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Is World of Warcraft More Than Just A Game?
walnutmon writes "Newsweek has published a three page article asking whether World of Warcraft is more than just a game. Though some spend their time in WoW grinding, others take a break from the monotony of gaming to interact with others from the community in a meaningful way. From the article: 'Generally, though, players of the game enjoy a form of community rarely seen in the real world; higher-level players go out of their way to tutor newbies and accompany them on quests. Deep friendships are forged. Relationships begin that flower into marriage, with Tauren brides and Undead grooms tying the knot in some virtual tavern in Thunder Bluff.' I guess the question is, does a game become more when people do more than play to win, or is this just an added feature?" Raph Koster has been of the opinion, for quite some time now, that all MMOGs are virtual worlds; it just so happens you can play a game inside many of them. What's your view on this? Are Massive games just another kind of game title, or are they something special?
"As Hiro approaches the Street, he sees two young couples, probably using their parents' computers for a double date in the Metaverse, climbing down out of Port Zero, which is the local port of entry and monorail stop. He is not seeing real people, of course. This is all a part of the moving illustration drawn by his computer according to the specifications coming down the fiber-optic cable. The people are pieces of software called avatars."
-Neal Stephenson
The real culprit of WoW's success is depression, in all it's varied forms. WoW represents the ultimate in escapism. Whereas before some of us used books, or even computer games, here's a world that changes based on the player and those playing.
There is never really an end to the world like there would be in a book, or a game. Therefore, those trying to escape find the perfect place to escape to; A place that never really ends.
This goes a long way in explaining the attitude when the servers would go down often ( do they still? ).
I'm not saying this is how it is for everyone, or it's the same level of escapism for everyone. Just that the majority of the addicts are depressed in one way or another, and this is their way to escape from it.
Mod me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
The WoW community is far more inclusive than the D&D community. I don't think it's necessarily the core people of the community that make it like that, but merely the differences in the stigma and reputation associated with each.
Let's face it, D&D players are looked down upon by most other people. I'm sure we've all seen scenes in malls, at D&D shops, where a group of teenage jocks or punks start yelling at the customers and employees of such stores. They'll call them a variety of names, from "nerds" to "dungeon geeks", and even "cocksmoking faggots" in some extreme cases. Most of the time the D&D people will remain mature, and ignore the comments. I was with my son, who is slightly nerdy, the last time I saw a scene like that. He even quietly agreed with the harassers. D&D players are sometimes looked down upon by fellow nerds. I really don't know why, but that's just how it is.
WoW, on the other hand, has a far more widespread acceptance. Perhaps it is because it is seen by many as just another computer game. Even those traditionally against D&D have come to play WoW, and have enjoyed it. So if you admit to being a WoW player, you're typically not looked down upon. It's not seen as an abnormal activity, "reserved" for socially-untalented nerds and geeks.
If you are looking for community ATITD would be the game to play if you like to socialize over adventure, EvE if you are into sci-fi and PvP. Just to name few mmogs that have wastly superior 'community' aspect than WoW - old NWN, UO, M59, AC, ATITD, EvE, SB. If anything WoW lacks in player interaction and community when compared to other games in its genre due to heavy use of instances and hard segregation by levels. Best communities are usually formed in games where players need to rely on others for protection from common enemy, trade or achievement of in-game goals. In WoW, aside from grouping, you don't ever need anything from other players. Simple fact that you can reach maximum level without speaking a single world to others demonstrate that community and player interaction is not a strong point of WoW. I find it fairly annoying that WoW given credit for many things its not good at just because its so large and people notice/know about it.
I think that they should enforce laws, like in china where your account only lets you play 3-4 hours a night max. Even though I have heard of people there opening 2 accounts just so that they can get their full fix.
I feel sorry for anyone that starts playing this game. I used to be an avid video game player but have kinda steered myself away from games like this just because I know what the result is. Just like I have tried alcohol or pot , but like another
People that play this game for more than 2 hours a night are just gross and need help immediately. Take up yoga or meditation or anything. Anyone that does any single activity for 4-8 hours a day outside of work should be asking themselves, "what the hell am i thinking". WOW is a sickness, a plague in our digital society. I do security software development for a living and the only single activity I would consider concievably doing for 4-8 hours straight when i get off work, is writing some WOW worm using new exploit/security hole that would use their contacts list and corrupt their registry and give these people a night off. =) although it would be a futile attempt, cause you know they would spend the evening just reinstalling everything.
Honestly though, if you play this game, take a month off and see if you can go without it. If you can't then do yourself a favour delete all your contacts associated with this virtual world and remove the software from your computer (microwave the damn CD).
"Get a life, you only get one!". People in 3rd world countries would give anything to have the opportunities these people have. Instead you rot away in your basement playing shit like this just to make blizzard a profit hahaha.. That's the real joke, someone is making a profit off you rotting in your basement.
I just cancelled my WoW account, and it will probably stay that way for awhile. I have other interests, hobbies, and games to play. Too long have I neglected the latest and greatest for WoW. But that game IS the most addictive game I have ever played, and it does so by adding a real human element, literally.
One of my favorite things to do with my LVL54 mage was to go back to the lower level areas, and just help the people asking for it. It was my way of giving back to the community. Plus, there is a real ego boost (yeah... I know I sound like a giant nerd) from laying waste to groups of elites by yourself.
There was also some girl I met (according to her... at least) that was really cool, she helped me learn the game for no real reason, other than she was being helpfull, she also had a cool handle, Nemesys. It is fun to play these games, because other people see your accomplishments, and the time doesn't feel wasted. Uhh... for the people who get married on WoW, I think that is kind of weird (I woudln't agree to meet any chick I talked to on WoW, for some strong stereotypical reasons) but it does go to show that this game has real life implications.
Any game that has direct influence on your life, other than the time played, is more than a game, it is a virtual reality of sorts.
You take it, I don't want it...
Its a meat market for the socially inept/anxious/whatever. I've only seen the things described in the article happen when a higher level male character gains interest in lower level female member. ALl thw downtime (waiting for raids, spawns, etc) allows for a lot of chat. So, this is just a case of humans doing what humans do best: mate.
Huh ?
..... do i have to go on ?
Golf clubs, gun owners associations, bridge clubs, local bingo people, curling enthusiast
almost EVERY single type of shit, and im not only talking about games, have caused people to form communities, for the last known 10000 years of history. And so it is going to be from now to eternity.
So whats there to wonder and amaze about communities being formed in games ? Internet, games over internet form a much more easy way to form communities than the examples i said in above paragraphs.
Read radical news here
2006 called, it just wanted to let you know that its still true. How do I know, Oh, I don't know maybe its because of my volenteer work with teenagers for the past ten years. Its just that RPG's and espeically multiplayer ones are used as a form of socialising outside the accepted nomality. It brings in people who have difficulty expressing themselves and need to hide behind alter egos. Its not that fantasy and rpgs are wrong or stupid, its just it attracts a certain crowd that seeks an alternative identity to the normal one because they can't imagine themselves in the normal one. That being said there are many normal people probley as your self that this doesn't apply to. It is a sterotype that is not always true. WOW is more accepted because when people don't knwo what it is, you can tell them its a video game. Just about everyone has played one at some point and it seems less wierd. I've met many many adults that were not "d&d gamers" that play WOW. WOW is huge. "real gamers" who brag about being "real gamers" really don't affect people who don't want to be "real gamers".
Ok, now for the revelation. Yes I was a D&D player back in the day. And Shadowrun. But I also had normal friends and did normal things with them. And yes they made fun of me for playing D&D. And yes I made fun of myself for playing. No I don't play WOW cause I'm against subscription based games and I want to keep mor etime for doing other things. I don't think I could compete or really enter in the virtual world, I think I'ma ddicted to the real one..... where I post on Slashdot.....
but at least I am who I say I am. No need for AC.
Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
This isn't really new or unique even to todays graphical MMORPGs.
I used to be on one of the first muds, only available via dialup. The dialup part added to the sense of community since most of us were local. We ended up meeting, having parties, and spent the better part of a decade together on and off.
A few marriages were created and destroyed, children created and destroyed. Really the same kind of thing that happens anywhere where youngish (15-25+ yr old) people unintentially spend a lot of time together.
The military forges similar long-term, deep relaitonships, as does school some office environments and even (to a lesser degree) summer camp.
The trick is spending long ammounts of time with the same group of people.
Having gone through that, I have questions as to how healthy such an environment is. In many cases you have young, under-developed people 13-16 interacting with emotionally immature older people(from 17 to 40!). I'm not sure this combination HAS to be "Bad", but looking back on years of it, I can say that it almost always is.
Replace 'WoW' with 'work/bowling/school/stamp collecting/any other shared interest' and your sentence makes just as much sense. IF you meet people through a common interest, when those people gather that common interest is generally going to dominate the conversation. For example, I know several architects, and whenever they are in a group the dominate subject is architecture, and I'm the odd-man-out. Does it meant they're not 'real friends,' either with me or with each other? No, that's nonsense . . . it's just that people tend to settle on subjects that are interesting to them and they know are shared by those around them.
The bigotry of the nonbeliever is for me nearly as funny as the bigotry of the believer. - Albert Einstein