New York Times WoW Article

[HardcoreRobot]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/06/arts/...nnlx=1126630864-iRiySKyU2KjQDOo5Q003hw

I must say I disagree with the guy at the end.

 

[stnicralisk]

I dont agree with his blanket statement either. It is ignorant for him to talk about what we do or dont need as people. Everyone I know does something to escape reality - videogames, television, books, etc.

 

[UlricT]

How can 1.5 million chinese afford to pay $15 a month????

 

[znaps]

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/06/arts/...nnlx=1126630864-iRiySKyU2KjQDOo5Q003hw

I must say I disagree with the guy at the end.

Yeah, I have to say his last comment was arrogant, and frankly idiotic.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

Originally posted by: UlricT
How can 1.5 million chinese afford to pay $15 a month????

by ebaying gold to us rich americans lol

i think they share accounts too

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

"We don't need the imaginary outlet to feel a sense of accomplishment here."

Well, I think there is definitely something in the cultures and heritages of different nations that leads them to enroll in these kinds of games in different numbers. You'd be hard pressed to disagree that emotional isolation is a major theme in a large percentage of Asian art which reflects the heart of the society. MMORPGs are a way to safely and anonymously break out of that shell. Perhaps why RPGs in general have always been HUGE in Asia.

OTOH, I think Americans have just as much of a pentient for these games. It's just that our motivation is more out of a need for adventure in out daily lives typicaly filled with cubicles, coffee in styrofoam cups, and white mid-size sedans.

 

[CKent]

Ugh, it always gets to me when people who probably watch 4 hours of sitcoms and soap ope.. er, "dramas" a night, with the same jokes and plots that have been recycled for over 5 decades, put down something which costs far less and requires social interaction & the ability to actually think :roll:

 

[PingSpike]

Yeah, that quote at the end...man what an elitist douche.

 

[MrBond]

World of Warcraft has taken off in many countries because Blizzard has made a game that is easy for casual players to understand and feel successful in, while including enough depth to engross serious gamers, who may play a game like World of Warcraft for 30 hours a week or more. Previously, many massively multiplayer games had seemed to pride themselves on their difficulty and arcane control schemes.

This is why I play WoW. I've tried other MMO's before but WoW is the first one that makes it easy for the casual player. I play on a PVP server and don't have to worry about my items/gold going to some high-level ganker. I don't play on the weekends or every night, so when I do play almost all my XP is rested XP, which makes leveling faster (I've gained half a level just from doing SM Armory/Cath before).

And that quote on at the end was pretty bad - I'd also argue that there's many people here in America who DO need that sense of accomplisment given by finding a purple item/killing a major raid boss/etc.

 

[znaps]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
"We don't need the imaginary outlet to feel a sense of accomplishment here."

Well, I think there is definitely something in the cultures and heritages of different nations that leads them to enroll in these kinds of games in different numbers. You'd be hard pressed to disagree that emotional isolation is a major theme in a large percentage of Asian art which reflects the heart of the society. MMORPGs are a way to safely and anonymously break out of that shell. Perhaps why RPGs in general have always been HUGE in Asia.

OTOH, I think Americans have just as much of a pentient for these games. It's just that our modivation is more out of a need for adventure in out daily lives typicaly filled with cubicles, coffee in styrofoam cups, and white mid-size sedans.

Emotional isolation is a major theme in plenty of literature all over the world, and in the USA it's very common.

I think he was referring to China's socialist regime preventing oneself striking out on one's own and achieving something, but to say that it is impossible in the USA to feel like that is just wrong.

 

[jack1201]

This article is not about game, it is about business.

 

[skace]

Trying to tell people what they do or do not need, big mistake.

 

[PingSpike]

I also liked the whining quotes from the non-blizzard developers. They talk about WoW like its some sort of monoply stealing all their business, when its actually a new kid on the block. Other developers that made this genre had plenty more opportunity to gain a stranglehold on the market, they just didn't bother to make the product everyone wanted.

 

[LeetViet]

Originally posted by: UlricT
How can 1.5 million chinese afford to pay $15 a month????

Chinese players don't pay $15/month.

 

[Fenixgoon]

can't other companies just admit that WoW totally owned their products?