"It is interesting to see WOW called a sport. I wonder when the "top players" will start getting salaries. Oh, wait, they won't."
But they already are, there are many top players, teams and even guilds which have been sponsored. You only have to do a simple google search to find this out. Sponsoring includes both PvE and PvP players.
Also sports, does not automatically mean it has to be professional sports before it is somehow legimate.
I have personally, while in a different genre of games, won price money in computer games tournament. This was 10-years ago. Few of my acquaintances from those day already made a living from it.
"The person who experiences greatness must have a feeling for the myth he is in."
Well, call it a rat race or competition or what ever, it is actually one of the many reasons why many play multiplayer games instead of single player games. Getting to play against human opponents is the salt of multiplayer experience for many of us. Competition gives incentives for self-improvement whether on individual or organisational levels. Most MMORPGs have been designed so that the goal is to improve your avatars...
Which is all cool if you play multiplayer games because you want to compete. However, some of us play MMOs instead of single player games because we like to interact with real people rather than some AI NPC with scripted responses. Note I said interact, not compete. Oblivion is an awesome game, but it gets mighty lonely and predictable at times. With MMOs, anything can happen. One day I might find myself chilling out doing some quests, then bumping into a fellow adventurer who later becomes a good friend. The next day, I might get dragged into a raid totally unprepared because some good buddies need me and much prefer someone they know over some random dude. The following day I find myself crafting a set of armor for a guild member who really needs it because his account was hacked and his gear stripped. Things like that just don't happen in single player games... but tell me... does it sound like I'm playing MMOs to compete from what I just described?
...
Don't get me wrong though, it's cool that some people enjoy that. It would only be a true tragedy if nobody wanted that. I just personally don't get it, just as I'm sure some of the competitive players don't get my point of view either. Such is life. In a worst case scenario, I can always got back to what started it all... get out the dice and all... but frankly, MMOs are so darn convenient these days compared to the prep work, schedule arranging and transportation needed in getting people together, so of course it bugs me when I see MMOs turning into soulless competitive games where all people seem to care about is the latest tier of gear
I completely agree that the big difference between RPG and MMO is the human interaction piece, and there's pros and cons to both. However, human interaction is not purely competitive; there's also something called cooperation.
In single player RPGs, it's not just about getting gear and beating the crap out of mobs (ok, maybe it is a little), but the more important piece is finishing a story. WoW has a history of compelling lore, but that gets lost in level grind, gear grind, faction grind, honor grind, or whatever else it is that we feel compelled to compete in. There's no reward for discovery, or for the journey.
I haven't played WoW since BC came out, and it's heartbreaking to learn that the game I had liked so much is in the toilet.
The circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It's what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.
Comments
"It is interesting to see WOW called a sport. I wonder when the "top players" will start getting salaries. Oh, wait, they won't."
But they already are, there are many top players, teams and even guilds which have been sponsored. You only have to do a simple google search to find this out. Sponsoring includes both PvE and PvP players.
Also sports, does not automatically mean it has to be professional sports before it is somehow legimate.
I have personally, while in a different genre of games, won price money in computer games tournament. This was 10-years ago. Few of my acquaintances from those day already made a living from it.
"The person who experiences greatness must have a feeling for the myth he is in."
Which is all cool if you play multiplayer games because you want to compete. However, some of us play MMOs instead of single player games because we like to interact with real people rather than some AI NPC with scripted responses. Note I said interact, not compete. Oblivion is an awesome game, but it gets mighty lonely and predictable at times. With MMOs, anything can happen. One day I might find myself chilling out doing some quests, then bumping into a fellow adventurer who later becomes a good friend. The next day, I might get dragged into a raid totally unprepared because some good buddies need me and much prefer someone they know over some random dude. The following day I find myself crafting a set of armor for a guild member who really needs it because his account was hacked and his gear stripped. Things like that just don't happen in single player games... but tell me... does it sound like I'm playing MMOs to compete from what I just described?
...Don't get me wrong though, it's cool that some people enjoy that. It would only be a true tragedy if nobody wanted that. I just personally don't get it, just as I'm sure some of the competitive players don't get my point of view either. Such is life. In a worst case scenario, I can always got back to what started it all... get out the dice and all... but frankly, MMOs are so darn convenient these days compared to the prep work, schedule arranging and transportation needed in getting people together, so of course it bugs me when I see MMOs turning into soulless competitive games where all people seem to care about is the latest tier of gear
I completely agree that the big difference between RPG and MMO is the human interaction piece, and there's pros and cons to both. However, human interaction is not purely competitive; there's also something called cooperation.
In single player RPGs, it's not just about getting gear and beating the crap out of mobs (ok, maybe it is a little), but the more important piece is finishing a story. WoW has a history of compelling lore, but that gets lost in level grind, gear grind, faction grind, honor grind, or whatever else it is that we feel compelled to compete in. There's no reward for discovery, or for the journey.
I haven't played WoW since BC came out, and it's heartbreaking to learn that the game I had liked so much is in the toilet.
The circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It's what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.
"If you ain't first, you're last."
- Ricky Bobby 2006