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Why Do We Play MMORPGs?
Teebee
Member Posts: 6
I'm studying for my BA (Hons) in animation and want to work in the games indusrty, my dissertation is about mmorpgs and the social reasons and effects of them. PLEASE give some of your opinions about these games
What are the positives of playing MMORPGs?
Why do you play these games?
Do you play too much?
Does it effect your social life?
Do you think TV and newspapers give the genre enough coverage?
Is there coverage of the subjects that you think need exposure?
What general subjects do you think a dissertation should cover?
Thanks
Comments
Why do you play these games?
I decided to pick "escapism," understanding that it meant that I play it, to get my mind off other things. I play MMORPGs, mainly so I can get everything off my mind in real life, whether its school, parents, sports, gf, or anything. I also play them because I find them to be fun. I make a couple friends along the way, but its not my main reason why I play these sorts of games.
Do you play too much?
I probably used to with Everquest, but EQ was a pretty addicting game...but it never took over my social life or anything. I just realized that I usually played it an hour or so everyday. However, with WoW now, I know my limits with playing the game. I just take the game slow, so I can enjoy it at the fullest.
Does it effect your social life?
Of the least bit. Nope. Kind of nice though, having a couple schoolfriends playing on the same server too.
Do you think TV and newspapers give the genre enough coverage?
I don't think MMORPGs need the attention that other games might have, such as Halo 2. In my opinion, however, only the real popular games are truly recognized, such as WoW or Everquest II.
Regarding the last two questions, dont have much of an opinion.
curious as to what you all are going to say...
Why do you play these games?
They are worlds with real people and can offer somthing that you could never get from a single player game.
Do you play too much?
Since I can never play a game long enough to get highest level toon, no. I don't play too much.
Does it effect your social life?
No, because I havn't lost any friends due to gamming or stayed home because I could play instead of hang with friends.
Do you think TV and newspapers give the genre enough coverage?
MMORPGS AND GAMES IN GENERAL NEED MOOORRREEE COVERAGE!!!!1
Is there coverage of the subjects that you think need exposure?
Expose it all, not just some.
What general subjects do you think a dissertation should cover?
Disser-what-a-ma-jig?
Your welcome.
To help you with providing data for your dissertation, but more importantly, how to create a framework for your dissertation, I would advise you to take a peek at the Daedalus Project. It's a well-documented, detailed research programme that has gathered data on a variety of MMORPG related topics over the last 5 years and the findings have been presented in the present format for the last 2 years.
I highly recommend the site as an aid to help you conceptualize the subject of your dissertation.
Regards,
Riotgirl
"If you think I'm plucky and scrappy and all I need is love, you're in way over your head. I don't have a heart of gold or get nice. There are a lot nicer people coming up. We call them losers."
What are the positives of playing MMORPGs? None
Why do you play these games? To escape reality
Do you play too much? Used to play 18 hours a day 7 days a week so yes
Does it effect your social life? Very much so in a bad way
Do you think TV and newspapers give the genre enough coverage? Not in england
Is there coverage of the subjects that you think need exposure? No
What general subjects do you think a dissertation should cover? All the questions above
scientology
MMORPG Positives:
Relaxation, making friends (yes, people actually do)
Why PLAY:
Relax from the daily grind.
Do you play too much:
No, since I am only play for a little while each week, however I do spend too much time on the computer as a whole.
Does it affect your social life:
Yes, went to a group meeting of people in my gaming group, was nice to actually meet the people I have been spending time with online. I will excuse myself from an RL event that I really do not want to go to so that I can play.
Do I think that TV and news gives the genre enough coverage:
Not of the positive kind, but then again there is too many stories of people withdrawing from RL just so that they can play a game. There is positive's to the genre.
What subject should a dissertation cover?
The affects of online games has had on the social structure of the world community, has it drawn different cultures closer or has it only lead to a degradation of each culture and social fabric.
Witty saying to amuse you goes here.
I play because it's like a hobby to me. Would you go up to someone who bowls or golfs every week and say "Hey buddy, you need to cut down on this $hit and get a life". No? I didn't think so.
The main reasons are to entertain myself and have fun but also to study them, the flaws and good points so I can define what's good about an mmorpg and what's not to further help my decisions in playing future released games. And maybe one day I can fulfill the pipe dream of helping someone make one
What are the positives of playing MMORPGs?/Why do you play these games?
I moved from my hometown of Anchorage, Alaska to Tyler, TX about five years ago durring my sophmore year of highschool. Everquest was just hitting it's stride at this time and through it my oldest friends and I were able to stay in touch until we finally stopped playing around 2 years ago. We skipped from EQ to Shadowbane and have now moved on to WoW. Now that we've all moved on to college/university life our mmorpg experience is even more important. I don't believe any other type of games support the social aspects that have allowed us to converse so much ingame.
So for positives the largest for me would be staying in contact with my friends around the country (the friends I got to know in real life, not the pseudo-friends I've made ingame). I've also gotten interesting political, social and general opinion/information from people from other countries. These are both why I play the game and the positive aspects of the genre imo.
Do you play too much?
Presently I would answer no, the enjoyment I receive from my ingame experiences far outweigh the lost time. There were times in highschool however where looking back I can see that my EQ playing was detrimentally effecting my studies. Would I go back and change the amount of time I played? No. I had lots of fun and turned out ok after I was done with it.
Does it effect your social life?
My brother would tell you it certainly has, in my opinion however my social life is exactly where I want it to be. I'm in a longterm relationship with the woman I believe I will marry (date set for May 2007, my university graduation date also
). My oldest and best friends, the one's I've known since kindgergarden all keep in-touch through mmorpgs and we'll still pick a city to meet at every year or so. I'm not saying however that I was making all the social contacts I would have been pursuing had I nothing better to do (better is a relative term here of course). The guys I played baseball/football with were great to hang out with once in a while and after practice but we shared very little in common and I'd rather be online in most cases.
Do you think TV and newspapers give the genre enough coverage?
No. But that being said I think that if only worthwhile news made it to the editing block there would be zero space for mmorpgs. As it is I could care less about whether Michal Jackson (sp?) enjoyed touching boys or not. Likewise with Scott Peterson and all the other stories the media enjoy beating to death.
Is there coverage of the subjects that you think need exposure?
I assume this means with regards to the mmorpg genre and if that is the case then yes, I think the subjects that need exposure have gotten them. So far the only blurbs I really remember are an interview with Ben Stein (the clear eyes spokesman/geeky trivia show host) talking about his sons addiction to Everquest and one when EQ passed 500,000 subscribers.
What general subjects do you think a dissertation should cover?
(1) Social Impacts on individuals playing the game, namely negitive ones (more important to know the dangerous side of something than any other part of it imo). Also I don't think Ph.D's are as likely to take a dissertation on the beneficial side of computer games nearly as seriously. (it's a game, noone cares if they relieve stress/are enjoyable because that's what they are supposed to do).
(2) The Economic Impact of MMORPG gaming. The field is turning into a powerhouse producing a shitload of money monthly.
(3) The Changing Face of Human Interaction in the new millinium or something along those lines. Less face-face time and whatnot.
Anyways I hope that helps, feel free to use whatever you want from the above post. Just PM me for my personal info if you ever decide to publish
, I'd love a cushy spot in the acknowledgments somewhere.
Also if you check out my sig you'll see a link on the bottom to an essay which covers the nature of distraction (amongst other things), it's a great read and may be applied to your future work. Good Luck and Enjoy!
WARNING: Spelling and grammatical errors intentionally left in document to test for Anal Retentive Trolls.
"The key to wasting time is distraction. Without distractions it's too obvious to your brain that you're not doing anything with it, and you start to feel uncomfortable." - Paul Graham http://paulgraham.com/hs.html
Why do I play MMORPGs?
The reason is that they are a much more human then single player games.
Single player games are almost always a linier experience where you are cast as some incredibly powerful, lucky, hero is destined to do something great.
In a good MMORPG like eve, one player is just a cog in the giant machine of the universe. The cool thing is that one cog can do some amazing things and have a huge impact on ow the universe works. But you can't do it alone.
The problem with most MMORPGs is they try to create that single player experience, I think that was the downfall of AC2 and will be the downfall of EQ2.
What are the positives of playing MMORPGs?
*Because alot of us like my self enjoy the story of most mmorpgs....and jsut to be able to ecsape our lifes to be an orc warrior...or what ever the classes/chars are in the mmo's we are playing.
Why do you play these games?
*For the story, immersiveness, gameplay, hype, etc.....we akk okay for alot of different reasons.
Do you play too much?
I feel someitmes yes i do play too much.
Does it effect your social life?
Not really
Do you think TV and newspapers give the genre enough coverage?
No
Is there coverage of the subjects that you think need exposure?
Coverage from what?
What general subjects do you think a dissertation should cover
gameplay, storylines
---------------------------------------------
WoW
-Rhalon 85 B.E. rogue
-Rhalon 81 UD Mage
-Doneski 85 Orc death knight
"Everyones life has a beginning and an end, No one can change that."-Hiko
"If you wish to taste the ground, then feel free to attack."-Kenshin Himura
---------------------------------------------
Why do I play mmorpgs?
I play to escape the harsh reality that there are people I can't stand and people I want to stab with a sharp rusted pipe. I play to talk to people who I would ordinarily see on the discovery channel. Oh yeah and play with them to. To relive stress is mostly why I play. To get into my character and do things that are impossible to do but dream it. To play you prove who is the best. To get the most experience better items and spells weapons you name I strive to be him or her for that spot. Playing hours even days (3) to do it as long it doesn't effect my life with the womens or friends or social life...... Much.
________________________________
I must not fear, fear is the mind killer.
Fear is the little death that leads to obliteration, I must permit fear to pass over me and through me.
________________________________
I've maintained for some time that I think there are two real reasons people play MMOs.
1) Accomplishment - the idea of building a character and getting to a point where you can do more or better things is a heavy incentive.
2) Social - you can do the first in a single player CRPG, but no one will know about it. The ability to group with friends or strangers or to show off to others that fancy new armor that you spent 8 hours obtaining is a huge draw.
The two work together. Accomplishment without social is an empty exercise (in a sense). Social without accomplishment is a chat room (cough TSO cough). When the two come together, you have a great experience and a recipe for an obsessive player base.
I don't think gameplay is as big a deal unless it's really bad. It seems to me that lack of players turns people off more than gameplay. When you log onto a game and there are no other players, it feels dead.
-----
Old timer.
Thats like asking people why they go to Disneyland ("Is it a political statement?!")...
Because its fun! Anyone play a game for anyother reason than entertainment, then they really need a psycho evaluation.
"This is not a game to be tossed aside lightly.
It should be thrown with great force"
Thanks for all your feedback, please keep it up. I'll be using many of the comments as quotes in my dissertation so you'll get a mention in the bibliography. You never know, I might end up publishing it as there is very little coverage of this large and lucrative genre of the game industry. I'm just amazed at the amount of feedback from everyone. Thanks again. Teebs
What are the positives of playing MMORPGs?
Longer game play, not to complete in a week.
Why do you play these games?
^^
Do you play too much?
not enough
Does it effect your social life?
no
Do you think TV and newspapers give the genre enough coverage?
not really, not enough coverage.
Is there coverage of the subjects that you think need exposure?
no
What general subjects do you think a dissertation should cover?
f**k knows!!
I Play MMORPG's Main because They Last Longer than any normal single- player game
I suppose i used to play mmorpg's too much but i stopped now and i only play them in my spare time
the only thing they've done to effect my life is get me new friends, which is a good thing.
>Teraki<
What are the positives of playing MMORPGs?
The world actually moves on when you shut down your PC. Which is nice.
Why do you play these games?
I'm bored.
Do you play too much?
Dunno.
Does it effect your social life?
What social life?
Do you think TV and newspapers give the genre enough coverage?
No.
Is there coverage of the subjects that you think need exposure?
Not really.
What general subjects do you think a dissertation should cover?
Dunno
What are the positives of playing MMORPGs?I meet new people and I love the great indoors!
Why do you play these games?Coz I love playing games!
Do you play too much?Is 24 hours a day 2 much?!
Does it effect your social life?Whats one of those?
Do you think TV and newspapers give the genre enough coverage?No not at all,I want to see a monthly maybe even weekly publication then I have a good reason to leave the house!
Is there coverage of the subjects that you think need exposure?I would like to see a fight club mmorpg coz that would be cool!
What general subjects do you think a dissertation should cover?Whats a dissertation?
I went for escapism on this one, not because my life is terrible and i need to pretend it isnt or anything. Its just nice once in a while to absorb yourself in something that doesnt have a serious effect on you and where you dont have to worry about day to day living etc.
As for the questions:
What are the positives of playing MMORPGs?
Encourage social interaction; learn that in life you cant always be the best or cant always win; learn the value of money
Why do you play these games?
I like to try and get my head around who my character is, and when i am playing i think about the problems facing my character, and not those facing me.
Do you play too much?
No, but i used to at one point, and you can become addicted which isnt always nice.
Does it effect your social life?
I have made some friends on MMORPG's, but mostly play with those i socialise with anyway, so if anything it improves my social life. Also i have now moved away from all my old friends so it is a great way to keep in touch when i can see them anymore.
Do you think TV and newspapers give the genre enough coverage?
No, and the coverage they do give is usually negative which i think is a bit unfair.
Is there coverage of the subjects that you think need exposure?
*confused by the question*
What general subjects do you think a dissertation should cover?
I think you should make the dissitation something along the lines of what drives people into roleplaying and if it can have any real benefits other than fun or leisure, and if there can be any downsides of spending time playing a role. You should cover roleplaying in general terms, while concentrating research on the MMORPG genre. Consider things like do people spend more time thinking about where to find a sword+1 than on what to have for lunch and if they can afford the next mortgage repayment. And as for positives consider what would people do without MMORPG's, would they indeed go outside and exercise and socialise, or are they more likely to sit inside on single player games, which pulls them even more from society than when on MMORPG's.
I hope that helps, yet somehow i suspect it wont
MUAHAHAHAHAHA
What are the positives of playing MMORPGs?
-Long-time development of character, player interaction, more content available then in most single-player games. (Although often considerably more uniform)
Why do you play these games?
-Why do people pick any hobby? It it a pasttime that suits me.
Do you play too much?
-I wish I had the time :P
Does it effect your social life?
-Overall effect on my social life is positive rather then negative as many of my friends and collegues play these games as well.
Do you think TV and newspapers give the genre enough coverage?
- TV and newspapers are rather inconvenient medium to cover mmorpgs, so although coverage is very low I wouldn´t call it to little. The web is a more suitable medium.
Is there coverage of the subjects that you think need exposure?
-The only thing I miss from the "normal" media is introductiory advertizements to new and existing MMORPGS
What general subjects do you think a dissertation should cover?
-Explaining the specific media of computer games with the spotlight on the MMORPG genre
-Highlighting differences and simularities between PvP and PvE.
-Touching upon the feature set found in most MMORPGs, such as crafting, questing, monster bashing, character progression and customization, backstory, zones etc.
-Identifying problems common to the genre (gameplay, financial, marketing etc.), isolate their causes and make suggestions for improvement.
-Identifying strengths of the genre and how they can be further solidified.
I play MMORPG's because they are free willing and you can act how u want Good or Evil.
It doesn't really effect my social life as my friends play Legend Of MIR also.
I don't think they do if it wasn't for my friends on LOM i wouldn't have knowing half of the MMORPG'S that are out there
I think they need to advertise more like Sports games etc etc
Thanks again for all your feedback, many quotes from this forum have been put into my dissertation, again if it ever gets published you could have your name in the bibliography. Please keep it up. Teebee.