Breakfast Topic: Why won't they play?
by Carol Lai 
Sep 13th 2010 at 8:00AM
Gaming is a social activity ... Well, it always has been for me. I've always played games (from TCG to pen-and-paper RPGs, from the arcade to home consoles) with other people. Any game I enjoyed, I shared with my friends. So when I finally joined my boyfriend in World of Warcraft, I tried getting a few other friends into the game. It was a good way for all of us to stay connected while we were at different schools, as well as replace our D&D and Mutants and Mastermind campaigns until the summer.
A few of my friends joined my boyfriend and me in Azeroth. Some stayed, some didn't -- but the majority didn't even want to give WoW a first or (for some) second chance on a trial account. When I asked them why, I was given these reasons:
- "I don't need four nights of raiding a week."
- "I don't need to play a game that's gonna act as a second job."
- "I don't like paying more than once to play a game."
- "It's too addictive."
Filed under: Guest Posts, Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Neyssa Sep 13th 2010 8:06AM
"It's too expensive. "
I tried 'recruiting' some of our summer camp kids (age 14-20) who really like it and want to play, but none can convice their parents to pay this much for a video game, especially every month. Easier as a grown-up, I have a job and pay for my own account, but until you are relying on your family's money, it is a huge disadvantage.
Slick Sep 13th 2010 9:01AM
To me, the "It's too expensive" argument is invalid. Yes, the cost of the Original game + Expansions (as needed) + Monthly fee is relatively high compared to another SINGLE game. However, it's the SINGLE that is the fault of the argument.
I (and many others) have actually saved a lot of money with WoW. I can buy any other game and it will last about 1 week to 1 month before I'm done with it. WoW has lasted 5 years and I haven't been buying nearly as many games as I used to before I started playing.
Combine WoW with Gamefly and I save a ton of money these days.
jackfinished Sep 13th 2010 9:28AM
Blizz should pitch in with Geico.
trefpoid Sep 13th 2010 10:36AM
U know, I have some friends that tell that very same thing, but they go out every weekend and are able to spend 60 bucks in alcohol on one weekend. How many WoW months can u get with that money? what's even better, the game won't kill your liver or your braincells (well.. maybe it will) but it's still healthier and a lot more fun :D!!! so, I don't really get people. If they are gamers, they should totally try it. It's really affordable and fun :D
elliott.432 Sep 13th 2010 11:13AM
The sad thing about the "its too expensive" argument is how well Activision, Bethesda and Infinity Ward have sold online content in terms of expansions and map packs.
If you do the math WoW is the cheapest game out there anymore, im dead serious. You have COD map packs every month for $20, Fallout 3 expansions every month for $15 and a new COD game about every 3 months (if Infinity Ward is willing to continue). And people are willing to drop $150 on some halo figurines which is just stupid (I LOVE halo). In the end those games all end up gathering dust while WoW lives on.
I find it hilarious people in my dorm say its so expensive when they are going out to gamestop every other weekend for xbox live point cards ($25 a pop). I think in 3 months they have easily paid for two years of WoW.
dannyflorida Sep 13th 2010 1:35PM
Frankly, if the "it's too expensive" excuse keeps fewer children from playing, I'm all for it. I would be willing to pay even more per month if it would keep more children away.
Grovinofdarkhour Sep 13th 2010 1:06PM
The "too expensive" argument has been thoroughly debunked by cost-per-unit-of-time-played analysis. Compared with a variety of other gaming options, WoW is a "staggeringly good value" according to Yahoo Games:
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/gaming-s-greatest-values/1408251
Sanitycrusher Sep 13th 2010 2:01PM
@ Grovin "WoW is a "staggeringly good value" according to Yahoo Games:"
And that is with the numbers being incredibly low! Makes me wonder how many players only log in once or twice a week to balance out those of us who log in daily for a minimum of 6 or 7 hours.
17 Hours? I've farmed Encrypted Twilight Texts for longer stretches than that!
And apparently my second obsession (Fallout 3) is an equally good deal. I'm willing to bet that Egosoft's X3 would qualify as well.
The only consideration they don't seem to be incorporating into their value scale is the cost of updating your PC's hardware. Even with $2k every 2 years I don't see that factoring out to be much since I'm sure WoW isn't the only thing you use your PC for.
Malozing Sep 13th 2010 3:37PM
I just wanna say thanks to everyone for reading and commenting on my post!
J-V-93-WoW Sep 13th 2010 8:11AM
When I ask my friends all they say is usually one of the most stereotype answers I've ever heard -- ''I have a life''. They never even bothered to look at it, never gave it a chance, all they think of the game is that'll ruin their social lives.
Sinnh Sep 13th 2010 8:45AM
So do mine, or they scoff and say its too nerdy...and then they play farmville or just Facebook/aimlessly browse for three hours straight *eye-roll* drives me crazy
Quark1020 Sep 13th 2010 7:52PM
Wait, you guys have social lives? Is that a new WoW expansion?
Karp Sep 13th 2010 8:12AM
When I asked my best friend to give it a try she told me that it would be too addictive for her and rather than risking getting stuck she preferred not trying at all. And I understand that point of view. If she knows herself well enough to realise that she would get too addicted, that's fine by me.
sara Sep 13th 2010 8:31AM
That was my reason for the longest time. My buddy played and I knew I'd just get sucked in... I resisted until my husband bought the game, but then I made my first toon, a human rogue. I completely sucked at it, and I was completely enthralled with the game. xD
Sleutel Sep 13th 2010 8:49AM
That's the reason I didn't start playing at launch. I knew a lot of people who started playing the day Vanilla released, but I was still in college and I knew I couldn't spare the time. It wasn't 'til a period of unemployment after graduation, when my boyfriend at the time suggested I play on his account during the day if I needed something to do, that I finally started playing. And I proceeded to spend practically all day he was at classes and work playing WoW--it only was a week or two until he bought me my own copy of the game and we built an extra WoW box so I could play together with him. :D
JR Sep 13th 2010 9:07AM
This was my reason for avoiding MMOs, even though my friends kept asking me to try this or that game. I finally gave up when a friend sent me a trial invitation for WOW.
Charïzard Sep 13th 2010 9:54AM
Addiction was my excuse as well. I failed college because of a RPG (baulders gate 2) and when my buddy tried to recruit me into WoW I flatly refused for 6 months. So for my birthday he bought me the game and a 3 month subscription. That was about 5 years ago. My warlock jut broke 200 days played while my hunter, and pally arent far behind
elliott.432 Sep 13th 2010 11:32AM
I think if you can honestly admit to yourself before you even try a game that you will get addicted to it then he/she has some major willpower issues/ identify issues that need addressing.
Dude Sep 13th 2010 8:12AM
What a bunch of part-time whiners your mates are. Join The Horde and find true friendship. Whiners get squashed.
Hierafel Sep 13th 2010 8:13AM
Recently, Starcraft 2 became a big excuse for my friends
Other ones have been "Too expensive", "I´ll get addicted" and "Nah, I´lm fine playing [Insert game´s name]"