"WoW is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) now with over 10 million players worldwide. WoW allows a player to create and control a player character represented by a fully rendered avatar (also lovingly called a toon) in a high-fantasy game world where they can explore cities and landscapes, participate in quests and battleground events, and fight and interact with computer-controlled characters as well as other players."
To many talk of WoW will lead to raised eyebrows, a snort of laughter, maybe a judgemental look that says 'you have no life' and ultimately the word 'geek' will be floating around whether voiced or thought. But as an active member of such an online community, and yes community, I feel the need to fight our corner. Now I've only been a WoW player since late may, and yes prior to this I had an uninformed and negative view of the game. Such controversy has surrounded games like WoW, with issues such as addiction and 'life stealer' being rife.
Do you have to sacrifice your life in order to enjoy playing online? Are you a certain type of person if you play these games? Well I can't speak for everyone but I certainly have a life outside of WoW.
Many people incorrectly assume that online gaming is something that appeals only to teenage boys but according to recent surveys they only make up 25% of the WoW demographic. Not too surprisingly 84% are male players and 16% female, the average age also being 28.
Now for a start I'm 20, and I'm pretty sure I am female :P so that immediately puts me in the minority. As for lifestyle I study communication and media, I enjoy clubbing, drinking, socialising, reading, movies and fashion and beauty. Attributes which, while maybe not fitting of a stereotypical WoW player, certainly prove that the WoW community is diverse. For all of you who assume a WoW player is a greasy, teenage boy who lacks the ability to communicate with the opposite gender you are very wrong.
In game you are provided with the opportunity to join a 'guild' an online society of players who can play together, help one-another and chat about your character, experiences or about anything at all. Yes, WoW can be a social outlet as well as an engaging and complex online game. My boyfriend introduced me to WoW and now we play together, we can slob in our uni house living room after a big night out, fighting off our hangovers by fighting monsters together :P The epitome of geek perhaps? Well who cares! We enjoy how we spend our time and we certainly play with moderation. As for our 'guild' We have been in a few in the past where nobody spoke and people seemed far too serious for our liking, but now we have found a sociable bunch in our latest, which coincidentally happens to be a south African guild.
"The richness and complexity of WoW's game world as well as the concomitant social, cultural, and economic possibilities both in- and out-of-game make MMORPGs significant for play, study, and analysis." (C.L, Selfe, 1999)
The WoW player can range from the very dedicated, who enjoys training to push their character to be the best they can, to the casual player (like me) who enjoys the social and interactive side. I've always enjoyed gaming and luckily as a girl you avoid getting much stick for this. My true love will always remain with Link and the various legend of Zelda games, and I have many fond memories of riding Epona into the sunset. Well, for now I am happy levelling my sexy blood elf hunter so that she kicks some ass in the BG's ;-) Twilight's hammer (for you wowbies) character name Sydney.
I'll keep you updated on my WoW experiences folks,
Lots of Love
Alfie xx
P.s definition of 'geek' from my mac's dictionary - " an unfashionable or socially inept person."
Well I'm certainly sociable and as for fashion I'm a shopping fanatic, so there :-p
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