Unlockable Content 1.31.07: In Defense of the World of Warcraft
Posted by Will Scott on 01.31.2007
Is the World of Warcraft getting a bad reputation for its players' behavior?
Welcome back once more to Unlockable Content. You've made it past the headline, so you're mildly interested. You are the few, the proud, the most likely bored. I understand the feeling. The end of the last series is indefinitely on hold until I feel like covering it. I had every intent of finishing it up, but other things keep getting in the way.
If you made it past that last paragraph, go get yourself a cookie. If you can make it to the end, I might reveal the secret to immortality.
So, let's get on with the column, shall we?
In Defense of World of WarCraft
So, I've noticed a rather disturbing tendency amongst many gamers to immediately discount this particular game. Really, outside of huge sites like IGN or Gamespot, you won't see many positive mentions of the game - but man, you'll see the negative impressions. Some of the complaints are easily understandable and really indefensible - paying for a game every month is an automatic turn off for many gamers, and it's almost a given that playing the "end-game" requires an unholy amount of time.
But what keeps being brought up again and again is addiction. The fact that some gamers seem to be far too drawn in to the game, and games like it, seems to be the deathknell for any other discussion of the game. But is there more to the game than addiction?
Well, like any good apologist, I'm going to immediately point out that addiction to the game doesn't happen to everyone. The vast majority of the players fall in to the "casual" category, spending no more time with WoW than others do with various other games. For many (myself included), it's a very financially viable alternative to buying new games, with the fifteen dollar payment each month being far less than the $50-60 investment we're all used to. But it's that time commitment that's the sticking point. I have to wonder...why?
This isn't a new argument. World of Warcraft has taken the place of Everquest in the mind of many gamers. It's certainly responsible for ruining lives - if people have a tendency to become addicted, they WILL be addicted to this game, no doubt. The game is designed that way, stringing players along the quest rewards to keep them playing. If you have a sense of balance in your life, it's just as easy to turn off the game as it is to turn off any others. But WoW, in the vaunted Evercrack tradition, makes the very real problem of being addicted to gaming overly visible, and I think that prompts the reaction.
Yes, it is a problem. Let's be honest, folks...most hardcore gamers aren't exactly the be at being social. For my (and I assume, most of your) generation, video games often functioned just as much as an escape mechanism as an entertainment tool. Remember, it wasn't that long ago that the industry standard was single or two-player games rather than multi-player games suitable for play at a party. Video games then, and now, have always offered a very anti-social escape from reality. That's why the stereotype of a gamer is someone living in their mother's basement - alone, cut off from the light, and spending all their time and money on their hobby. It's not just gamers that have these problems, of course. Note the football fans who spend far above their means to grab season tickets, for example. But WoW, with eight million gamers, offers an easy target to throw the blame on. The fairly deep game structure, the sometimes inventive quests, and the actually very impressive graphics and gameplay of the game can be ignored in favor of focusing on addiction.
After all...compared to those guys, the rest of us aren't so bad. Right?
I lied about having that secret to immortality. But here's a hint for a better life - don't focus too much on the gaming. It doesn't matter if it's an MMO or not, you can become addicted. Get outside, go out with people...whatever. It's just not healthy to only have one interest.
