Monday, March 27, 2006
Why we pay to play
MMORPGs.
If you are not a gamer MMORPG (massive mulitplayer online role playing game) means you play an online game inwhich you play with other people online and gain levels and get better at it. Also you have to pay about $15 a month to play it. I get a lot of smack talk from nongamers and gamers alike about that. "Why do you have to pay constantly to play a game?" Well I will tell you
Here is your typical great game. You play it for about 16- 20 hours and beat it. Then you play it some more and unlock the things you looked up online... this encompasses another 6 hours or so. Next you hopefully have a friend that will play multiplayer (if it even has multiplayer) with you until you both get tired of it (another 12 hours). Thats the end of $50 for your game. You paid $50 to play about 38 hours of a game and then it sits on your shelf until you sell it.
Here is how a great MMORPG works. You pick and customize your character (1-2 hours). This is important because in online games it ACTUALLY matters what your stats are and what you look like. (and I think it is one of the funnest parts). You play until you get through the beginner lvls (20 hours). You play with other people online who will play the same game with you and go exploring/making new equipment/helping new people out/working the market... until you beat it with the character you created (200+ hours!!). Next you make a new character that works totally differently and starts off somewhere completely new and play until you beat it (120+ hours (less hours because you are experienced)) Totaling 342+ hours on this game.
The point is, is that on an online subscription fee based games you are actually accomplishing something. You are gaining levels and working with real people... you are having fun with people and being useful. Other games are fun but once you are done its over it is a pretty short lived experience unless it is a great party game AND you have a friend that will play it with you then it will extend your game but no where near an mmorpg's level.
On that note here are a few MMORGP's that are tons of fun.
Everquest 2 - Fantasy character game, moderate learning curve, TONS of stuff to do, extremely long game that has the level grind (work long and hard for the next level) great character graphic, bland world
World of warcraft - Fantasy character game, very user friendly, bright and colorful live world, no grind
Eve online - Spaceship game, feels and looks like real outer space (very pretty and BIG), very high learning curve, learn skills so "leveling" makes sence
City of heroes/villians - Be a super hero/villain, TONS of character customization, no item creation type stuff, moderate learning curve
Guild Wars - no subscription fee!!, short lived game (only lvl 20), not much camaraderie due to no real penalty for death or abandoning group mid mission, lots of kids play it
You will find me on EVE or World of warcraft the most
If you are not a gamer MMORPG (massive mulitplayer online role playing game) means you play an online game inwhich you play with other people online and gain levels and get better at it. Also you have to pay about $15 a month to play it. I get a lot of smack talk from nongamers and gamers alike about that. "Why do you have to pay constantly to play a game?" Well I will tell you
Here is your typical great game. You play it for about 16- 20 hours and beat it. Then you play it some more and unlock the things you looked up online... this encompasses another 6 hours or so. Next you hopefully have a friend that will play multiplayer (if it even has multiplayer) with you until you both get tired of it (another 12 hours). Thats the end of $50 for your game. You paid $50 to play about 38 hours of a game and then it sits on your shelf until you sell it.
Here is how a great MMORPG works. You pick and customize your character (1-2 hours). This is important because in online games it ACTUALLY matters what your stats are and what you look like. (and I think it is one of the funnest parts). You play until you get through the beginner lvls (20 hours). You play with other people online who will play the same game with you and go exploring/making new equipment/helping new people out/working the market... until you beat it with the character you created (200+ hours!!). Next you make a new character that works totally differently and starts off somewhere completely new and play until you beat it (120+ hours (less hours because you are experienced)) Totaling 342+ hours on this game.
The point is, is that on an online subscription fee based games you are actually accomplishing something. You are gaining levels and working with real people... you are having fun with people and being useful. Other games are fun but once you are done its over it is a pretty short lived experience unless it is a great party game AND you have a friend that will play it with you then it will extend your game but no where near an mmorpg's level.
On that note here are a few MMORGP's that are tons of fun.
Everquest 2 - Fantasy character game, moderate learning curve, TONS of stuff to do, extremely long game that has the level grind (work long and hard for the next level) great character graphic, bland world
World of warcraft - Fantasy character game, very user friendly, bright and colorful live world, no grind
Eve online - Spaceship game, feels and looks like real outer space (very pretty and BIG), very high learning curve, learn skills so "leveling" makes sence
City of heroes/villians - Be a super hero/villain, TONS of character customization, no item creation type stuff, moderate learning curve
Guild Wars - no subscription fee!!, short lived game (only lvl 20), not much camaraderie due to no real penalty for death or abandoning group mid mission, lots of kids play it
You will find me on EVE or World of warcraft the most
David 9:46 AM
2 Comments:
thus far, i have sat and watched my brother, his friends, and the rare male baby-sitter play video game after video game. i enjoy sitting there. when i try to play the game myself, i'm too afraid to get killed so i play one or two levels and then never touch it again; except for altering the characters outfits and shtuff.
hmm your comments aren't showing up on my blog until I click it. What game was it?