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WoW: The Warcraft Effect
Posted November 12th, 2008 by Dalmarus
The Destruction of a Mindset
World of Warcraft boasts more North American players than any other single MMOG available, and possibly more than all of them combined. Rather than being happy over the success of the game [As any normal person should be.—Ed.], I want to shoot someone worse than Elmer Fudd on opening day of rabbit season. To be upset about a game's success, especially with all it's done to bring the genre into the mainstream, seems counterproductive on a scale not seen since President Bush's last endorsement for Senator John McCain. It serves no purpose and doesn't get us anywhere.
Or does it?
While WoW must be considered a smashing success, it doesn't stop me from thinking of the game by its true name, Lucifer. That's right kids; I said WoW is The Devil. No longer should mothers be calling for the ban of every geek's favorite game, Dungeon & Dragons, but rather the abomination called WoW. Do you know why? Anyone? Bueller... Bueller? Because it has implanted the horrific concept that a game does not really begin until you reach the max level within the minds of our youth. What in the hell were they thinking?
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Race to the end, little minions! |
It's after the initial start that my hatred for WoW truly begins to take root. I don’t want to constantly wish I could investigate what’s on the hill over there, or beg to explore some lost ruin I see in the distance. I don’t want someone holding my hand the whole trip, telling me where to go. Just like with AOL, eventually you find yourself outgrowing the chains and shackles that have you bound tighter than Madonna’s corset.
If this sick and twisted vision of "games not beginning until you've reached the end" had remained locked within the tortured little world of Azeroth, I'd be content to sit in my rocking chair and yell obscenities at the local whippersnappers as they run across my lawn. As it is though, this poisonous thought has slowly been creeping into other games, and it's time for the madness to stop. Though the concept seems lost on those who have only played (or initially came from) WoW, there used to be an era where players would actually take their time and enjoy the adventures they had, rather than attempting to rush through them faster than The Flash on ephedrine. The journey itself was appreciated and savored rather than discarded with little thought.
I know this may come as a shock to some of you, but there are a great number of us that actually enjoy taking our time through a game. I'm proud of the fact that I've spent over a year exploring the lands of Telon in Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, yet there are still a number of places I've never been. I'm tickled pink that I still come across something new on a regular basis as I just pick a direction and wander off the beaten path. Vanguard has more soul than Marvin Gaye but it’s the journeys you make that give it that soul rather than the end of the game.
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Relax a little! |
Some games are all about exploration and don’t funnel players down a particular path with few choices. Vanguard gives you more paths of opportunity than your favorite Choose Your Own Adventure book. Chances are, you'll die if you're not careful, but you'll always have the freedom to get yourself into (and out of) those situations. Nothing kills a game for me faster than feeling like I'm zipping along on a roller coaster with no way to get off the tracks. I don't want to play a game for X amount of hours just to find out the game I was playing isn't the game it turns out to be. Don't change the rules on me. The late content in any game shouldn't make the beginning content feel like the missing link. One sits around dreaming of the stars while the other is flinging poop in every direction. No matter how you look at it, that's just not right.
So am I a man on a mission, or just another nut case spewing the same vitriol as every other whack job... like Pee Wee? [That is an incredibly disgusting image.—Ed.] I commend Blizzard on the smashing success of their game, but I'm tired of their players coming into my games and complaining about how they raced through the content to find that they skipped over all the parts that make the game what it is. Forcing a player to get to the end of a game before they’ll truly be able to enjoy it makes about as much sense as Boomhauer discussing the internet. It might seem funny at first, but in the end, it will make you weep for the future of humanity.
Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Ten Ton Hammer network or staff.
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Genre: Fantasy
Status: Published
Release Date: November 23, 2004
Fee: P2P
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