Casual Friday - Video Games
For the ultimate in fun time sinks, I have one word for you…MMORPGs.
Ok, so it’s technically 6 words: Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. Massively Multiplayer Online refers to the fact that you play in a world with other people, more than the 5 or 6 that you can usually play with together in a TCP/IP connected game. You can be in game with literally hundreds of other people with whom you can interact, chat, and play. It’s part game, part social.
There are a number of games in the MMORPG genre, but I will highlight only a few of the best known.
- EverQuest: I played EverQuest for over 4 years, and I still have a soft spot for this game as it is where I met my husband. Yes, we met in a video game, and we’ve been quite happy together for almost 6 years now.
- EverQuest II: This is the 2nd game in the EverQuest world, set 500 years after the setting in EverQuest. This is the game my husband and I currently play. We’ve found this game to be very casual player friendly, and it lets you progress as slowly or as quickly as you like. It also very robust tradeskill play, if you enjoy tradeskilling (which I do way too much).
- World of Warcraft: I haven’t played WoW, but I have a number of friends who have and are still playing it. It is supposed to also be very friendly to the casual player (meaning you can progress without playing for hours on end). If any of you have played it and want to throw a recommendation in, please feel free to do so.
The downside of MMORPGs is that they generally have a monthly cost associated with it. EQII costs $15 per month. The other downside is that it can be quite addictive if you let it be.
The upside of MMORPGs is that they are just plain fun! Really, if you haven’t played one before, at least try it out. Most of them have a free trial so you can get a feel for the game before you buy it. If you’ve never played an MMORPG before, this is a good way to start as the trial generally has a very good tutorial, since there’s a bit of a learning curve to play one.
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2 Responses to “Casual Friday - Video Games”
March 25th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I have never played an MMORPG for lack of time and money (cannot justify monthly fee for sporadic use), but I have friends who do. I can attest to its addictive potential. One friend was a brilliant student who was sucked into MUDs (precursor to the MMORPGs) and eventually had to redo a year of school. We have also heard other anecdotes, such as that of the Korean who recently died after several days of non-stop play. For those who have self-control, however, MMORPGs can be a fun and social means of entertainment.
Andy’s last blog post..Image of A True Airhead (Pneumocephalus)
March 25th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
It’s true that if you have an addictive personality, video games like anything else can become an addiction. But for the rest of us, it’s just plain fun. My husband and I probably play 10 or so hours a week. That sounds like a lot until you realize we don’t watch TV *laughs*. We even turned our cable off. We just couldn’t justify the cost for something we used so rarely.
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