An Interview with DrainingSouls.net on MMORPGs
February 21st, 2008
Its not often that I cover PC games let alone MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) in this blog so I thought that it was about high time I did. But I have no idea where to start, I’ve never even played a MMORPG before. So to fix this I’ve enlisted the help of DrainingSouls.net’s Adrenis whom I recently interviewed to clear up some misconceptions and possibly help start me off on my own MMORPG experience.
Daniel Primed: Thanks for being part of the article Adrenis, can you introduce yourself to the readers so that we have an idea of who you are?
Adrenis: My real name is John Pickett, and I’m a 27 year old guy living in the southeastern US. I’m married and have a one and a half year old son. I was introduced to MMOs when I picked up WoW (DP: thats World of Warcraft) a little over two years ago, and basically haven’t played any other video games since then.
I’m slowly turning my entire household into WoW fanatics – I’ve already convinced my wife to play with me on occasion, and I’m sure that my son will be an avid player as soon as he can sit at a computer and not try to eat the keyboard.
DP: Now as you know I’m not into MMORPGs myself, its just a genre which has never interested me. So what do you think is the appeal of MMORPGs to so many gamers?
Adrenis: I think there are a number of things that attract people to MMOs. First is their social nature. It’s nearly always more fun to play games with other people. The last video game I was really into before WoW was Halo
2. I logged around 40 to 50 hours in the Campaign (singleplayer) mode and then got pretty tired of it. On the other hand, I spent hundreds of hours online playing multiplayer on Xbox Live before I got tired of that. Most games are more fun and engaging when you can play them with other people.
On top of that is the go anywhere, do anything factor in MMOs. If you want to quest, then go right ahead. If you want to go exploring, you can do that to. If you want to just hang out in a city and talk to people in chat, that’s an option too. I think people enjoy not being forced to do stuff like in a typical video game.
DP: Awesome, now I can think of 3 or 4 reasons why I don’t play MMORPGs but deep down I can’t help but think that they are preconceived notions or stereotypes that I’ve formed from my outsider view of the genre. So I want to run each of these past you so that I can get a better perspective on the games.
Adrenis: Ok, shoot.
DP: Firstly; it takes a lot of time and dedication to play a MMORPG and I don’t have the extensive free time to play it so therefore its not worth me playing.
Adrenis: That is a misconception that I bet a lot of people have. It is entirely possible to devote your entire life to WoW. It’s addictive enough that you can enjoy playing it for 8 to 10 hours straight and there’s enough to do that you don’t get bored easily. However, having vast quantities of time to spend in it isn’t required in any sense. It is totally possible to spend more normal amounts of time in WoW (say, an hour or two a day) and still enjoy it.
It really all depends on what you want to accomplish in the game. If you want to be a top level raider in a leading guild or a world famous PvPer (DP: PvP = Player Vs Player), then that will require a good bit of time and dedication. But if you just want to play the game to have fun, it wouldn’t require more time than any other video game you play.
Additional Guest Writing
February 17th, 2008
I want to tell you readers that I’ve been a little disappointed with the last few posts here on my Gamer Blog. Although I am definetly pleased with them I feel as though I have wound down a bit after a fantastic run of A grade posts. I’ve been trying to continue to raise the bar but for this week (thats last week) the bar has remained stationary.
I’ve had a bit of writers block recently and most of my attention has been put into a guest post that I wrote over at the Retro Gaming with RacketBoy titled:
Nintendo Games & Franchises Forgotten Too Quickly
For a few months I have wanted to contribute a full article to this blog and finally I have done just that. I also wanted to write this the guest article to address what I see to be a major problem. It really does frustrate me how so many non franchise, Nintendo titles suffer at the hand of the big three, Nintendo’s own Triforce. So if you are looking for a unique, refreshing game to play then check out any of the games listed.
I was looking forward to sharing my ideas about the new King of Fighters trailer from the AOU this morning. Unfortunately I am still recovering from some stuff that happened on the weekend so I might just have to write that one up later on. So please check out my guest post in the meantime.
Hard Copy Collection Vs Digital Distribution
February 14th, 2008
As I mentioned some time ago I am currently on a quest to complete my video game collection. Now despite the growing success of the digital download services, I refuse to use these services to complete my collection. As a gamer of most of the generations that these services cover I feel as though should own as many original copies as feasible. Its my responsibility.
Not everyone is a stubborn as me when it comes to digital downloads. But I’m sure that these services have encouraged new gamers to perhaps take a look around at eBay or second hand stores to see what is available to them in hard copy format. So it begs the questions for both the hardened collector and the person that is thinking about the prospects of collecting. Should I choose Hard copy collecting or Digital distribution or even a mixture of both?
Its topic has probably become a little redundant now but for those still on the fence:
Owning the Original Cartridge or CD
Positives
- You physically own the game and its contents; manual, box, publisher propaganda, a world map and in some cases a free watch or soundtrack (Killer Instinct)
- You can use the original game pad that the game was made for and enjoy the game how it was originally intended to be played
- You get to build up a neat little game collection to impress your mates and pull chicks
- If you are a bargain hunter then you will definitely get a kick out of buying retro games
Negatives
- Do you enjoy continuously blowing inside a cartriage?
- Often it can be quite difficult to find a complete game let alone a game that comes with a box
- Should you really need to pay through the nose? Just to get the original copy?
- Do you like being overcharged for shipping?
- Original games (especially when bought off eBay) generally cost more than their digital counterpart
- If you don’t have the console already then you’ll have to buy that too as well as any additional accessories
- You physically need to store your games
- Carts won’t last forever
Digital Distribution
Positives
- You can build up a great supply of games in less than an hour = instant satisfaction
- Slowdown and other issues due to the original console’s hardware go away because you are playing the game on a superior machine
- Upgrades to existing games like online mode force inferiority onto original games
- There is a constant stream of games being added to these services, so there is always something to look forward to
- You can buy games never originally released in your region
- Save on room space
- Games often receive visual upgrades (sharper, high resolution)
Negatives
- Peripheral orientated games more than likely won’t be ported over
- No physical objects, no complementary gimmick
- You don’t get to play on the original pad
- A number of Virtual Console games don’t allow for 60hz
- There will always be more physical games to choose from
- Some downloadable games actually have less features than the original
- There is no bargain hunting, you always have to pay premium price
- Retro gaming compilations can save you a wallet full of cash
- You have the guilt of feeling like a n00b for never owning the original
I hope that this dot point guide helps you decide which path to go down. A mixture of both is always good as well.
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