WoW and the MMO Lifestyle
Games such as World of Warcraft are time intensive for sure. The major misconception about these games is that they are so involving that the player never does anything else; as if their lives are spent in front of the computer while they just ignore the outside world. While it is undoubtedly true that the experience is involving if only because of the amount of time required to level up if nothing else, it's also true that most MMOPRG players are just as active in the real world as they are in World of Warcraft.
An Explanation
If your unfamiliar with games like World of Warcraft, I'm here to offer up some explanation. To better understand the lifestyle of a MMORPG player you have to know a bit more about games like World of Warcraft, Everquest, or whatever other game suits your fancy. MMORPGs are open-world, role-playing games with different areas built as separate quests and dungeons for the player to explore alone and with other players.
The open nature of these games allows for more individuality and social interaction than players can enjoy in many other games. Players can enjoy creating characters that are an extension of who they are in the real world or, on the other hand, a character that acts as an alter ego.
A Sense of Community
The social nature of these games means that it fosters an expansive sense of community and friendship that can often extend into the real world without overrunning the player's personal life. As is true of any hobby, gaming is a way to vent frustrations, entertain oneself and feel accomplished by meeting goals. While they may talk about goals met in a match or new items and friends made over the course of their play they're just as likely to discuss the other aspects of their lives such as children, their significant other, and their real-world job.
Being a gamer isn't always about separating yourself from reality. In fact playing WoW helps players build their teamwork and improve problem solving and social skills as much as regular social interaction out of game. For many people these skills just aren't as easy to master in the real world as they are in the game universe. Behavioral and social limitations can make social interaction difficult and often embarrassing. The goals set out by quests can help give the player better focus and offer special achievements and items as incentives of completing the task. Taking the pressure of physical presence away can also make social interaction easier, boosting self esteem as the player succeeds in completing tasks. In this way people who might not normally become social learn to do so in a more relaxed environment which allows them to use what they've learned to socialize outside the game.
Gaming Can Enhance Real Life
The sense of community in these games can also lead to game specific relationships that extend to everyday life. Some World of Warcraft players even celebrate weddings and funerals in the game so that they can share their lives with their gaming friends as well. There are many couples and friends who met despite large distances because of MMORPGs. Rather than separating the player from their lives, games like WoW, et al. can actually give them the life they might not otherwise find and offer them valuable lessons about human interaction and morality as well as offering a new sense of identity and self esteem.
