blog

Aritcle

digg 1

"No, MMO!" - Part 1

Category: Rant/Opinion Game: Default Posted on May 01, 2009 9:22 pm

“No, MMO!”

A brief look at a subculture that doesn’t really like us MMOers.

Part 1 – The Console Gamer

The Console Gamer:

The Console Gamer doesn’t have time for MMOs. He would rather have a bout of Street Fighter than raid a dungeon. Generally Console Gamers are put off by the lack of up-to-date graphics of most free MMOs, the lack of extensive voice-acting, the control scheme (and all the macros and junk that come into the category), and of course, the lack of a gamepad!

It is easy to condemn console gamer but remember they have just been brought up in a different gaming environment. You can’t blame someone who spent their childhood playing Mario games for wanting to continue playing every (painful) game in the franchise.

They grow up so fast don't they!

You’ll find a lot of console gamers are quite close-minded when it comes to games in general. Often you’ll come across someone absolutely obsessed with sports games and shooting games and has no time for any game containing magic, trolls or loot.

These people are the type that generally can’t be persuaded to join the MMO community, no matter what. Trying to open their mind to a game like World of Warcraft will often just result in the person getting bored of the game after five minutes and taking it out on you.

You, the MMO gamer, have one terrific advantage over the console gamer; money!

Depending on your game(s) of choice you really aren’t paying anything besides the electric and internet bill (which, presumably, the console gamer will be paying for at home anyway). Console Gamers are generally turned off by the payment system of most MMOs and yet fail to realise they’re paying just as much for a single, new release (console) game today.

Finally, MMOers are looked down upon by Console Gamers, simply because of the stereotype of the MMOer. According to Console Gamers (influenced strongly by the media’s portrayal of the MMO culture) MMOers are fat, old men with neck-beards covering their acne, huge glasses and a tremendous gut and live in their parents’ basement, playing MMOs in the dark, because they have no real outside life.

We all know this stereotype and anyone in the MMO scene knows its total crap, yet we’re all perceived like that.

To wrap it up:

Don’t try and persuade console gamers to join the community of MMOs, it’ll do more harm than good usually, don’t condemn these gamers, they’re people too, and finally do NOT fulfil the stereotype of an MMOer if you can help it!

Aeskor Out

1,199 Views 17 comments

Tags: MMO console gamer stereotype

Ariticle url: http://my.mmosite.com/blog/0b54d4a2e452c32921898aba98622da6/blog/item/e1c5a792081e68b424a5c68272a9af10.html

Seizaku

profile add mail

Post Time : Oct 02,2009 9:45 am

I think the problem lies more on a lack of storyline and gameplay refinement on MMOs... I'm one of those that rather play a console RPG with a good storyline that keeps me hooked than grinding my levels in repetitive gameplay, and I'm willing to pay for some quality gaming (this include gaming MMOs).

Games evolved from being just a medium for people to play and compete, it became something that allow people to have experiences, be it through an attractive storyline and/or and immersive game play and etc. MMOs still have to mature a lot to match console and non-MMO pc games. This and what DSS, Yoshio and Xesolor said.

Katsuo

profile add mail

Post Time : Jul 29,2009 9:51 am

There are console-esque enough mmo's to persuade someone arnt there? For example.... You can start someone off with a brawler like dragonica or latale, if thier smart enough that the lay-out and hotkeys doesnt scare them away, theyll find a simple, well paced button masher. However some console gamers stick stubbornly to thier stereo-types and get bored before the starting tutorial is over or after the first somewhat long quest bubble. Yeah... I guess they'll just end up being hell for you inthe end if you dare to suggest to them something that doesnt involve chainsaw zombie massacre or sports.

YouLickAndy

profile add mail

Post Time : May 29,2009 6:53 pm

LOOOOOOOOOOOOL MARIO AND LUIGI PICTURE MADE ME ( ROFL ).

Tsunami_Ryou

profile add mail

Post Time : May 23,2009 2:04 pm

lol nice blogage

lubuoguz

profile add mail

Post Time : May 19,2009 1:51 am

hehe cool

Xesolor

profile add mail

Post Time : May 08,2009 4:51 am

The only difference (as far as I'm aware, sorry for narrow-mindedness) is you can save your progress on consoles even if you're in mid-combat with a BOSS, but in multiplayer, especially in MMOGs the community keeps moving even if you're not, so it forces you to put more effort and time if you want to keep on the same level with the rest. in single player you don't need to bother about any other player's progress, because it's your game, you choose when to play it or not, but in MMOs, it's the community's, and that makes all the difference.

Aeskor replied at 3:24 pm May 11,2009

I think you're actually on to something there.

Yoshio

profile add mail

Post Time : May 05,2009 11:00 pm

Good job classifying gamer types... Not.

A gamer is a gamer is a gamer. The problem isn't their preference in games, it's their preference in entertainment style. That said, many a console gamer is part of some manner of community, especially if said console games include a multiplayer aspect. You forget, dear stereotyper, that console games have since evolved to include online play and inch ever closer to the same level of massive multiplayer gaming MMOs are known for.

I do not see where MMOers are looked down upon; perhaps your friends look down upon you for playing MMOs, but the rest of the internet seems to be okay. Also, you're comparing casual gaming to hardcore gaming, and neither gaming perference is specific to either MMOs or console games.

Reading this article, I get the feeling that you really only took a glance before you leapt, and--most importantly--forgot your bungi cord. Shame on you.

Aeskor replied at 3:31 pm May 11,2009

I am aware I was generalising within the article and I am aware that I may have portrayed some stereotypes to an extreme degree. Your opinion is extremely valid and of course over time games have evolved and therefore have begun to gather different types of gamers other than the niche gamers they would have once included.
I was speaking from experience and observation within the article and I respect that my point of view on the matter is not absolute (and indeed subjective).
Thanks for the comment, Yoshio. I enjoy your writing style and look forward to reading more of your work (be that article or comment).

Invasion

profile add mail

Post Time : May 05,2009 4:30 am

It's not a question of money or the lousy quality of (most) mmo's. The type of games people play is more accurately attributable to the person's character, activities and the norms which he follows. Generally speaking, very social people (socialites) prefer to play consoles because it requires much less time and effort to play as opposed to mmo's which demands a lot of time and thinking. They have a prefference of going out with friends as opposed to playing games because they have very strong ties with their peers (probably by strutting around and doing their stuff). On the other hand, less social people and introverts prefer to spend more time on the computer, spending more hours immersing themselves in mmo's as they do not face much discrimination. I for one, am a very reserved person and I like to play mmo's on a pc rather than a console, because I feel consoles and their gamepads are too much of a limitation for complex games like mmo's.

LaBunny

profile add mail

Post Time : May 04,2009 12:46 pm

I grew up with consoles myself, but now I prefer to play on the PC, mainly MMOs. The only console thing I own today is a Nintendo DS, sometimes I like to play those J-RPGs.

Sometimes it's cool to play alone, but it's just more fun with others. When I was a kid, I liked games on console that you could play with 2 Players (or more), and I was always sad when I had no one that wanted to play with me. With MMOs I just log in and find alot of people to play with, I enjoy that the most. ^^

Aeskor

profile add mail

Post Time : May 04,2009 3:12 am

Thanks for the comments, guys. Don't worry ... I love both console games and MMOs.

raylog

profile add mail

Post Time : May 03,2009 4:43 pm

is not the problem of money, is the experience...

when u play PSP, u feel bored and lonely... but when u play battleground or dungeon, u feel exciting because of how other players react... sometime they fuck u, sometime they hate u, sometime they just want to kill u... is was totally different from playing a console game...

we pay money to feel it, not pay money to play it... that y mmorpg so success in these days...

raylog

profile add mail

Post Time : May 03,2009 4:43 pm

is not the problem of money, is the experience...

we pay money to feel it, not pay money to play it... that y mmorpg so success in these days...

and... the kids in the pictures is so cute....

DSS

profile add mail

Post Time : May 03,2009 10:54 am

the major problem is this crossover's already happening, not by the communties, but by the game companies themselves. So many games attempt to have "cross-platform" online multiplayer, which nobody truly cares about.

I think you offer two extremes of players, in a continuum that doesn't really separate the two. There are also the casual mmo players who spend maybe an hour or less per day, and the extreme console players who devote more than 30-40 hours a week playing videogames.

I think the idea truly boils down to convenience: console players don't have to worry that their computer is up to date and can handle the new games, or worry about how much hard drive space is left. They don't worry about technical issues and such; they just pop in a CD and play.

In my opinionm the hate between the two is all Microsoft's fault: they're the one that gave every person with an Xbox 360 a Mic and let them spam their tiny-squeaky/curse-word-flowing voices across the internets. :P

Dax01

profile add mail

Post Time : May 03,2009 9:30 am

Hehhe, nice. In a close future there will be no difference between MMOer and Consoler though cause Console games are already MMOs and MMOs already use joysticks.