Love Stinks

by Shayalyn

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When you like a game
in development you risk a
major heartbreaker that proves yet again the truth behind the title to
the J. Giles Band's 80's pop tune: "Love Stinks." Something
painful and
tragic can happen when you like a game, something that will rend your
heart into little pieces (and perhaps even put a dent in your
wallet).
When you care about a game, you risk the stinging cold slap of reality,
because there's always a chance that...your chosen game could suck.



Perhaps
I sound bitter, but my brothers and sisters...I've been burned. I
remember my fervent excitement over a much-hyped game called EverQuest
II. So excited was I about seeing this new game, which promised to be
the latest and greatest, that I haunted the EQ2 forums day and night. I
devoured every crumb of information that fell from the developers'
tables. I pre-ordered from GameStop the day the pre-order package was
made available. I jumped out of bed early the day EQ2 arrived at retail
stores and was the first person at the check-out counter claiming my
box. Once I'd finished downloading the game, I anxiously logged in and
created my characters. I hurried into Norrath eager to rediscover the
world I fell in love with back in my glory days in EverQuest Live.
And...and...



Well, I played for months. I played for months
longer than I should have, actually. I wanted so much to love the game,
I really did. After all, hadn't I followed its development from its
early days? It was supposed to love me back! But alas, EQ2 eventually
sucked (at least for me), and I unsubscribed with my heart in tatters.



"It's
not you, it's me," I told SOE during the exit survey. But I didn't
believe that. Eventually I copped to the truth: "You're not the game
that I thought you were." I skulked off to do something more productive
with my time, like reading a book while listening to an endless
succession of breakup songs.



Now here I am liking a game
again. After many breakups with games that, once upon a time, had such
potential, you'd think I'd learn my lesson. But even so, what is life
without gaming? What is gaming without love? I began to miss being
attached to a game. 



And yet, being burned has taught me to
proceed with caution. I recognize the danger in believing that I'm
nothing without a MMOG to love. I keep my expectations in check these
days. I've learned to become attached to a game without putting it on a
pedestal. With the guidance of some brilliant self-help books (with
titles like "You're Just Not that Into It" and "Don't Sweat the Small
Nerfs (And They're All Small Nerfs") I've discovered that I can now
enter into a MMOG relationship with eyes wide open.



Am I
predicting that Vanguard: Saga of Heroes will suck? Not at all. I still
have a wonderful relationship with this game in development. I've just
immunized myself against the heady intoxication of infatuation. I'm a
realist, now. I'll never let myself overlook the flaws in an MMOG,
because that's codependent, and codependency hurts not just the
codependent, but everyone.



Have you been burned? Have you
learned valuable lessons through your MMOG relationships? Tell your
tale of heartbreak in our forum, and while you're at it... href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=380">vote
in our
poll about MMOGs That Hate Gamers and the Gamers Who Love
Them. Or, if
you're bashful, you can email
me.

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