Just came back from dinner with friends, they are my peer group (late 20s/early 30s professionals), none of them played EU or knew that I played it. The subject of conversation turned to Second Life, WoW and other virtual worlds. What surprised me the most, was out of a group of 9, there was very little knowledge of EU, some knew of SL, but only because of the big companies who had set up their offices within it and only one had tried SL but found it boring. None had ever played or heard of EU.
So I explained the concept of the RCE to them, and virtual items costing thousands of dollars and I was surprised by the reaction. Most didn't believe that people would actually spend real cash (thousands of dollars) to buy these virtual things, and infact couldn't understand why people would want to. Then I thought about my own apparent easiness with the whole concept of the RCE, inparticular that I wouldn't give a second thought to spending a few hundred bucks on a virtual gun or armor.
For my peers even spending $10 on buying something in a game was just plain stupid. I'm sure I used to be like this, but I can't remember when. In that sense, Entropians have a very different attitude to virtual spending, and one I'm not sure is completely healthy.
(just a small note, if you read this blog and find it interesting, please mention it in your soc or forum chat.. it'll be great to get my subscriptions into double figures!)
Friday, 1 February 2008
Virtual spending: You paid what? for that!
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3 comments:
Great post. I had the similar things happen when I told my core group of friends I have know for years and years. They just quite did not get the whole PE/EU thing. I only had one friend who playe SWG and WOW who sort of got it but that was due to him buying and selling his accounts in those MMOs.
I think my friends and my wife took PE/EU more seriously when I made my first withdraw which help pay for landscaping the front yard of my home.
Thinking back I do remember my friends having the same types of conversations back when the internet was still new. Now they use it without giving it a second thought. EU and SL are on the fore front of something new and exciting and before you know it people won't think it was such a crazy idea after all.
I will really lol when I someday here my friends talk about their avatar like its second nature. Most of them used to scoff at internet dating (like it was only for "certain types") now they all pretty much use it.
Well, thats because the importance you give to those virtual items is the same you would give as they were real.
And that's because they are tied to real money. It makes them real in some way.
The really funny thing is:
When i played EU everyday, i used to want an imk2 really bad, even considered a bank loan to get one.
Now that i've been away due to RL work and game burnout, spending that huge ammount of money seems pointless.
Its a matter of perspective, and how deep the game embraces you.
I feel released from that addiction, and while i miss the loot days, i rather be away and saving my money so i can have a nice cushion when im old.
Because that game is a money vaccum, and if you're not careful it can destroy your finances.
Its still a great concept, a great way of playing, but ffs, its real hard earned money in there.
And why should you put it there, if Mindark keeps changing the rules of the game whenever they feel like it and without a previous warning?
Examples: Skillnerf, ESI size, footguards, Mob health increase, etc etc...
They can all turn your investments to losses, and you can't do nothing about it.
I for one, welcome the monopoly based MMO's. At least when im finished with them, i don't feel like i've been raped and robbed.
Thanks for comments guys, was starting to think I was blogging to myself!
It's still considered a bit "sad" to play mmorpgs, I agree these attitudes will change as it become's 2nd nature to have an online alter-ego. Until then though, I won't be advertising my participation in EU to my friends much at all.
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