Chapter Four begins with Nardi discussing WoW as new digital medium. I completely agree with her and really liked some of the comparisons that she makes. It is very much like a sport, and uses baseball as an example. The desire players have to develop their skills to move further along in the game is very similar to players advancing through the minor league ranks of sports in hopes of one day "mastering the game." The visual performance part of it reminds me of the types of activities that take place during sporting events. WoW is like playing in the game, but being a spectator as well. The player is involved directly in the competition, but is also exposed to the theatrical events, much like the halftime show of a football game.
Another interesting section in this chapter discussed the release of the first expansion, "The Burning Crusade." This too, can be related to sports. This new expansion divided many existing teams as players progressed through the levels more quickly than others that they normally played with. The raids became smaller, similar to the playoff rosters for sporting teams. NFL teams go from 84 players in the preseason, to 52 in the regular season, to 46 in the playoffs. This created a divide that split many guilds because people that were normally involved in raids were no longer a part of them. It was interesting to read about the sharp divide this expansion created through the subtle changes that it made. Players and guilds had adjusted to the existing rules in the game, and the new expansion made the drastically alter the way they approached their own progression.
I found the study of Second Life to be an example of why WoW remains so successful today. As fast as technology changes, we as a society have not had a chance to adapt to it. I tend to agree with Turkle in that regard, and Second Life opens the door and exposes shortcomings that we have as a society. The turn to shopping and sex does not surprise me since creating an avatar allows people to live out many desires that wouldn't otherwise be able to. WoW provides a great deal of personal customization and social interaction, but keeps the game centered around competition. To me, this is the foundation of gaming. Allowing the game itself to be shaped by its players is like having a country with no government. It will almost always shift to one extreme. WoW has created such a rich environment that the players stay focused on the actual game-play rather than living out their suppressed social desires.
An interesting aspect of WoW is the concept of "working." I remember being exposed to this game the first day in class and Dr. Haynes referred to the "mundane" activities as relaxing. This is an interesting characteristic of the game, as many of the people Nardi documented did not feel the same way. I think this is somewhat parallel to life in general. Many people actually prefer to work and if given the choice would stay employed even if they were financially stable. When a game is so vast and requires the involvement of so many people, I can certainly see how it would feel like work. WoW blends the idea of work and competition which makes players feel pressured to become involved when they are not currently playing. The idea of others making progress without them and that other players are waiting for them can be stressful.
With the combination of all these factors, games can get addictive quickly. I remember when Nintendo 64 came out, and I played Mario Kart 64 for 24 hours without even eating a meal. Combining the addictive traits of gaming with social media can lead to unfortunate scenarios, many of them mentioned by Nardi. The quote mentioning the social qualities that WoW provides without the "faults" of real life really stood out to me. I think this temptation is the sole drawback of social media in general. It is easy to feel involved in a game like this and lose sense of reality because you are still interacting with other people, but without the pressures of life.
No comments:
Post a Comment