Every person gasps with agony when I reveal that I have never read a single Harry Potter book nor watched an entire Star Wars movie without falling asleep. And this severe aversion to anything involving science fiction or fantasy has always led me to wonder: Am I an anomalous freak?
More than anything, the cult following of online games such as World of Warcraft has convinced me of this. And if killing monsters using potions attracts 10 million subscribers worldwide , an affinity to science fiction must be an inherent human characteristic that I lack.
However, it turns out that online games’ popularity actually roots from already established characteristics of human nature: socialization and the sense of belonging. Warcraft players I’ve spoken to said the online community component, where players form groups to combat enemies by coordination, is the major source of appeal.
I couldn’t help but think, though, that instead of being used to defeat imaginary creatures, this same time and energy invested in teamwork could be translated to more productive purposes. If players find achievements accomplished through social cooperation rewarding, there’s no doubt that they’ll find real-world versions of teamwork ““ such as community service projects or event planning ““ even more fulfilling.
I won’t deny the arguments that Warcraft and other such games are different because they are purely for recreation and enjoyment. As I played the game, guided by a friend who is a veteran Warcraft player, I saw that the nature of the game itself lends to its addictive appeal. The sheer complexity of the game ““ the different abilities among the various “races” and “classes” of characters, the vast world divided into multiple “lands,” the infinite weapons and skills ““ ensures lack of repetition and boredom.
However, the greatest contributor to Warcraft addiction is the comradeship formed among players. Despite the game’s lack of an end purpose or goal, the euphoric gratification from working with others to pummel particularly tough “bosses” drives the motivation to stay in the game.
“When you fight a really hard boss and all the people coordinate to take him down, it’s a lot of fun,” said Sean Ennis, a fourth-year aerospace engineering student and avid Warcraft player.
This prevalent group culture became apparent as “guild messages” popped up on the screen, indicating communication among the players within my character’s guild. The “guilds” are not only social memberships, but they also collectively accomplish missions and fight enemies, also known as “instances” and “raids.”
Indeed, the World of Warcraft is a world of its own, with its own vocabulary and vastly intricate sets of rules that left me completely dumbfounded. It seems that Warcraft is more than just a game played for fun ““ it is an exclusive society governed by a collective culture.
Second-year computer science student Raja Gangopadhya said that for friends he’d known that played the game, “It becomes a second life,” where they would abandon social plans to play in raids.
Unhealthy allegiance to gaming even proves lethal in marriage according to Yahoo! News, where a woman cites her husband’s intense addiction to Warcraft, which had prevented him from spending time with her and taking care of responsibilities, for her recent divorce.
Clearly, internet gaming hasn’t proved to be the greatest use of time and can even be harmful in some cases. However, having served in various community service committees, I do acknowledge the addictive sense of fulfillment that can only come from collaboratively pulling through insurmountable obstacles. The difference between internet gaming teamwork and real-world teamwork, however, is that not only can the former prove destructive, but also it wastes incredible passion, devotion and time toward something that amounts to nothing more than pixels on a screen. Furthermore, the “skills” and “accomplishments” gained from hours of mastering the use of various weapons and maneuvers can exist no further than the virtual boundaries of Warcraft, whereas real-world involvements can provide transfer to self-growth and actual worthwhile contribution.
First-year oral biology graduate student Kyle Yamamoto converted his time and energy from games to productivity when he discovered his passion for the empowerment of undeserved youth. A few years ago, he and his roommates had played games.
“We had nothing to do. But when you find things you’re passionate about, your priorities change,” Yamamoto said.
Yamamoto no longer plays Warcraft due to lack of time, but, more significantly, because he no longer wants to do so. As codirector of Mentorship Program at UCLA, a group targeting the self-growth of undeserved youth, Yamamoto now dedicates his time to collaborating with others for tangible change instead of for mere advancement in a nonexistent world.
And if I learned anything from my brief experience as a dwarf character in Warcraft, it is that for more reasons other than the lack of terrifying creatures on Earth, I’d rather be contributing to the real world than to a fantasy world ruled by monsters.
If you missed your quiz to participate in a raid, e-mail Yoo at jyoo@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.