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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?
Yes, conceited, and pathetic too. Like looking at porn online is a sex life.
I have some purely online relationships, but they're mostly singe-dimensional; concerned with discussing some esoterica we're both interested in. I really doubt any of us would get on in the real world; none would or could offer support as an actual meatspace friend would. If you think that a relationship based on gaming would be any deeper; just recall it's "role playing". No one is who they pretend to be. Being brave or generous in a virtual world means nothing.