I have played some WOW. Over the summer holidays my boyfriend signed me up. I would only login once a week/fortnight but it can be a fun time-waster if that's what I need. Too busy nowadays to be looking for time-wasters!
Although I can see how people find the game addictive, I find that I get bored quite easily now, as compared to when I first started. The addictive quality comes mostly from the endless nature of the game: you are constantly offered new quests, and numerous quests at the same time, so you never "finish" or "win". But this starts to get frustrating, you can feel that you're going around in circles.
What starts to suck players in further, I think, is the formation of online relationships/bonds with other players, as described in the Jakobsson/Taylor article. Guilds and less official groups are formed, loyalties are created and regular meeting dates might be established, which gives the players an emotional connection to the game and therefore adds to their experience. I have probably never committed enough time to form these bonds. Except for my "RL" bond with my boyfriend!
MMORPGs are often given flack in the media, however, for alienating people and further disconnecting our society, which is already splintered by communication forms that don't encourage face-to-face interaction. However, I don't think that most people would ever want to replace online friendships with live ones, unless they are already prone to loneliness or are in some other way antisocial and struggle to communicate one-on-one. So it could be seen as offering an opportunity and hope to people who otherwise wouldn't form relationships or communicate with humans.
Your thoughts? Are we further alienating people by giving them the opportunity to not mix in society?
While you think, have a look at the trailer for "Make Love Not Warcraft", a Southpark episode from Series 10. Highly recommended you watch the ep!
2 comments:
The fact is that the online relationships are as rewarding and problematic as any relationships. There is no doubt that they contribute to the experience of the gaming, but soon you are involved in commitments to those people as you would be in any relationship. The arms length nature of an online relationship, especially through the intermediary of imagined fantasy characters, means you do not have the social input to make nuanced judgments about yours and the other persons responses. The flip side to this is, however, is that you can form relationships with people you would simply never meet, let alone talk to, in real life. I have been surprised by the variety in the people i have met playing WOW.
What about the people you've met in RL?? He he.
Who are the most interesting people you've met playing WOW? Do you think you'd ever want to meet them in RL?
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