MMOs & Us - A Series on Gaming, Part II
Last time, we took a brief look at the history of MMOs, from their humble beginnings in the Cold War to today's society where players demand more.
This week, we'll begin looking at how online gaming - well, gaming in general - has an effect on our lives and cultures. Just what kind of impact do we experience from our computerized worlds, and is it good, bad, or indifferent? The various opinions and studies done on this entertainment genre may surprise you. But then again, they may not. In this part, the economic impact will be explored.
"I so totally LOL'd and ROFLMAO at that nub of a tool! He thought he was uber but my l33t gnome was all Chuck Norris up in his face. LEEEEROY JENKINS!!!"
If you understood what I just said, then yup... you're a gamer; probably not hardcore, but a gamer nonetheless. So what does that mean? Have you been completely transformed into a different humanbot? Are you forever altered from normalcy? Is the sky falling and is the earth coming to an end?
Well... yes and no. You see, gamers have their own style of conversation, understanding of the world around them, and views on religion, politics, and socio-economics. True, terms like "LOL" didn't originate in MMOs, but like all of the other acronyms you'll find in gaming, they did get their start on the internet. There is some debate as to the actual origin of "LOL" (which, for those "newbies" out there, most commonly means "laughing out loud"), but it is universally agreed that this was the original of the internet slang that is a large part of how we communicate online today. From LOL to BBIAB, we as gamers have learned how to maximize our minimalist attitudes towards typing. Seriously, when you have programs like Ventrilo and Teamspeak, why should we have to type anyway, right?
Yeah, I feel ya there!
This is but one impact of gaming on our lives, though. And a small one at that (one we will take a look at later on in the series, though). As I said earlier, we as gamers have developed our own online communities, politics, religions, economies, social circles and "rankings", etc. We have created societies that are ours to develop, nurture, grow, direct, govern, and rule over as a whole. We have individuals who are more well-known than others, a world of icons, fashionistas, lawbreakers, and entertainers. This also brings forth a world of love, hate, fear, awe, and fantasia like none other. We bridge gaps otherwise left to spread, build relationships never before imagined possible, and learn new languages once believed to be beyond comprehension in our own minds... merely by interacting and communicating with each other while engaged in a shared pursuit of pwning all that moves.
Considering that gaming is such a large part of today's culture, it is only reasonable to assume that children are involved. Indeed, "gaming" is akin to "kids" or "youngsters"... teenagers, young adults, and early adults. If you look at the games advertised on television - and such huge hits as Guitar Hero and the Halo series - the target audience is young men between the ages of 13 and 20. They contain the sexy girls, the promise of fame and money, the feeling of power and immortality. Young men thrive on these emotions through puberty, and thus ad agencies capitalize on this weakness to sell their games and are hugely successful at it. Looking at Halo 3, this is the finale of the series developed by Bungie Studios (acquired by Microsoft in 2000), with the first installment for the Xbox being released in North America on November 15, 2001. It was subsequently released in March and April 2002 in Europe, Japan, and Australia. By the early April 2002, one million copies had been sold for the console platform (also boosting Xbox sales as a result), and was then released in late 2003 for the PC and Mac.
We have since experienced Halo 2 (initially released on November 9, 2004 in the US and Canada), with sales as of May 2006 topping 8 million units worldwide (6.3 million in the US alone)... and now Halo 3 is upon us. The day before release of Halo 3, 4.2 million copies were available in retail stores in preparation of anticipated sales. Microsoft was not disappointed... Halo 3 set the highest grossing opening day in entertainment history with $170m in the first 24 hours.
Just what is that doing to our society? The kids, man! Think of the kids! Of course, this is console gaming, and not the online media that we're focusing on here. But when you consider it, aren't they interconnected these days? Seriously, when you think of consoles like the Xbox and their ability to access the internet via an Ethernet cable and a wireless adapter (available for the Xbox Live setup)... aren't we all doing essentially the same thing? I plug in via an Ethernet connection and my cable internet. Hrmm... wonder if... nah! But is it too far in the future? Will there some day be the ability to connect via different platforms for the same games? It's a point to consider...
But on to what we're discussing here. Online gaming, and how it affects our lives. With the Halo series, you can see how popular it has become, and when you consider how many copies have been sold worldwide, it's mind-boggling to think of all those kids glued to their television sets with their butts on the sofa, a bowl of potato chips or granola snacks (Hey! Yuppies play games too!), and the volume full blast while they grunt and groan with the effort of button-mashing.
Death to Qeynos!
Oh, sorry... for a minute there I was caught in a mind trap of my EQ2 days, remembering my many hours in front of the computer, with a bowl of potato chips and granola snacks, grunting and groaning with the button-mashing.
Seriously though... online gaming is no different than console gaming, except we spend more time in a social environment, building relationships, learning techniques, and becoming addicted to the world we see with our eyes and live in our heads. Looking back at Ultima Online, which has long been touted as the "Supreme Being" of online gaming, it is easy to see why we are so addicted. UO brought us the first of the "true" MMO experiences with its release in 1997, introducing the average gamer to the wonderful world of player housing, skill systems, PvP, etc. It quickly reached 100,000 subscribers - being the first to achieve that success in the genre - and boasts the creation of one million accounts in all. Today, the game is in decline, but it is still a pioneer in the industry.
With Ultima Online, the whole new world of online living was opened up, and we continue it today. Some games, such as Second Life, feed more into the economical goals of players. This title provides a world of online marketing for real-world dollars. You can open a business, sell your product, earn your in-game dollars (called Linden Dollars). These Linden Dollars can then be sold online for real-world currency at an exchange supported by Linden Research, the developers of Second Life. While a small percentage of the overall player base, there are quite a number of people who make their annual incomes in this fashion. And, it's not limited to just individuals. Companies are getting in on the action as well. Big names such as Nike, Warner Brothers, and Microsoft also maintain stores in Second Life, earning a small percentage of their gross dollars from this platform - but earning nonetheless.
Other titles, such as World of Warcraft, EverQuest/EverQuest II, and The Sims Online, just to name a few, also provide some resourceful individuals with second incomes. And, while the developers of these titles do not condone the market, gold selling is a major industry in today's world. And not just certain cultures are involved. In The Sims Online ("TSO"), I personally know at least two individuals who make quite a profit selling "simoleans", the in-world currency of this game, for real-world dollars. And they started their businesses before they graduated from high school. With TSO, a new future of gaming currency handling is coming with the move to EA Land, where you can buy and sell your in-game currency directly with EA.
However, when you look at these resourceful individuals, and the people taking advantage of the financial opportunities presented to them, one can only agree that the MMO industry has had a direct impact on our economy. Parents supplement their incomes, kids earn some extra spending cash, and major corporations are cashing in on the virtual world of currency trading and marketing.
And what about in-game economics? Within most MMOs, you'll find the economy is as alive as on Wall Street, and has just as many ups and downs. When you think about it, the two aren't very different. In the world of EverQuest II, every time a new expansion is released it means that there will be new raws to harvest and sell, new items to craft and market, and new discoveries to make and barter with. And in the course of things, the players learn how to take advantage of these updates, and maximize their money-making potential. Is it possible that MMOs are teaching our kids about economics? I'd have to venture a guess and say absolutely. Seriously, when a 14-year old is telling me the value of items in my game of choice, and they're spot-on with their assessments, I have to wonder how games affect the minds of their players.
Many people will argue that gaming is a social disease that is poisoning our kids by depleting their social capabilities, causing obesity due to the long periods of sitting, and creating aggression, suicide, and unhealthy relationships. But when you consider how many of today's gamers go on to be successful businessmen in many industries - not just in gaming - we have to consider the possibility that this may be the future of real-world education for our kids.
I firmly believe that we will eventually see online gaming as something more than a military training exercise. Rather, if you consider the vagaries of the gaming industry in terms of its growth and direction, you may just agree that there is more to this industry than just raw entertainment. And you may be just as awed as I am at the potential there for some true futuristic possibilities that may improve our society as a whole.
In the next installment, we’ll get a bit more involved with the in-game sociology of MMOs, and the effect on our view of the outside world, our emotions, and why some claim that gaming is an addiction with serious repercussions.
Until then…
Death to Qeynos! And to the naysayers of the positive gaming experience!
This week, we'll begin looking at how online gaming - well, gaming in general - has an effect on our lives and cultures. Just what kind of impact do we experience from our computerized worlds, and is it good, bad, or indifferent? The various opinions and studies done on this entertainment genre may surprise you. But then again, they may not. In this part, the economic impact will be explored.
Part Two: All Your Golds Are Mine!
"I so totally LOL'd and ROFLMAO at that nub of a tool! He thought he was uber but my l33t gnome was all Chuck Norris up in his face. LEEEEROY JENKINS!!!"
If you understood what I just said, then yup... you're a gamer; probably not hardcore, but a gamer nonetheless. So what does that mean? Have you been completely transformed into a different humanbot? Are you forever altered from normalcy? Is the sky falling and is the earth coming to an end?
Well... yes and no. You see, gamers have their own style of conversation, understanding of the world around them, and views on religion, politics, and socio-economics. True, terms like "LOL" didn't originate in MMOs, but like all of the other acronyms you'll find in gaming, they did get their start on the internet. There is some debate as to the actual origin of "LOL" (which, for those "newbies" out there, most commonly means "laughing out loud"), but it is universally agreed that this was the original of the internet slang that is a large part of how we communicate online today. From LOL to BBIAB, we as gamers have learned how to maximize our minimalist attitudes towards typing. Seriously, when you have programs like Ventrilo and Teamspeak, why should we have to type anyway, right?
Yeah, I feel ya there!
This is but one impact of gaming on our lives, though. And a small one at that (one we will take a look at later on in the series, though). As I said earlier, we as gamers have developed our own online communities, politics, religions, economies, social circles and "rankings", etc. We have created societies that are ours to develop, nurture, grow, direct, govern, and rule over as a whole. We have individuals who are more well-known than others, a world of icons, fashionistas, lawbreakers, and entertainers. This also brings forth a world of love, hate, fear, awe, and fantasia like none other. We bridge gaps otherwise left to spread, build relationships never before imagined possible, and learn new languages once believed to be beyond comprehension in our own minds... merely by interacting and communicating with each other while engaged in a shared pursuit of pwning all that moves.
Considering that gaming is such a large part of today's culture, it is only reasonable to assume that children are involved. Indeed, "gaming" is akin to "kids" or "youngsters"... teenagers, young adults, and early adults. If you look at the games advertised on television - and such huge hits as Guitar Hero and the Halo series - the target audience is young men between the ages of 13 and 20. They contain the sexy girls, the promise of fame and money, the feeling of power and immortality. Young men thrive on these emotions through puberty, and thus ad agencies capitalize on this weakness to sell their games and are hugely successful at it. Looking at Halo 3, this is the finale of the series developed by Bungie Studios (acquired by Microsoft in 2000), with the first installment for the Xbox being released in North America on November 15, 2001. It was subsequently released in March and April 2002 in Europe, Japan, and Australia. By the early April 2002, one million copies had been sold for the console platform (also boosting Xbox sales as a result), and was then released in late 2003 for the PC and Mac.
We have since experienced Halo 2 (initially released on November 9, 2004 in the US and Canada), with sales as of May 2006 topping 8 million units worldwide (6.3 million in the US alone)... and now Halo 3 is upon us. The day before release of Halo 3, 4.2 million copies were available in retail stores in preparation of anticipated sales. Microsoft was not disappointed... Halo 3 set the highest grossing opening day in entertainment history with $170m in the first 24 hours.
Just what is that doing to our society? The kids, man! Think of the kids! Of course, this is console gaming, and not the online media that we're focusing on here. But when you consider it, aren't they interconnected these days? Seriously, when you think of consoles like the Xbox and their ability to access the internet via an Ethernet cable and a wireless adapter (available for the Xbox Live setup)... aren't we all doing essentially the same thing? I plug in via an Ethernet connection and my cable internet. Hrmm... wonder if... nah! But is it too far in the future? Will there some day be the ability to connect via different platforms for the same games? It's a point to consider...
But on to what we're discussing here. Online gaming, and how it affects our lives. With the Halo series, you can see how popular it has become, and when you consider how many copies have been sold worldwide, it's mind-boggling to think of all those kids glued to their television sets with their butts on the sofa, a bowl of potato chips or granola snacks (Hey! Yuppies play games too!), and the volume full blast while they grunt and groan with the effort of button-mashing.
Death to Qeynos!
Oh, sorry... for a minute there I was caught in a mind trap of my EQ2 days, remembering my many hours in front of the computer, with a bowl of potato chips and granola snacks, grunting and groaning with the button-mashing.
Seriously though... online gaming is no different than console gaming, except we spend more time in a social environment, building relationships, learning techniques, and becoming addicted to the world we see with our eyes and live in our heads. Looking back at Ultima Online, which has long been touted as the "Supreme Being" of online gaming, it is easy to see why we are so addicted. UO brought us the first of the "true" MMO experiences with its release in 1997, introducing the average gamer to the wonderful world of player housing, skill systems, PvP, etc. It quickly reached 100,000 subscribers - being the first to achieve that success in the genre - and boasts the creation of one million accounts in all. Today, the game is in decline, but it is still a pioneer in the industry.
With Ultima Online, the whole new world of online living was opened up, and we continue it today. Some games, such as Second Life, feed more into the economical goals of players. This title provides a world of online marketing for real-world dollars. You can open a business, sell your product, earn your in-game dollars (called Linden Dollars). These Linden Dollars can then be sold online for real-world currency at an exchange supported by Linden Research, the developers of Second Life. While a small percentage of the overall player base, there are quite a number of people who make their annual incomes in this fashion. And, it's not limited to just individuals. Companies are getting in on the action as well. Big names such as Nike, Warner Brothers, and Microsoft also maintain stores in Second Life, earning a small percentage of their gross dollars from this platform - but earning nonetheless.
Other titles, such as World of Warcraft, EverQuest/EverQuest II, and The Sims Online, just to name a few, also provide some resourceful individuals with second incomes. And, while the developers of these titles do not condone the market, gold selling is a major industry in today's world. And not just certain cultures are involved. In The Sims Online ("TSO"), I personally know at least two individuals who make quite a profit selling "simoleans", the in-world currency of this game, for real-world dollars. And they started their businesses before they graduated from high school. With TSO, a new future of gaming currency handling is coming with the move to EA Land, where you can buy and sell your in-game currency directly with EA.
However, when you look at these resourceful individuals, and the people taking advantage of the financial opportunities presented to them, one can only agree that the MMO industry has had a direct impact on our economy. Parents supplement their incomes, kids earn some extra spending cash, and major corporations are cashing in on the virtual world of currency trading and marketing.
And what about in-game economics? Within most MMOs, you'll find the economy is as alive as on Wall Street, and has just as many ups and downs. When you think about it, the two aren't very different. In the world of EverQuest II, every time a new expansion is released it means that there will be new raws to harvest and sell, new items to craft and market, and new discoveries to make and barter with. And in the course of things, the players learn how to take advantage of these updates, and maximize their money-making potential. Is it possible that MMOs are teaching our kids about economics? I'd have to venture a guess and say absolutely. Seriously, when a 14-year old is telling me the value of items in my game of choice, and they're spot-on with their assessments, I have to wonder how games affect the minds of their players.
Many people will argue that gaming is a social disease that is poisoning our kids by depleting their social capabilities, causing obesity due to the long periods of sitting, and creating aggression, suicide, and unhealthy relationships. But when you consider how many of today's gamers go on to be successful businessmen in many industries - not just in gaming - we have to consider the possibility that this may be the future of real-world education for our kids.
I firmly believe that we will eventually see online gaming as something more than a military training exercise. Rather, if you consider the vagaries of the gaming industry in terms of its growth and direction, you may just agree that there is more to this industry than just raw entertainment. And you may be just as awed as I am at the potential there for some true futuristic possibilities that may improve our society as a whole.
In the next installment, we’ll get a bit more involved with the in-game sociology of MMOs, and the effect on our view of the outside world, our emotions, and why some claim that gaming is an addiction with serious repercussions.
Until then…
Death to Qeynos! And to the naysayers of the positive gaming experience!
Tags: Editorial, GeneralNews