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Friday 26 November 2010

Why I play WoW

It's been a month and a bit since I started playing WoW and I have asked myself why I play.

No doubt that in the beginning the reason I started playing was because of my husband and the feeling that I needed a new hobby. I clicked with the game straight away. It's so accessible and can be played individually or socially, it can be taken to any level and extreme...from just being happy questing to revising tactics for a raid. It can be played religiously, taking over lives, filling holes in lives or played once a week or less. It can be a laugh, a place to escape or it can feel like work. Why do you play wow?

I've always had a competitive nature and I find most of the time when I've been playing has been about wanting to impress my husband. I want him to turn around and say that I'm good - from never having played a game like this, never touching an Xbox or PlayStation - I've got the hang of the game. Now as I progress through the levels, I feel like I have proven that I can play...but now I want to play efficiently. Is any one way better than another? It's my aim that I be the best way I can. I feel good if no-one dies in a dungeon run, I feel empowered that I can keep them alive or let them die - and that is what makes me want to log in everyday. The thrill and rush when the game goes well, when I perform well. Maybe I'm addicted to WoW or maybe I lead a sad life...I don't think so, I have priorities and WoW isn't near the top of the list, so what's the pull? The answer for me is simple. It's fun!

So why do I play wow? I enjoy it, I can escape into Azeroth and not think about the real world for an hour...I can fight against evil and work with friends to accomplish tasks, I can make playing the game a skill that has to be studied and adapted when necessary. I can laugh, and feel frustrated and work hard to attain something. I can fuel my need for competition, I can wonder as to how an online game has captured so much of my imagination and time, I can question myself as to why I didn't play wow sooner than I did and I can enjoy the fact that everyday I become a little more nerdier!

"we do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing."

1 comment:

Clare said...

That's one of the great things about being a priest. If you get put into a dungeon with arses, you can let them snuff it royally and healers are so scarce, you can jump right to the front of another queue! :D