MMORPG: Ideal vs Real

Online gaming has reached a different level that even the developers are surprised to the large amount of participants they got. The game genre known as MMORPG (Massive Multi-playing Online Role-playing Games) is increasing popular mainly due to the fact that commoners are able achieve a status or perhaps a self actualization among large amount of people by the level gaining system (Yee 2006).

Source: http://www.globalnerdy.com

Gamers dwell themselves in fantasy and sometimes unable or rather reluctant to accept reality. This is evident when gamers spent ten long hours a day on gaming (Yee 2006). Basically, there are many things that we can’t have in life, for instance, love, achievement, status and other amazing things that real life offers. MMORPG gives you that satisfaction, not to mention people who meet up and ended up having a relationship through the game (Glass 2006).

While gaming is suppose to be a form of escapism and fun, some players hold grudges through the mistakes you did in the game to real life. They even choose whether to be friendly with you based on the race you chose in the game. Generally, opposing race in the game doesn’t really get along well. This is where the dilemma is when a person dwell himself too much on fantasy and not what is real (Page 2008).

Sure, gaming can be fun at the beginning but many participants choose online gaming platform for what they can’t get in real life and articulate problems through the interface of a game, which is not applicable to real life (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006).

Reference List:

Glass, K. 2006, MMORPGs for social analysis, Coke and Code, viewed 13 November 2008, <http://www.cokeandcode.com/node/462>.

Page, G. 2008, Aggro Management, Escapist Magazine, viewed 13 November 2008, <http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_173/5415-Aggro-Management>.

Kress, G. & van Leeuwen, T. 2006. Reading images. Chapter 1: The semiotic landscape: language and visual communication, Routledge ,Abingdon, United Kingdom.

Yee, N. (2003), Are MMORPG Relationships Meaningless?, The Daedalus Project, viewed 13 November 2008, <http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/000632.php>.

Yee, N. (2006), The Psychology of MMORPGs: Emotional Investment, Motivations, Relationship Formation, and Problematic Usage. In R. Schroeder & A. Axelsson (Eds.), Avatars at Work and Play: Collaboration and Interaction in Shared Virtual Environments (pp. 187-207). London: Springer-Verlag.