Although I've been sitting in front of monitors playing computer games ever since the late eighties and my one-proud Amstrad 6128, I've been recently informed by a friend that I'm no longer considered a gamer per se; that is because I don't actually play anything else than MMORPGs.
It's more or less true. With the possible exception of some really good single-player releases (Skyrim, Dragon Age, I'm looking at you, you life-stealing black hole where my evenings go to die) I've long stopped even trying out most genres let alone individual games. Gone are the days I used to try out first-person shooters or my once-beloved real time strategy zerg-a-vaganzas. No, unless I'm playing a character who gets somehow into adventures and his prowess' progress is measured in magical armor and glowing swords I simply don't bother for long.
The thing - and my plight now - is this: I'm stuck. I'm in a rut. I don't feel like playing much of anything. After years and years of continual service to World of Warcraft and assorted attempts at finding a new mistress - City of Heroes was a good try, Age of Conan came and went, Warhammer Online was great but didn't last - I thought that perhaps Bioware's latest and best would do it. Star Wars: The Old Republic was hailed by the entire industry as something of a messiah that would usher games into some mythical new age of MMORPGs' next generation.
Well, it was good. I can't find anything wrong with Star Wars. I liked the movies just fine, I've even been a good nerd and even read some of its Extended Universe {tm} books. Lightsabers are great. Sith are great. Jedi - great. The Old Republic was quite decent, I put my hours into it, I visited a bunch of alien landscapes filled with horrors and delights along with my trusty blaster and cute sidekick companion in a tight outfit. By all means I ought to be hooked by now, addicted and surgically attached to my mouse trying to preserve my sanity and sleep patterns as they both slipped away from my feeble grasp.
However... Well, however that's not what happened. Yesterday I even got an automated e-mail by Bioware letting me know that 'Mako misses me' - she's the cute sidekick mentioned above - since I haven't been on in a week or more. And they're right, poor Mako is right, I haven't.
By all means I can't blame this on the game. I don't think I'd be playing much more if I was still on WoW, either. And experience has taught me in the way experience only gives you insights after you've been burned by their absence several times in the past, that when everything else remains the same and your reaction is different, that what has changed is yourself.
It's not the games that are less fun. To some bright eyed lad coming into the massively multiplayer scene right now I'm sure the industry could do no wrong by him; that not-so imaginary person would invariably become as hooked to the experience as I was. That I haven't simply means it's not what I'm looking for right now.
Of course it's not the first time this has happened. I've burned out on gaming before and stayed away for months at a time. It's usually been some sort of event that gets me back, such as the launch of a brand new expansion and/or friends of mine making a guild and offering me vast virtual riches and complicated looking armor sets in exchange for every single minute of free time I have. But not even such lush propositions seem to catch my eye these days.
A rut. And if I don't play MMORPGs, given that I don't really play anything else, what on earth does that leave me with?
What is left of my identity when so much that is geeky and good has melted away? Brr!
It's more or less true. With the possible exception of some really good single-player releases (Skyrim, Dragon Age, I'm looking at you, you life-stealing black hole where my evenings go to die) I've long stopped even trying out most genres let alone individual games. Gone are the days I used to try out first-person shooters or my once-beloved real time strategy zerg-a-vaganzas. No, unless I'm playing a character who gets somehow into adventures and his prowess' progress is measured in magical armor and glowing swords I simply don't bother for long.
The thing - and my plight now - is this: I'm stuck. I'm in a rut. I don't feel like playing much of anything. After years and years of continual service to World of Warcraft and assorted attempts at finding a new mistress - City of Heroes was a good try, Age of Conan came and went, Warhammer Online was great but didn't last - I thought that perhaps Bioware's latest and best would do it. Star Wars: The Old Republic was hailed by the entire industry as something of a messiah that would usher games into some mythical new age of MMORPGs' next generation.
Well, it was good. I can't find anything wrong with Star Wars. I liked the movies just fine, I've even been a good nerd and even read some of its Extended Universe {tm} books. Lightsabers are great. Sith are great. Jedi - great. The Old Republic was quite decent, I put my hours into it, I visited a bunch of alien landscapes filled with horrors and delights along with my trusty blaster and cute sidekick companion in a tight outfit. By all means I ought to be hooked by now, addicted and surgically attached to my mouse trying to preserve my sanity and sleep patterns as they both slipped away from my feeble grasp.
However... Well, however that's not what happened. Yesterday I even got an automated e-mail by Bioware letting me know that 'Mako misses me' - she's the cute sidekick mentioned above - since I haven't been on in a week or more. And they're right, poor Mako is right, I haven't.
By all means I can't blame this on the game. I don't think I'd be playing much more if I was still on WoW, either. And experience has taught me in the way experience only gives you insights after you've been burned by their absence several times in the past, that when everything else remains the same and your reaction is different, that what has changed is yourself.
It's not the games that are less fun. To some bright eyed lad coming into the massively multiplayer scene right now I'm sure the industry could do no wrong by him; that not-so imaginary person would invariably become as hooked to the experience as I was. That I haven't simply means it's not what I'm looking for right now.
Of course it's not the first time this has happened. I've burned out on gaming before and stayed away for months at a time. It's usually been some sort of event that gets me back, such as the launch of a brand new expansion and/or friends of mine making a guild and offering me vast virtual riches and complicated looking armor sets in exchange for every single minute of free time I have. But not even such lush propositions seem to catch my eye these days.
A rut. And if I don't play MMORPGs, given that I don't really play anything else, what on earth does that leave me with?
What is left of my identity when so much that is geeky and good has melted away? Brr!
1 comment:
We don't stop playing games because we age, but we age because we stop playing games.
I have the same problem as you, sometimes, but for a different reason. Frequently, I catch my self staring at my screen, not being able to find a game to play. Not because of lack of choices, but because of the abundance of choice. I got more than 200 games on my library that I haven't even installed yet.
Single player games bore me. I am used to human interaction while gaming. I crave co-op, if not multiplayer. I am bored with the subscription based model of MMORPGs, and I have come to hate grinding. I am anxiously awaiting Guild Wars 2 (and so do a lot of friends).
Lastly, I believe you haven't given a chance to games to entertain you. Try some new games. And try them with friends.
Games that are a success in my gaming group include 'Payday, Killing Floor, Space Marine, Dungeon Defenders, LoL (and DOTA2), Terraria... the list goes on.
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