The Fallacy of MMO Monogamy

Roxtarr

I logged into an MMO yesterday that I hadn't played for and a guildy said, "See I told you you wouldn't like _____.  I knew you'd be back."  I said, "I hate to burst your bubble but I still love that game too, I just felt like playing this one today."

For some reason when an MMO gamer tries a new game, they often feel this need to explain why they're NOT playing every other game on the market.  They have to justfy it by explaining the problems of the game they're not logging into that day.

Imagine we did this with other types of games.

Gamer 1: Hey brah, let's play chess.

Gamer 2: Dude, I thought you played checkers.  You've been playing checkers for 5 years.

Gamer 1: No way, Checkers sucks now.  The devs made the "King-Me" buff way too OP ... they can move backwards - screw that.

No, what really happens is they go: Nah, I don't feel like playing checkers today.  They don't have to explain why checkers sucks - they just feel like doing something else.

The reality is that the idea that a person needs to pick one MMO to play is just silly.  There's nothing wrong with playing multiple games and you don't even have to bash the one your'e not playing at the moment.  Just because you're playing a different or new game doesn't mean that there was something wrong with the one you're not playing at the moment.

 

 

 

Yakkin

You can blame the mentality of "THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE" MMO that seems to thrive in many MMO communities nowadays. It's gotta be the greatest MMO in the universe or it means you are being stupid and that coming back makes you the inferior person. Gotta love them egos.

 

I hope you know what I am saying.

Icewhite

I've rarely played only one game, particularly not for the early years of MMOs.  But then Simu was footing my gaming bills, at the time...so...I don't draw any conclusions at all (atypical case).

But the fierce loyalty displayed by many of our gamers might be an indication of just how uncommon multi-game play is, relatively.  Their hearts are given (almost universally) to their gaming 'first love'.

I would also assume that with the growing F2P crop, multi-games would be trending towards more common.  But from the rhetoric--no, not there yet.

Alders

I think perhaps your view would be different if you looked at this from a guild leader/officer point of view.

Kyleran

All depends on your gaming style.  In my case I generally play only one MMORPG at a time, and with very few exceptions, (EVE being one) I never return to a MMORPG that I've discarded.

(because rarely has anything changed that made me quit playing them in the first place.)

 

nsignific

I understand and appreciate the sentiment, but that's just not how humans work.

This behaviour is not exclusive to MMOs either, not by a long shot. In fact, it's the same with EVERYTHING, no exceptions. Not likely to change, ever.

It's not even that bad here, try reading a car forum or a console forum or even TV show forums... Forget about music, movies or anything else to do with taste...

Our time on this world is limited, so we *need* to rationalize every decision by convincing ourselves it was the best one. Even if we are able to change our minds later, in that moment or period of time, our stuff is better than yours.

Icewhite

Originally posted by nsignific

Our time on this world is limited, so we *need* to rationalize every decision by convincing ourselves it was the best one. Even if we are able to change our minds later, in that moment or period of time, our stuff is better than yours.

It's usually a mistake to extend your own biases to 'natural laws'.

DavisFlight

The idea came from how much invested time you put into characters in an MMO. The relationships with players and your character would keep people playing the same game.

blognorg

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Originally posted by Roxtarr I logged into an MMO yesterday that I hadn't played for and a guildy said, "See I told you you wouldn't like _____.  I knew you'd be back."  I said, "I hate to burst your bubble but I still love that game too, I just felt like playing this one today." For some reason when an MMO gamer tries a new game, they often feel this need to explain why they're NOT playing every other game on the market.  They have to justfy it by explaining the problems of the game they're not logging into that day. Imagine we did this with other types of games. Gamer 1: Hey brah, let's play chess. Gamer 2: Dude, I thought you played checkers.  You've been playing checkers for 5 years. Gamer 1: No way, Checkers sucks now.  The devs made the "King-Me" buff way too OP ... they can move backwards - screw that. No, what really happens is they go: Nah, I don't feel like playing checkers today.  They don't have to explain why checkers sucks - they just feel like doing something else. The reality is that the idea that a person needs to pick one MMO to play is just silly.  There's nothing wrong with playing multiple games and you don't even have to bash the one your'e not playing at the moment.  Just because you're playing a different or new game doesn't mean that there was something wrong with the one you're not playing at the moment.      

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I think that mentality stems of the overwhelming majority of MMO players generally sticking to one game due to MMOs being much more involved than other genres, so I'm sure if I agree with your checkers analogy for that reason. People that cut down/stop playing their old game when a new one comes out, then returning (while still playing and liking the new game), is an exception. Statistically, your guild wasn't wrong to make that assumption (in the case that they needed to make an assumption... for some reason). I've never seriously played multiple MMOs at the same time. I've dabbled in several ones at once before, just trying to find a home. But in the case that I really get into one, I don't have the time to get involved in another one. And even the occasions when I had the time, I was just into the one and wasn't motivated to look elsewhere. And I think those two reasons are fairly ubiquitous among MMO players. In your example, I'd say your guild either doesn't really know you that well, or they were just joking with you.

Quirhid

Its the same thing people do in any arguments: they put their ego on the line. And once they do that, every attack against their argument is against them and they can never give in.

jpnz

It reminds me of the 'Console wars' which again didn't make sense other than idiots (fanboys) on each side.

I own all current gen consoles and yes, I will be getting the WII-U (i know i know) this year.

Same with MMOs and gaming in general.

Buying FIFA13 didn't influence me on getting Xcom.

Buying Xbox360 didn't influence me on getting a PS3 / WII / VITA / DS. Why would it?

Scot

Yes it does sound like something a guild officer would say. Most of us play a few titles at the same time. I only play one MMO at a time though and that is down to time constraints.

Wizardry

I have found that a lot of people make threads to justify why they are playing the current game,not why they are playing only one.it does sort of fall under the same idea,however i feel msot realize that more than 50%  probably clsoer to 90% play more than one game.

The i told you you would be back doesn't mean anything either.I have gone back to old games not becuase i think they are great nor even that i much miss them,more a case of being disgusted with other games i tried while i was gone.

 

skydiver12

When we started to play there haven't been many "MMOs". The few there have been would be disdtinctive enough to play or not to play solely based on (lore) settings or game-mechanics.

Since 2007 i feel, every NEW game doesn't offer enough content and core game systems to even remotely keep you entertained, even when liking the game a lot.

The WOW "clone" formular and creation of "themepark MMO" sure did their part to let every new game feel redundant, not distinctive enough, and with a very limited content window.

Most designers forget, just because you offer tier raiding, instances and battleground PVP, doesn't mean everyone does everything, or even likes doing everything. So 1 Raid, 2 instances and 1 battleground do not hold value of "3 months worth" but rather ranging from a few hours to 3 months.
Sadly it's mostly 1 week for me if at all.

To that end it does not suprise me that today, i'm having an active or "premium/ VIP" account for Lotro, FFxiv, swtor, TSW, GW2, TERA.

I renember the times when i had an active account for over 6 years straight in L2 (KO, JP and then NA), no other games.

The monogamy for mmos isn't a fallacy, but simply not supported by mmos today. The Wow Clone Themeparks do not have enough content.

Larsa

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Originally posted by Roxtarr

I logged into an MMO yesterday that I hadn't played for and a guildy said, "See I told you you wouldn't like _____.  I knew you'd be back."  I said, "I hate to burst your bubble but I still love that game too, I just felt like playing this one today."
...
The reality is that the idea that a person needs to pick one MMO to play is just silly.  There's nothing wrong with playing multiple games and you don't even have to bash the one your'e not playing at the moment.  Just because you're playing a different or new game doesn't mean that there was something wrong with the one you're not playing at the moment.

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Once upon a time MMORPGs were virtual worlds - people "lived" in these worlds and had strong bonds with other people "living" there. One doesn't throw that away easily. Now, for many gamers and probably for you too, MMORPGs are entertainments products that are consumed on a whim, just like people watch one movie today and another one tomorrow.

That's your preference - just like other people prefer the virtual world aspect. There's no fallacy whatsoever in this, just a different preference.

Unknown

Since there's no way in Hell I'd have time to play multiple MMOs at once, monogamy's the way for me.

fenistil

Of course there is nothing wrong with playing multiple mmorpg's.

I do though personally want to play only one mmorpg and for years prefereably (with some breaks in between propably) and I want it designed accordingly.

 

It is because of how I like to play mmorp's and what type of mmorpg's I like that I don't want to play multiple ones.

Second thing is time constraints and lack of willingness and interest to play more than one mmorpg at one time.  When I don't want to play mmorpg I want to play other type of game like some strategy, fps, single rpg or do something not video game related  rather than play another mmorpg.

Ridelynn

Good post OP, +1. I feel the same way. I facepalm every time I see someone else say the phrase "WoW Killer" - like you can't have more than one game installed on a computer at any given time.

apocoluster

Im most definately a gaming polygamist...EQ, EQ2, GW2, WoT, MWO, Hawken beta, TSW,  DCUO, Vanguard, Bullet run all sitting on my desk top right now....and when I get home from work  ill probably just log into 2nd Life and hang out with Virtual friends. 

IntheShadows

I don't think there's anything wrong with playing just 1 or branching out to mulitple MMOs. It mostly has to do with personal preference.

For me, I have a hard time focusing on multiple games at once. One will always dominate my time and the other will be forgotten. 

Phaserlight

Monogamy certainly isn't a fallacy; I've been playing one MMO (VO) since June 2003 in the alpha period, and have had a continuous subscription since it was launched.  I dabbled in WoW for about 3 months, ranking up a level 29 Troll Priest, however I kept my primary VO subscription going and was active in game that entire time.  I tried Rift open beta, I even signed up for Eve, downloaded, but never logged in.  For all intents and purposes VO is the game I've been playing for over 9 years, and I am still very active in game during player-run events and designing mission content.  I've spent $835.92 on the game in subcription, and a total of 49 days, 3 hours, 51 minutes, 52 seconds logged in to the main server.  Other games have been mere blips on the radar, comparatively.

Xiaoki

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Originally posted by Axxar
Since there's no way in Hell I'd have time to play multiple MMOs at once, monogamy's the way for me.

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You dont have to be playing them at the same time.

Play one for a month or two, then play another for a month or two, go back to the first one, pick up another, etc.

Bouncing around to different MMOs can help prevent the dreaded Burn Out by varying your gameplay experiences.

Dewm

darn you double post.

Dewm

Originally posted by Roxtarr

>snip<

 

 

 

Love your sig! 

nariusseldon

Just play one game? WHY?

I would not watch the same movie over and over again, without seeing another movie. The same applies to games.

Phaserlight

Originally posted by nariusseldon

Just play one game? WHY?

I would not watch the same movie over and over again, without seeing another movie. The same applies to games.

Because one may uncover ugly things, surprising things, and sometimes little wondrous things.