS was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense to allow the military to accurately determine their precise location anywhere in the world. GPS uses a constellation of 24 satellites positioned in orbit to allow someone who has the proper equipment to determine their precise location. 

A-GPS is a variant of GPS. It uses the satellite signals combined with network-based timing information to determine your location.  By using the network assist, your location can be determined in situations that regular GPS receivers might not always work such as dense urban areas, inside buildings and in moving cars.  As well, A-GSPS receivers typically use much less power than conventional GPS receivers as the location computation and timing corrections are performed in the network by the location based server, not on the phone.

Are these real fish?

Well no……. It's a game. The fish are virtual but loaded with artificial intelligence – so they're smart.

Where do I find the high scores?

Your personal high scores statistics are available directly on your phone.  High scores stats, including yours, are available on our server and can be viewed either on your phone or by visiting our website at www.blisterent.com/swordfish/highScores

What is that circle in my scanner?

The circle in your scanner is the area where fish are close enough for you to catch.  The circle is approximately a 50 meter radius.

How do I get where the big fish are?

Schools of big fish are shown as larger orange dots.  In the example above, you would head about 70 meters SE to get in range of the closest school of big fish.

When I am in range of the schools of big fish, how many fish can I try to catch?

3 (Three)

I have hooked a fish but cannot bring it in. What do I do?

The goal of fishing is to bring the fish to you. Therefore you must bring the fish to 0 feet without breaking the line or letting the fish escape.  When you have hooked a fish, the phone will vibrate and you will see a tension bar on the lower left hand side of the screen. If the red on the tension is getting too high, you may snap the line. To correct this you must let more line out to reduce the tension by pressing the down arrow on your phone. If the red is getting too low, the fish could escape. In this case bring the fishing line in by pressing the up arrow to increase the tension on the line.

The big fish are hard to bring in. What do I do?

Practice is required to bring in the big fish. A really big fish can take up to 5 minutes to land. We suggest that you find schools of small fish to start and practice bringing those in before you move to the schools of larger fish. Fish over 800 lbs are very difficult to bring in, but not impossible.

Do I have to move to get to the fish?

If your scanner tells you that there are no fish in range, then you must move to the location of a school of fish to be able to catch one. And yes, that means walking, running or however you want to go to where the fish are.

I am trying to catch a fish. The guy is fishing but I am not catching anything.  What do I do?

Like real fishing you have to drop your lure into the water. Every time you press the down arrow key you will drop the lure down 5 feet. Every time you press the up arrow you bring the lure up 5 feet. Like real fishing, the fish may not bite right away. It could take up to 30 seconds before a fish bites. Be careful though, a fish could bite right away. Swordfish generally swim a bit deeper so there may be more fish down around 40 to 80 feet than at 5 feet.

I have caught a BIG swordfish. How do I post my score?

Each time you catch a fish that is within your personal top six biggest fish, simply say “YES” when prompted to post your score - then follow the instructions on the phone. Your score will automatically be posted once you add your initials.  All fish scores are automatically posted to the server after each session or when you quit the game whether you store them on the phone or not.

I am trying to fish but I get a message “Satellites not in view”.  What do I do?

Large buildings to the south of you may affect your satellite reception. As well, if you are in a shielded area such as in a basement, elevator, subway or tunnel, you may be affected. The game will play best in areas where the south sky is visible to you. If you get this message, you will not be charged for the scan(s) that failed and will be able to play an offline version of Swordfish.

You must also ensure that the A-GPS function is turned “ON” on your phone for the game to work. To do so you must go the phone setting menu, and set location “ON”.

I received a network error. What do I do?

Swordfish is a network game. If the network is down, you cannot play until the Bell Mobility network is up.

I am not in a coverage area of where the game is can be played. What can I do?

This game can only be played in the area where Bell Mobility has A-GPS coverage.  Please refer to www.bell.ca/finderservices  to check if you are in a coverage area.

What is an offline game?

When location information is unavailable, due to low satellite coverage or if you're out of the Bell coverage area, you have the option of playing offline. This means you can catch a fish but the high score feature will not be enabled.
 

Why aren't the fish that I catch in offline mode recorded in high scores?

To be fair to all players, you must find the fish, move to them and catch them. Offline mode is merely a chance to practice fishing if you cannot be located.
 

I have the same high score as another player.  Why is their high score
rated above mine?

 Your ranking is rated by the size of fish that you caught.  In the case of a tie, the leader is the one who caught the fish in quicker than the other player.

 How do I turn the sound “ON” or “OFF”? Vibration “ON” or “OFF”?

 There is an “Options Menu” in the game, which allows you to customize these settings.

 I am playing outside. The screen is hard to see. What do I do?

Certain phones are better than others in outside conditions. Try to keep your back light on and adjust the contrast if your phone model allows this.  Shading the screen with your hand may also help.

My backlight keeps going out. What do I do?

You can set your backlight to various configurations using your phone's “Phone Settings” menu.  This cannot be done while within the game. However while in fishing mode, you can hit one of the number keys to get the backlight on if your phone has been set up for backlight.

My phone has a login that asks for my phone number.  Why?

You only will get this message if you are using the Samsung SPH-A600. You need to enter your phone number so we can find out how close you are to the fish because of the unique way this phone communicates with the Bell network. Your privacy is important to us.  Please refer to www.blisterent.com to view our privacy policy or contact us at info@blisterent.com if you have any questions or concerns.

I am using the Samsung SPH-A600 and I haven't received my password yet.  What do I do?

Your password is sent via SMS text messaging. Check the “Inbox” on your phone. If you do not receive the message within five minutes of registering, start the Swordfish game on your phone again and just enter a random password when prompted for your password.  This will cause the system to re-start the registration process.  Make sure the phone number you enter is correct or you will not receive the text message.

The screen says my password is incorrect.  What should I do?

If for some reason there is an error in your password, simply enter it again when prompted to do so.  If it is incorrect a second time, the system will re-start the registration process by asking you to enter your phone number.  Simply follow the instructions to complete the registration process.

I received a verification error during my login.  What does it mean and what should I do?

This message is displayed on your phone when it has a problem communicating with the network.  Simply follow the prompt and try again.  If a second attempt fails, turn the power “OFF” on your phone, wait 15 seconds or so, then turn the power back “ON”.  This should correct the problem.  If it does not, please contact Bell Mobility Customer Service for further assistance. 

 Yes, there are several ways you can do this.  You can hold the “End” key down at anytime to exit or follow the instructions on the screen to exit.  If you have a “flip” style phone, closing the phone will also end the game.

Can I receive calls or test messages while I am playing or will I miss them?

You can receive incoming calls or text messages at any time during play of the game. After a call, a screen will come up asking if you want continue playing. If you have fish on the line, you can continue playing.

What does scanning do?  Does it cost me money?

Scanning shows you where the fish are relative to your current position. Every time you scan successfully, you will be billed as per the Bell Mobility pricing outlines.

Who made this cool location-based game?

Blister Entertainment Inc. created North America's first location-based game right in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. See www.blisterent.com for more details.
 
I am a rookie to location-based games -  any hints?

Here's a few  - however, please visit www.blisterent.com regularly for updated Tips and Tricks.

1. Move to where the fish are. If you do not move, you will not get a chance to fish.
2. Start out with the schools of smaller fish – they're easier to catch.
3. While fishing, remember that just like real fishing, the swordfish tire over time – so be patient with them and gradually reel them in.
4. The bigger the fish the harder they fight.
5. Like real fish, our virtual fish sometime get scared when you get in close – so they might try and swim away from you.
6. Just like real fish, the schools of fish are often swimming and moving too.
7. If you do not know which way is north, please purchase a compass.