World of Warcrack and the future of MMOGs
Contents:
I began gaming in the early 90’s. Looking back at what gaming was then compared to what it is today causes me to do a double take. Things have changed so much so fast. Of particular note is the Online Gaming industry. What started out as geek-only text-based fantasy games has morphed into a globe encompassing communication/entertainment mega-games….Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs). Before I explain my awe when it comes to these games, I’ll start out with a short definition and a little history.
What are MMOGs?
Massively Multiplayer Online Games (a.k.a. MMOG, MMO, MMORPG) are pay-to-play games where a player interacts with an evolving game-world and hundreds (to thousands) of other players at the same time. Within these games, players typically wander around killing monsters, collecting/crafting items, creating organizations, and often times Player Killing (hunting down other players and killing them for experience, loot, or simply just for fun). In addition to the above…MMOGs tend to be highly addictive! I, myself, have been prone to spurts of MMOG addiction :)
A Brief History
I suppose the best way to fully understand these MMOGs is to see where they come from. Back in the ancient days of 1977, the first MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) was born. These geek-only games of sweetness gained popularity due to their ability to connect like-minded fantasy buffs to interact with eachother in a text-based reality, however, the popularity remain primarily in the geek community due primarily to the fact that most MUDs contained no graphics beyond ASCII art. While cool to some, many people found them fairly boring…I mean sheesh. read?!. (I was one of those geeks that played MUDs… EotL to be exact)
It wasn’t until 1997 when Ultima Online launched that MMOGs began to really take off. Ultima Online reached 100,000 users fairly quickly which spurred a whole industry of MMOGs with a variety of gaming engines, rules, and monthly price ranges. Some of the most popular: Asheron’s Call (AC), Dark Age of Camelot (DAoC), EverQuest (EQ), Ultima Online (UO), and the fairly new World of Warcraft (WoW).
Why Are MMOGs So Popular?
Oooo Doggy. Good question. MMOGs aren’t just games for geeks anymore. As the games become more advanced and appealing to the eye, more and more people are buying the games and paying the monthly fees. All types of people! Geeks, teachers, athletes, construction workers, housewives, etc!
- Its a Role-Playing Game.
MMOGs allow us to be an object of our own fantasy and participate in a world with very loose rules that allow us expose us to experiences when we want to experience them. In WoW I have the freedom to create a character that walks around being a bastard to people: swearing at them; stealing their items; player killing defenseless characters (griefing). While at the same time I could make a second character that is the perfect angel. Always willing to help those in need; an active contributing member of a guild; a good party member. I could make a third character with a whole different personality. Thats the beauty of it, you can play how you want with minimal fear of Real Life retaliation. You are simply a character on a screen, nothing more. When you get tired, you simply log off the game and you are back to your real life. A co-worker of mine directed me to this essay that explains this mode of thought:
If you don’t understand the gravitational pull of an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game), I’m going to enlighten you with just a dozen words: you get to pick what you look like and what your talents are.
That’s the real beauty of it. The first thing you do in the MMORPG World of Warcraft is design your own body and decide what your strengths will be. You pick your race. What could be more seductive than that, the ability to turn in all of the cards you were dealt at birth and draw new ones from a face-up deck? If you have friends who’ve gotten sucked into the WoW black hole and you don’t understand why they never talk to you any more, this is it. I remember being a chubby teenager with bad skin and astigmatism and pants that didn’t fit quite right. What would I have given to be reborn as a strapping warrior with rippling pecs and armor of hammered silver?
On that kid’s screen now is a dozen noble warriors of exotic races, brandishing elaborate weapons and charging a gigantic demon across a fire-scarred mountaintop. The dwarf next to him is controlled by an accountant planted at his own computer in Cleveland, two babies sleeping in the next room and his pregnant wife on the sofa. The robed priest in the back casting healing spells is actually a 250-lb. ex-gangster, playing from the computer lab of a maximum security prison in Pennsylvania. The elf on his left, sprinting and drawing his mighty magical bow, is the digital body of a wheelchair-bound 12 year-old girl in Miami.
- For some its the social aspect of the game. For example:
I get my kicks from MMOGs for this very reason. Most MMOGs have some ability to create in-game organizations (in WoW they are called Guilds) and from these organizations grows in-game politics. Bylaws are often created; characters vie for rank; hierarchies are established; there are inter-guild events and disputes. It may seem silly at first glance because its “all a game,” but more often than not these organizations are taken very seriously by their members - despite the fact that they may have a guild name like “Vicious Chickens of Bristol” - and many Real Life friendships can be won and lost. So whats the draw? The ability to socialize with people from around the world and organize under one purpose. People are simply drawn to structure and conflict. I am. I love it :)
- Yet another reason for MMOG popularity is the story.
MMOGs typically have a wonderfully rich background story that explains the hows and whys of the virtual world. World of Warcraft (yes, I’m using WoW as the example again because I love it so :) ) has a very wonderful story line that allows its characters to participate in quests that unfold the WoW story to that user. The quests can be anything from a short delivery quest where you take one item from point A to point B, or it can be a whole chain of quests that build up an epic plot, OR it can be a comedic side story that gives an amusing reward. In WoW there are hundreds of quests and every few months many more are added/tweaked. The world is constantly evolving giving those that thrive on storylines plenty of story to keep them active for months and months on end!
What MMOGs Have Become
MMOGs have become an addiction and a communication powerhouse.
I’m a World of Warcraft addict. I play a Human Priest (named Heuric) and help run a guild called the Crimson Eagles. The scary thing is, is the fact that I get so excited even talking about the game (whether verbally or typing). It has become a very real part of my social life. And before you can ask the question, I’ll answer it: No, it is not my only social life…I spend maybe 5-15 hours a week in the game. Seem like a lot to you? Well, I’m considered an almost non-active member in my guild. There are people I know that spend almost all their time at home playing these games…sometimes more than 40 hours a week!
You see…weekends allow for game play times of 10+ hours straight! I have been known to do this and have also been known to forget to eat because of it. Yeah. I often suffer from the “five more minutes….I just need to kill 3 more” syndrome. Well sometimes I don’t miss just one meal…I sometimes may miss 2 and on a couple of rare occasions I have missed 3. Remember when I said that I am considered pretty inactive? Scary huh? Thank god I have a wife that keeps me in line :) (I only miss meals when I’m home alone)
Its an MMOG addiction. And I’m not alone. There are over 3 Million people in the world that own and play World of Warcraft…and thats just one game!
Ten years ago when I wanted to talk to one of my friends, I’d call them up on the phone. 7 years ago I’d e-mail them. 4 years ago I’d instant message them. Now…I log in to WoW. There they all are, running around PKing in Alterac Valley; questing in Searing Gorge; trading in Iron Forge; raiding in UBRS; or grinding in the Western Plaguelands. (all locations in WoW). Despite the fact that they are all doing their own thing, I can type or pop on a headset microphone and and talk to them. We plan get togethers, discuss work, news, politics, religion, etc…right there in game.
MMOGs have become a source of income (and I’m not talking companies)
WTF!?!?! Yeah. People can play for money. While generally frowned upon by both the companies that produce the games and by the average player, the buying and selling of accounts, items, and in-game currency has become a very profitable business. Here’s an article at TechAngel that talks of a man that makes ~$1,800 a month! In this article at 1up.com they explain how game profiteers are establishing Gaming Sweatshops in China, India, Mexico, etc where people are forced to play outrageous hours farming in-game currency for measely wages ($0.59/hour).
This is bad on multiple levels…first and foremost, the workers work long hours for very little money and are placed in situations where if the quit their jobs they’d lose their homes too. Its also bad for in-game economy. (yes, these virtual worlds have their own economy) These gold farmers jack up the prices of items causing many under-handed players to resort to purchasing money on E-bay and various game currency reseller sites…just to purchase a rare item in game! Its amazing to what lengths someone will go simply for the satisfaction of attaining certain items and a certain in-game status.
Where are MMOGs going?
They aren’t leaving any times soon, thats for darn sure. I can speculate that they will continue to grow in popularity and be taken more seriously. Even now we are seeing how serious some are taking these ‘games.’ MSNBC has an article where one man killed another because an in-game sword was stolen…Its a sad story that shows just how real some people believe these to be:
Qui went to the police to report the “theft” but was told the weapon was not real property protected by law.
“Zhu promised to hand over the cash but an angry Qui lost patience and attacked Zhu at his home, stabbing him in the left chest with great force and killing him,” the court was told.
More and more online gamers were seeking justice through the courts over stolen weapons and credits, the newspaper said at the time the case went to trial.
“The armor and swords in games should be deemed as private property as players have to spend money and time for them,” Wang Zongyu, an associate law professor at Beijing’s Renmin University of China, was quoted as saying.
As these incidents occur (and mark my words…more will come) what laws will be birthed because of them? Southeast Asia tends to be on the bleeding edge of gaming/tech culture and obsession. It is here that many of the ‘firsts’ occur (such as the murder mentioned above). Because of these incidents they are attempting to prevent them with some interesting laws:
- China limits MMO time to teens
- Woman Arrested for deleting MMORPG items
- Man arrested in Japan for Virtual Mugging
What laws will carry over world wide? Will there be Real Life implications for what we do in game? Only time will tell…and I will be watching the clock with curiosity and a wary mind.
UPDATE (9/7/2005):
It seems that Slashdot has a post going on how WoW is now the 800-pound gorilla in the room…the big question from the New York Times:
WoW is now the 800-pound gorilla in the room. I think it also applies to the single-player games. If some kid is paying $15 a month on top of the initial $50 investment and is devoting so many hours a week to it, are they really going to go out and buy the next Need for Speed or whatever? There is a real fear that this game, with its incredible time investment, will really cut into game-buying across the industry.’ What is the Slashdot opinion on World of Warcraft’s impact on the gaming industry?
Discuss This Article
|
|
19 Responses to “World of Warcrack and the future of MMOGs”
-
pingback:
Posted: Aug 29th, 2005 at 8:30 pmBorkWeb » Blog Archive » Most Popular MMORPG 1 -
pingback:
Posted: Sep 13th, 2005 at 5:05 amBorkWeb » Blog Archive » MMORPG Cheating Reply to this comment.[...] My friend Casey over at MaisonBisson posted an article (Wide World of Video Games) where he shoots down the ideas of laws that are being built around MMORPGs and the reasons behind them. Casey writes: One argument is that these games occupy players time and cost money, so in-game theft results in real-life loss. Baloney. Chess and Monopoly occupy great deals of time, but try telling the cops I rooked your knight. Money? A huge number of Americans invest time and money on building and racing cars on the approximately 1800 racetracks around the country. Real time and and hard-earned money are lost when cars crash, but the track has its own rules “rubin’s racin, Cole” — and none of us would excuse a driver for off-track violence against a competitor. [...]
2 -
pingback:
Posted: Sep 13th, 2005 at 6:04 amMaisonBisson.com » Blog Archive » Wide World of Video Games Reply to this comment.[...] Matt started talking up the weird issues developing around multiplayer online games a few weeks ago. Then soon after he blogged it, a story appeared in On the Media (listen, transcript) [...]
3 -
pingback:
Posted: Sep 23rd, 2005 at 12:38 pmBorkWeb » Blog Archive » MMORPGs and Perception of Value Reply to this comment.[...] I made a post a little while back that on MMORPG Cheating and received a very interesting and convincing argument from Gaming Freedom that I thought warranted another post. Basically, the previous post was to emphasize how MMORPGs should be taken a little bit more serious when it comes to its future and how they will function as a major recreation tool the world over. I feel this is becoming more of a reality. (see my post on World of Warcract and the future of MMORPGs). [...]
4 -
pingback:
Posted: Sep 28th, 2005 at 11:51 amBorkWeb » Blog Archive » MMORPG Laws Reply to this comment.[...] But what happens when someone from the outside world affects the in-game world? In my article “World of Warcrack and the Future of MMOGs” I explain a case when a non-player logged into her boyfriend’s account and deleted his items. What would be the ruling on cases such as those? Would they warrant arresting, fines, etc? Or should they be written off and have the owner of the character be forced to suck it up and spend another 1000+ hours creating and leveling a new character? [...]
5 -
pingback:
Posted: Oct 5th, 2005 at 6:50 pmLife After Coffee » Buy Your Way Through Scool with Distance Education Reply to this comment.[...] Sound far fetched? In the game industry “farming” is common practice. Farming is when players play the game, by the rules, and once they acquire items within the game they sell them for real money! To avoid the problems with selling something that is intellectual property of the game producers, farmers sell their time invested in obtaining the item, but essentially the purchaser is buying the item. For more information on this, check out borkweb.com’s article World of Warcrack and the future of MMOGs [...]
6 -
pingback:
Posted: Mar 28th, 2006 at 8:42 pmBorkWeb » Grooming Real Life Leadership Through Virtual Worlds Reply to this comment.[...] My friend Jon passed this article from Wired Magazine off to me as it suits my interests a bit more. This article reiterates what I have been chanting for some time now, real world lessons can be learned in virtual worlds like World of Warcraft. Gaming tends to be regarded as a harmless diversion at best, a vile corruptor of youth at worst. But the usual critiques fail to recognize its potential for experiential learning. Unlike education acquired through textbooks, lectures, and classroom instruction, what takes place in massively multiplayer online games is what we call accidental learning. It’s learning to be - a natural byproduct of adjusting to a new culture - as opposed to learning about. Where traditional learning is based on the execution of carefully graded challenges, accidental learning relies on failure. Virtual environments are safe platforms for trial and error. The chance of failure is high, but the cost is low and the lessons learned are immediate. [...]
7 -
Ignored Girlfreind
Posted: Jun 5th, 2006 at 3:33 amReply to this comment.My boyfreind plays all the time. He asks me to come over .. and then I end up only sitting next to him whil e he plays or hours on end. He’s even talked about items he coudl get after we’ve had sex…. talking to him only seems to create more problems. Our relationship is being desoryed b/c instead of wanting to spend time with me… watch a movie… go for a walk… he plays. :Gets up, plays, showers, plays, eats while playing, sleep, plays work: repeat:
8 -
pingback:
Posted: Jun 28th, 2006 at 6:13 amBorkWeb » Geeks, Nerds and Dweebs Reply to this comment.[...] I’m proud of my Geekiness. I’ll be the first to call myself a geek, but what really irks me is when I proclaim myself as one, my family immediately replies with a “nahhh…you’re not a geek,” in a comforting tone. I’ve worked hard to be obsessive over random things (Star Wars, Warcrack, Programming, etc)…let me have my cake and eat it too :) [...]
9 -
ignored g/f #2
Posted: Aug 9th, 2006 at 4:25 amReply to this comment.least im not the only ignored girlfriend in the world :(
10 -
Fling
Posted: Aug 14th, 2006 at 9:55 amReply to this comment.Computer games can be addictive, but … sneakier than tobaco or other things. Games dont have Nicotine or anything like that so you cant really see how its addictive. Until your addicted that is. So the point is, some people got to have a sigarett after sex. Your boyfriend needs some wow after sex. Its ok to be a wow geek, but those guys in some cases dont make verry good boyfriends. Just ask my X ;)
11 -
Quasa
Posted: Aug 28th, 2006 at 6:36 pmReply to this comment.My bf plays constantly. I don’t think there’s a time when I come over on the weekends that he doesn’t play. Nothing makes me more angry!! How could he get on HIS computer, the one with the kickass graphics card, and leave ME with the slow, jerky, crappy computer behind him?? I want to see my cow kill those scorpids, and I want to see it in LIVING COLOR and killer resolution!!!! He’s so mean to me!! Except, y’know, that time he helped me bag Bhag’heara. That was cool. I am a chick, and I am a Warcrack addict … and I’m okay with that.
12 -
Kippie
Posted: Oct 17th, 2006 at 11:27 amReply to this comment.I find out that it is girls that play WoW … I am the ony Guy in my group of friends that play WoW, But ALLL the Girls are playing it including some of my girl family members … I think its good to see girls in the gameing world, bout time.
13 -
pingback:
Posted: Apr 1st, 2007 at 6:48 pmBorkWeb » World of Warcraft Addiction Reply to this comment.[...] video - while one would first like to chuckle at the thought of a World of Warcraft addiction - speaks volumes to what is a reality for many who play the [...]
14 -
pingback:
Posted: Apr 1st, 2007 at 8:02 pmtattoo » Blog Archive » World of Warcraft Addiction Reply to this comment.[...] video - while one would first like to chuckle at the thought of a World of Warcraft addiction - speaks volumes to what is a reality for many who play the [...]
15 -
Wade
Posted: Apr 14th, 2007 at 4:32 amReply to this comment.Ummm the meaning of mmorpg does not require it be pay-to-play. ie Runescape. More players than nearly any other and 90% of the players are non members,, - dont pay.
16 -
pingback:
Posted: Sep 13th, 2007 at 6:52 amWorld of Warcraft - Page 61 - Ceroc Scotland Forum Reply to this comment.[...] Posted by Ghost Which sadly means I now lack the time to continue with WoW. Looks like Warcrack may not be quite so addictive after all. __________________ Any innuendo relating to persons [...]
17 -
pingback:
Posted: Nov 17th, 2007 at 11:05 amWorld of Warcraft Satire: The Guild : BorkWeb Reply to this comment.[...] a former addict to World of Warcraft, I (and to some degree, my wife) could immediately relate with the characters and had us laughing [...]
18 -
Brazza
Posted: May 27th, 2008 at 9:30 pmReply to this comment.heya anyone there?
19
[...] World of Warcrack and the future of MMOGs Most Popular MMORPG August 29th, 2005 Posted in Gaming, Computers and Internet, Entertainment| [...]