Why in the Hell do people play WOW?

Page 4 - Seeking answers? Join the Tom's Hardware community: where nearly two million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Status
Not open for further replies.
I played because I had played all the prior warcraft games and liked the story, + it looked fun. First Online RPG I ever played. Its rather simple to see why it is addictive, getting anything "good" requires a huge time sink, especially for me while I played, because I liked pvp. I liked the PvP but its really impossible to compete and be a casual player. So you end up sinking the time in to get better gear to improve your experience. The game just has an inherently addictive nature, I think of myself as a normal person, I served in the Army for 6 years, went to college like to socialize, but fell into the WoW consuming all of my time trap, until I finally said enough is enough uninstalled and threw the discs out.

On another note it looks rather defensive and egotistical to rag on other gamers, that they should be out drinking and chasing girls instead of playing a game. Whatever floats someones boat if they would rather play games they would rather play games, why do you care. Should the plether of female gamers be out chasing guys and getting drunk?

Its just annoying, it just looks like you are trying to build yourself up by ragging on people (who you really know nothing about, for all you know they could play wow 40 hours a week, tap ass and get drunk on the weekend) if you really have such an exciting life outside gaming, why are you wasting time posting on a gaming board instead of getting a BJ from some sorority skank.

You sound exactly like plenty of people I encountered while playing the game where all they talked about is what they do other tha playing wow (partying getting laid etc) yet they never ever seemed to log off wow.
 
look, anyone can turn any game into an addiction - one of the most popular online games right now is CoD4, and it has an incredibly addictivie formula that is nothing like WoW's outside the levelling concept.

People talk about WoW addictions, but they forget that most people who are real hardcore gamers that ARENT playing WoW are just playing something else all the time. Whether its fps, rts, or a different style of rpg; people who form fixations with computer games will find any game to play.

I'll admit that I play WoW, but I also have a full time job, 5 dogs, 3 horses, a house, i'm engaged, we show our dogs and horses, and the missus doesn't care (nor do most other people that I know) whether I play video games or not; why? Because I put the people in my life first, and the game second.

Most people who are withdrawan WoW addicts are probably symptomatically schizotypal to begin with!
 


I think some people just want to label some sort of loser status on people that play RPG's. I.E. they arent satisfied with their own life so they play WoW or whatever. Plenty of people probably play BF2 COD4 etc, every waking hour, but for some reason see a difference from themselves and a WoW addict just because they are playing an RPG. Games are an escape from reality TV movies sports even, all escapes from reality, ultimately you are doing something that doesnt mean **** in the real world. Seriously your average adult during the week probably comes home from work, plops on the couch and watches tv until they go to sleep, so someone is more of a loser because they played wow instead of watching tv all night? Its just a stupid argument.

I will tell you what gamers I dislike, I cant stand playing shooters online listening to people arguing which weapons are better in real life when none of em have shot a bb gun let alone an Ak-47 or M-16. (I served in the US Army for 6 years 01-07) so it really grates on my nerves when people who never served in the military talk about it like are authorities on the realities of war.
 
There are some really judgemental people here. How can you judge a general ppopulation based on a few cases of abnormal behavior you've read somewhere? As someone said, any game (especially the good one) can be addictive. There is no difference in a person attempting to get a false sense of achievement in WoW than there is in a person attempting to get that same sense from play CoD, or Oblvion, or GTA IV, etc.

The key is the old adage, "All things in moderation." As long as you are taking care of your business (paying bills, spending time with family, whatever you deem to be something worth doing in YOUR life) why should it matter to anyone else how you spend your FREE time (lets not take that argument to the extreme either, I know there are certiain types that like to do that and will come in and say something silly like, "What if you spend your free time raping people?" You know what I mean.)? It's free time for a reason, you use it to do things you enjoy.

It seems as if you are a WoW player, you're in a no win situation. If you defend why you play the game, you're labeled as a brainwashed Blizzard zealot defending your religion, but if you keep quiet you have to deal with people who in actuality know nothing about you, calling you an antisocial loser. Also, I have to say, it's always funny to me when people list alternatives like drinking alcohol and fornication as things WoW players should be doing. Of course, why play WoW when you can be an alcoholic whore? Or should I not generalize everyone who has a drink as an alcoholic or everyone who has sex a whore? Yeah that would be wrong and ignorant, so why make everyone who plays WoW a antisocial, lifeless loser?

I just started playing WoW last year. Before that I played Guild Wars which was my first fray into world of online gaming. I can't say I was/addicted. I enjoyed playing them, and when I had the free time and inclination I would play them. I haven't played in just over a month now, I guess I will go back when Ulduar is released and there is content I haven't tried/completed. It's not about spending hours upon hours continuously in game for everyone. Of course, there are a lot of people that do, but it's not up to me on how they spend there time.

 
The WoW graphics do suck and it is too easy. I have been playing Lord Of The Rings Online. Holy cow. If you have a nice gaming rig then the first thing that will catch your attention is the graphics especially if you run it in directX 10. The buildings, the forests, the monsters are stunning especially if you are fans of Tolkien and other than the trilogy. Many of his other works are represented in the game.

The gameplay is flawless. You don't have as many options of play as you do in other online games as the number of races and classes are somewhat limited but there is a challenge of playing a burglar for example and playing a burglar well.

I like this game. I live and work in northern Canada where it reaches -50 celsius and its dark by 3pm. Believe me. When I get home from work I don't wanna leave it. I enjoy powering up my computer joining a few friends kill some beasties rather than flicking on the tube and watc MASH or Three's Company reruns.

Thats just me.

Hamsta
 

gz for replying to a post 13 months after it went cold :lol:
 
oof, well, I was looking for something else and this caught my eye. Honestly, look at most of the post here and they sound like they're from US/UK stereotypical 360 live mongers. Whats with all the posts talking about women and bars (obviously a large portion of you have not even reach that age yet, and I bet your parents do not approve of those actions either), really that self conscious about your anonymous peers?

if you don't understand completely this is a note on ignorance and stereotyping, not the defense of WoW players.
 
i play wow because is very fun and you can play with friends meet new gamers but i might be mental like some people here say.. so are the other 11 milion that play wow.
 
WOW is a great game and just like all MMORPGs released the game is highly addictive.

I shifted to Atlantica Online nowadays to save money from subscription costs (Atlantica Online is free to play btw) but i limit the number of hours i play online. Once i get focused in a game i sometimes forgot to eat and do the necessary chores. Also my social life becomes affected because is spend most of my time playing rather than socializing...

Well everything must be taken in moderation i guess...
 
a- WOW doesnt really start until level 80 so if you only played a few levels you have not played the real game

b - wow is an addiction for some people. No joke.

c - I have quit playing it for good a few days ago as I was one of those addicts.

d - Yay me \o/
 
Well I think people just love the game? because once that you were hooked on that game you spent hours for it..I understand them because sometimes playing are not only the reason for me is the game community... they were overwhelmed by their friends and motivate them to play the game... and also WOW is one of the famous game nowadays..
 
I play World of Warcraft, and i definetely do agree that the gameplay sucks. Blizz doesnt even take the time to think up new monsters, every monster in expansions has most likely just been reskinned. but back to the actual questiong

I started playing WoW to have something to do after i finish my work, and i really like it while leveling, but now at 80 after having run every current raid its the same gdam thing over and over.
The only enjoyable thing in WoW for me now is PvP because its the only thing that doesnt change. But my favorite part is The comraderie that is built, (yes, lol loser on teh internets making friends) but talking to my in game friends in Ventrilo, is what i look forward to when i sign on.
 
I've tried WOW, I just went walking around aimlessly, got to lvl 10, got bored, quit.

Back in '03 I started playing D2:lod. Wasted away for 3 years playing it. Stopped for 6 months... then the urge hit again, a year wasted. However, the money per hour entertained is so low that I can't complain at all. I also got addicted to GW (played 1200~hrs), also a great ratio of time played per money spent.

Luckily I'm have too short of an attention span for WOW, those action/strategy rpgs get me every time though.

I hope D3 doesn't come out for another 5 years. I need to save up an emergency D3 fund in that time for the inevitable year in solitude.
 
I had to recently quit WoW, but I sure put in a lot of time beforehand. That game is quite fun in terms of the support sites they have for it with talent calculators, quest info, and you have to give credit to Blizzard for being so open-minded about letting their player-base create their own mods.

I mean, if you don't like exactly everything about WoW, chances are you can throw in a mod to make it the way you'd like it. That's a very nice feature to have in a game.

I'd say the only downsides to the game are the multiple servers (unlike some games where it's one big server, although it would be quite difficult to do that in WoW with their 11 million subscribers), the other downside being the time commitment.

All games require a lot of time and patience, but there are a few games like WoW that really require all of that time in one sitting. You can't really hit the pause button without being inconsiderate and making a bunch of others wait for you to get back. So I guess I had to go find something with a little pause button so I don't get those moments where it's like "I have 10 things to do, but this is going to take at least 2 more hours! SHEESH."

I took my 15/mo payment and subscribed to GameFly. It's like playing WoW except I get to change the game whenever I feel like it. Right now I'm playing Mirror's Edge (In the words of Borat - "Very nice!").
 
Personally speaking, I don't play WOW cause, I'm not that into going around being some role-playing like charadter however, for those of whom find such game interesting & fun be my guest for, I'll settle for Rome:Total War thank you..


BeachHead
 



LMAO!!! good one man, good one!
 
i play wow,but i'm not addicted i have girlfriend and real life,some kind i make a difference between in-game and that what is going on around me,ofcourse the type of people that you are talking about...GEEKS are the really "scourge".They play 22/7 and 2 h sleep :pt1cable: ,but the game is like that,they do play that much because of the event in their mind,to be the first in everything,they don't play because got nothing to do but they want to be first,to be above all,but only in the game,some how some of the players went pro and start earning money,like a friend of mine who is now European Champion,he and his team INNERFIRE from Bulgaria,he did win Intel Extreme Masters in Germany this year.Now about me...why i'm playing wow,i play because i love the sci-fi.We all did seen the Lord Of The Rings movies...i love it,i just love it,the ages that is acting,the way they do war...everything in the movie is like WoW,the game give me the pleasure to be a part of the Dark Ages.Sorceres,warriors,ancient gods,mystic monsters,evil monsters,semi-gods,i'm crazy about the Norse Paganism which is a big part of the game.Thats why i play wow because this things are in my culture,nature and etc. :hello: But i'm not addicted to this game because my needs are quite different than the other players,i'm PvE player,Player versus Environment,i like to go raid for big bad monsters :kaola:
 
I think people play WoW because it's a great game and the developers support it more than any other developing team has ever supported a game. It's a very complicated game that can hook you in multiple ways, whether it be... social, economic, crafting, gearing, exploring and last but not least, achieving goals or being a noted player on a server.

Yes, I played for 3 years, I'm glad I quit(even deleted my character(s)), but I have to say, it is an absolutely amazing game, and has done a great job in paving the way for the future of games, which I think are MMO's.
 
I have never played WoW, but i won't put it on the "don't play" list just because half of the gaming community thinks its a waste of time and full of geeks with no lives. If they don't have lives, how can the rest of us say we have lives. We play the games that we play, simply because they captivate our mind and yes our time. People are different and different things will stimulate their minds. Like so many people have said, "To each his own."

Obviously there have to be some very positive things about the game, as there are millions of people that play it. And half-quoting someone from earlier, there are not millions of "mentally insane" people collaborating on one game. WoW probably has its fair share of mental people just like any FPS or RTG does. Some get addicted to Wow, others get addicted to Team Fortress 2 or Company of Heroes. But everyone has something that can get them hooked. I don't think it's right saying that Wow players are only wasting away their lives with how much time they put in. Examine yourself, how much time you put into a game, and if you are wasting away your life in a fantasy world.

However, there does come a time when someone is playing too much and should step out into reality. This does not just apply to WoW players by any means. This spans across all types of gaming and virtual multimedia. There has to be a healthy balance in what you do. Sure its great that you can meet people that you enjoy playing with over the internet, but there are plenty of things that need to be done or need to be enjoyed in the real world. When gaming causes you to lose a job, fail school, get dumped by your girlfriend, or isolate you from you family, then you know you have a serious problem.

That's just my two cents. To all the people that are cracking down on the Wow players, i hope you have at least played it before so you know for sure that it doesn't fit your tastes. However, you are still in no place to be calling WoW and its players mental or losers or whatever. They probably don't mind it too much because they probably think the same about your "retarded" BF2 or CoD4.

I really enjoy FPS by the way :)

 
Status
Not open for further replies.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom