July 7, 2011

Why MMOs Get a Bad Wrap

Have you ever felt embarrassed to tell people that you play an MMO? I have, and it's kind of ridiculous. I've always felt that MMOs are games just like any other game that people play, such as Call of Duty, Halo, etc. Why is it that someone who plays an MMO is automatically scoffed at or considered a loser? Even making assumptions that playing it means you do nothing but play the mmo of your choice. I've played plenty of MMOs and have always wondered that, but recently my friend told me something about World of Warcraft that completely gave me the answer.

What is the Answer?

Do you know those people on all the MMOs that think they're really cool for being a higher level then you? Showing off their overpriced mounts from micro transactions or their ridiculous amounts of gold or high stats? Well, those are the type of people that are giving MMOs it's bad rap as "virtual crack" or the games for nerds. People like this play an MMO for hours each day, leveling alts and just being way to serious about the GAME in general, treating it as if it has actual importance that will always matter. Basically they get addicted to the game and start doing weird things since they are so dedicated, like playing the game to the point of neglecting truly important things. That's when the game starts getting into news etc. and getting it's bad rap from people who have never even touched the game mentioned. Most people consider this type of person a "loser" and assume that all players of the said MMO are associated with the overly serious players, and assume that all MMO players are nerdy hard core play all day type of people. (some call them no-lifers but that's not really a fair term).

While this is true for some players, assuming that everyone is like this is also unfair. Sure, playing an MMO all day isn't going to get you a job (in-game jobs DO NOT count), a girlfriend (in-game girlfriends DO NOT count), or any of your wants outside of the game. That doesn't mean 100% of these players are like this though, in fact, they are in the minority. You'd be surprised how many of your friend play some form of MMO on the side.

Must get to lvl 85!!!!

The answer to why MMOs get a bad rap is simple: The hardcore players make the game look nerdy/bad to the public eye, and news stories of people playing until they pass out doesn't help.. It's unfair to the casual players that they have to keep it a secret that they play MMOs because they're playing a game just like anyone else. I have heard some "hardcore" MMO players say they have to play MMOs because people in real life don't accept them. So they get lured into a virtual world where they can make friends on equal grounds where everyone is more or less equal, since real world looks/abilities don't matter. This is usually a result of bad social skills. All I have to say to that is your social life won't get better by sitting at your computer all day.