Drama Mamas: Is WoW cool? Should you care?
by Robin Torres 
Mar 18th 2011 at 9:00AM
Drama Mama Lisa got a letter from a fan, and we've stolen it for this week's drama.
Hi Lisa
My name is Joe. I'm a 15 year old student from the UK. I've been a reading of your blog for a long time now and have been enjoying it for just as long. I'm writing to you today with a WoW related issue that I need advice on and I've come to you as not only do I want a experienced professional but also long-period, friendly WoW gamer.
I played World of Warcraft for around 2 years, then I quit but got back into it. Last December I quit my subscription again and haven't played since. I have only recently began reading Wowinsider again and have been engrossed with the posts for 2 weeks. Now, I'm also watching cinematic videos, gameplay videos and anything recently on Wowinsider. This has confused me about whether or not to re-join the World of Warcraft community. I really need some advice.
The reason I quit WoW in early December was because I felt bored with the game after playing for such a long-haul. Even with the new Cataclysm environments, I felt like I was paying to much money for something that I didn't get enough enjoyment out of. Also, I felt like I wasn't fitting in with a certain crowd, I almost felt like World of Warcrafts 'general' stereotype was becoming heavy on me. Another reason so because I planned on getting an Xbox 360 for Christmas, not only because it is my favourite gaming system, but because I feel like it is more socially acceptable. Why? I have no idea. I hate the fact that people see World of Warcraft as a 'geeks' game however in contrast to lets say Call of Duty: Black Ops or Halo Reach, which people spend massive amounts of time on, its 'cooler'. I don't agree with this at all however I think this is one of the reasons that at the time main me choose to quit.
Another reason for me leaving was the amount of money spent on it. In contrast to Xbox Live £40 for 12 months subscription, World of Warcraft costs £95.54 for 12 months. I don't know whether this is reasonable for the experience or not...
I see World of Warcraft as nothing but a superb game with an incredible system and outstanding content. I pretty much love it. It is one of the few games I've been able to lose myself in for hours at a time. I'm not against this game but more against the ideas people have about it. So at the minute, I'm on the fence about what to do. Should I continue with my Xbox Live account or choose to purchase all of the WoW content? I just don't know...
Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever felt in all your years of playing that for what you are paying, it dampens your experience as a gamer or do you believe that it is absolutely reasonable? What are your views on what people say, what they think about the game and quitting then re-joining in general?
This may seem like a small matter but I would be extremely grateful for your advice because its beginning to get me down. Thanks.
Drama Mama Lisa: Hi, Joe! Figuring out what you want to play when the options are so attractive and so plentiful can really mess with your head, can't it? It happens to everyone -- and yes, I count myself among them (although I'm finally, finally settling into the groove with my worgen priest). Let's see if we can't knock this down to a set of factors you sort out a little more easily.- What can you afford? For some players, the cost difference between WoW and the Xbox system is the ultimate deciding factor. For you, it sounds as if cost is merely one consideration. I've found that the cost of playing MMOs generally pales against what you'd pay for a similar amount of time spent in other pursuits. Also in my experience, the overall time spent with other game systems doesn't generally compare to the amount of time spent playing MMOs, thus balancing out the slightly higher cost for the MMO subscription. Still, if the cost of a WoW subscription ultimately isn't a problem for you, perhaps you shouldn't weigh this very heavily in your decision-making process.
- What are your real-life friends doing? If all your real-life friends are having a blast in game worlds you can't join, you're going to feel lonely, no matter how good a time you're having in your own game world.
- What are your in-game friends doing? If you belong to a guild or group that's working through content you enjoy, you might have more fun hooking up with them rather than forging your own way in another game.
- What game fits your schedule better? Raid schedules, blocks of time, frequency of play times ... All of these can affect how you play and how much you enjoy it. Can you commit to playing WoW or the Xbox games you want to play at the level you want to play them?
- Are you open to playing casually? It's never been easier to step in and out of Azeroth at will. WoW no longer has to be a long-term commitment. If it's just a taste you want, run up a new character to check out the new content while the rest of the playerbase is getting more endgame gear and strategies under their belts. Once you're kitted out at level 85, join the crowds of players who PUG heroics and early raids for a month or two (not so many now but surely more by the time you've leveled a new character), then head back to other gaming pastures.
- What do you enjoy most? Don't beat around the bush -- this is really the most important question to ask yourself. All other things being equal, you're going to suffer from Grass is Always Greener Syndrome if you choose to play the least personally appealing option.
At this point, many folks would cry, "To heck with what they think! Follow your heart!" I think that's sound advice, too -- but I also think that if other people's opinions about MMOs makes a difference in how they treat you, then your personal comfort factor is certainly worthy of careful consideration. Does the fact that certain people in your life think less of WoW actually affect your relationships with them? You're young, and there are people in your life (parents, teachers, family members) that you simply can't tell to shove off. If these people are seriously messing with your mojo over your game choice and the choice really isn't that big of an issue to you in the end, I'd say that certainly merits a bit more consideration than the basic "To heck with what they think! Follow your heart!"
But a final warning: Be certain that all those negative perceptions from others are as concrete as you think they are. It could be that you're projecting your own half-formed fears onto people who really don't give a whit what you play or do. Once you figure out if what these people are thinking about you and how much (if any) it's actually affecting you, it should be much easier to figure out whether their perceptions should be a factor worth including in your decision about what game to play. Either way, the most important factor remains what you think is most fun.
Drama Mama Robin: Joe, Lisa's right about the cost of WoW, in that it usually ends up being cheaper. You can't just compare it to your Xbox Live fees because that isn't the entire cost. WoW comes out with expansions every two years or so, but how many games will you be buying to play on your Xbox over those two years? Are you only going to be playing the same ones you have now?Unless you have some independent income that is not normal for your age, I think that the best people to talk to about the cost aspect is your parents. If they are the ones paying for it, they should be given the big picture and help you decide. And if they say "play both!" ... well then. Just make sure your schoolwork doesn't suffer. /maternal finger wag
Now, who are these people who say WoW is uncool? People in general? Cool people at school who are your friends? Cool people at school who aren't your friends? And the more important question: Have they played? Now is the time to hone your anti-uninformed-opinion skills. You will need them forevermore. If these badmouthers haven't played the game, then they don't know and therefore shouldn't be listened to. And that pretty much applies to anything creative like movies, music, song, TV, etc. "It looks stupid" and "Cool people watch this, not that" are not good reasons for you to shun something. If you determine that you like something that is not doing you nor anyone else any harm, then please don't listen to the badmouthers.
Also, I know it seems a long way away, but you're going to look back on this time and have certain regrets. If you're anything like me, your regrets are going to be about things you did because of other people's opinions rather than your own. I know it can be hard dealing with the constant abuse of funsuckers, but the friendships you forge when you find people who enjoy the same things you do are worth it. And the only way you'll find those people is by enjoying the things you enjoy.
So yes, I am definitely one of those folks crying, "To heck with what they think! Follow your heart!" And I think that a few years from now you will wish you could go back in time and tell your current self the same thing.
Dodge the drama and become that player everyone wants in their group with a little help and insight from the Drama Mamas. Remember, your mama wouldn't want to see your name on any drama. Play nice ... and when in doubt, ask the Drama Mamas at robin@wowinsider.com.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Drama Mamas
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Al Mar 18th 2011 9:09AM
Throughout the entire article, I was just taken aback by this 15-year-olds level-headedness and strong grasp of prose.
Joe, theres a saying from a website that shall-not-be-named that fits this situation perfectly: HATERS GONNA HATE.
Do whatever you want kid. Lifes short. May as well live it.
Dharmabhum Mar 18th 2011 10:15AM
It can be tough to find the perspective sometimes, particularly at a younger age when friends seem like the end-all be-all of your life, but the thing is that we have to learn how to think for ourselves and make decisions for ourselves. It shouldn't matter what some of your friends think about the games you play, and eventually many of us realise that.
It can be tough at that age since our friends are sort of chosen for us (based on where we go to school, the activities in which we partake, etc) but the best thing you can do is answer the questions in the article honestly and make an informed, thoughtful, personal decision. Once you get into the habit of doing that, life becomes pretty fun and the whole world opens up to you.
Best of luck!
Fragments Mar 18th 2011 11:07AM
It gives me hope sometimes to see other people around my age who also have similar maturity, and a level of rationality. I wish there were more of us, especially where I live. The downside when you're the only one you know that's like this is that hanging out with others your age doesn't seem to work like it seems it should.
Mortenebra Mar 18th 2011 11:53AM
To add to Al's comment: So long as you're not harming anyone else-- in all senses of the word-- with your activities (and that includes yourself), then you're fine. While life isn't always going to be good times and fun, you really oughta take the opportunities to break away from the humdrum of life when they're present-- whether it's in WoW, other video games, cooking, writing, or any number of hobbies.
@Fragments: It gets better as you get older. It sounds like it's a no-brainer but it's true for two reasons. 1) Some people catch up as they grow and learn. Every one in their own time, right? 2) The people who are already 21+ aren't afraid to talk to you because then they don't look like pedophiles anymore and most people stop caring about chronological age differences.
The main thing is to not let such a mentality go to your head because then you end up no better than the other kids who are still taunting each other over things like, "Well, my clothes come from this store so I'm better than you." It's difficult to get along with kids your own age when you're mentally years ahead of the majority of your peers, especially when (as Dharmabhum pointed out above) your "peers" are more or less chosen for you.
The thing that helped me to continue my social development as a teenager was actually the Internet. I was ostracized at school for numerous reasons (like clothes, of all things) and it always seemed like I spoke a different language than the rest. So I happened to join an online chat community that, luckily, had many nice and honest people. They looked out for me because they found out I was a young'un and creepy people abound on the Internet-- but aside from that, they treated me like they would any other person in the community. Unfortunately, I let it go to my head (hence the warning) and sometimes made matters worse at school because I'd start letting my mouth run while retaliating, thinking that my superior intellect and maturity would eventually win them over.
None of it is permanent-- the lack of maturity in some of your classmates, the pettiness of the squabbles they decide to pick with you, all of it. Life moves on and so do you.
mibu.work1 Mar 18th 2011 2:58PM
I'm gonna have to say do what will give you the most enjoyment in your day-to-day life.
In regards to the cost, I'll put this in perspective for you: I'm a college student double-majoring in Biology and History. This summer, I'm either working as an EMT-in-training, or as a lab assistant in a neurobiology research lab (if the EMT thing falls through). As you can immagine, these are some of the hardest majors around with some of the greatest time-commitments available to me. What do I do on the weekends? I play WoW with my girlfriend. It is literally the ONLY time I can play WoW, two days a week, and I STILL take the metro to the nearest Best-Buy every two months to keep my account up. It is worth THAT much to me. What am I doing in WoW? I run old dungeons with my guild for achievements and fun, we run BWD for progression, and we generally hang out and help leveling guildies with quests and dungeons. I do all that just two days a week. Just because you don't play often, doesn't mean it's not worth it.
Now, none of my RL friends (besides my GF) play WoW, and I am not fond of any of the people on-campus who play WoW, but the haters here have learned from me. How? When they make fun of me, I just tell them what WoW is, and I'm going to re-use a phrase I used on a breakfast topic a long time ago:
WoW is like a local basketball court. When you go in to play, you can practice dribbling, shoot hoops, and have fun, but it's better when you bring friends with you. When you have friends with you, you can team up, play against and with each other, learn what they are like in the heat of a tense moment.
But in some ways it's better than a local basketball court. When you show up, and people are already there, there's always room for you to play, everyone is always spoiling for a Pick-Up-Game, the rules are set in stone, and best of all, everyone knows who's skins and who's shirts the moment they step onto the court.
THAT is what WoW is, the excitement, intensity, camaraderie, conflict, and rush of victory of a good ball game, all set with a backdrop of a story epic enough to rival the likes of Lord of the Rings, the Icelandic Sagas, or even Star Wars (Strictly the Original Trilogy).
Nowadays, my friends still don't play WoW, but they listen with interest when I tell them of my guild's Glorious wipes and boss-kills, the drama inherent in Heroic PuGs where the shaman healer decided Lava-burst really is worth using his mana on, and the simple satisfaction in finding a rich Pyrite Node while doing Tol'Barad quests.
anuillae Mar 19th 2011 1:47PM
From the standpoint of a person in the same situation; whether or not to play WoW based on the opinion, I'm going to point out a path that actually hasn't bee mentioned yet.
Play whichever one you like. If it's Xbox, then great. Play with your friends, be a cool kid. If it's WoW, then equally great. Play with your *online* friends, be cool there. Just dont let the schoolfriends know you play WoW. If they don't know, then they cannot classify you as an 'uncool nolife gamer'.
I'm afraid to say that, in thE school I go to, at least, this is your best option. It sucks to effectively live two lives; one online and one IRL, but it's the easiest method. Honest.
@Robin I'm afraid to say that for the first time in a Drama Mamas article, I'm going to have to disagree with you. Telling the 'cool kids' that they don't know what WoW is like will do eff all. They'll tell you that they aren't sad, and don't play sad games, or they'll ignore you completely. Worst case, they'll ask you to show them, and take the opportunity for even more laughing when you do.
You said that their opinion doesnt matter. I'm sorry, but I beg to differ. Their opinion may be entirely incorrect and uninformed, but the opinion if your schoolpeers *does* matter, as a schoolkid. You spend your life there; they are the people you have the most contact with. You can try and ignore them, (contrary to the old adage) they won't go away. You can argue with them, they'll be having the time if their lives.
The only way is to influence their opinion, either by doing the cool thing or by telling them that you are. These types of people normally have the thought processing ability of a lump of granite; it shouldn't be too hard.
(All this from the perspective of a 15 year old UK schoolkid. And I have to agree eh the other commenters; some of the 15 years olds posting here seem extraordinarily mature.)
Robin Torres Mar 19th 2011 1:56PM
anuillae,
In no way do I think he, you or anyone should tell the cool kids they are uninformed or don't know. No no no. It's none of their business, you won't convince them, you'll cause more drama and get more grief. That's not what I'm saying when I talk about honing your anti-uninformed-opinion skills.
But in no way should you listen to them either, because their opinions are uninformed and inaccurate. And in no way should you listen to the bazilliions of other uninformed opinions you will encounter for the rest of your life. Get informed yourself, form your own opinions, ask the opinions of others who are informed and that you respect ... this is how you should make decisions.
anuillae Mar 19th 2011 2:20PM
Robin,
Later in life, maybe. Now? At school? These people are the people who shape your life, sad as it is. When you grow up, they may mature and have the sense to leave you alone if they don't agree with you - I don't know, haven't experienced it. At the moment, not so much. They will not leave you alone.
Right now, you want to stay on the side of these people that means you don't get picked on. Whether that means hiding the truth, or doing what they think is cool, doesn't matter. In the end, the choice is thus; Tell everyone you play WoW, or be popular at school? By popular, I mean not be the brunt of their jokes and teasing...
I know it's sad, but in the end you either have to fit in or not fit in. The method in which you fit in is up to you, but for a schoolkid, not fitting in is a pretty painful option.
Robin Torres Mar 19th 2011 2:33PM
So you have to do everything they say, anuillae? No, you don't.
Are you thinking I was some kind of cool kid in school and don't know what I'm talking about? No. I was a nerd in every one of the dozen or so schools I went to. I never fit in and was often bullied.
I'm saying after going through all of the mental and physical bullying that I went through over the years that the best thing I ever did was enjoy myself on my terms and if that meant having one friend and a lot of grief, it was still better than having 3 friends who weren't really friends (and still a lot of grief).
anuillae Mar 19th 2011 3:38PM
Robin,
No. No, I am not saying that.
You should have fun on your own terms, enjoy the things that you enjoy, make the friends that you want to be friends with. However, needlessly offering yourself up to all the bullying and alienation is silly. Especially when you don't have to.
What I am saying here is not that you should forgo everything that you find fun in order to become like the cool kids. You should just not appear to be so different from them. Make yourself look like them and they will not pick on you. It is an ancient defensive technique that evolution has proven to work.
Lets have an example here:
There are two people, Anuillae and Chris.
Anuillae is a girl who plays WoW, DnD, Rift, all sorts of RPG's, tabletop wargames, all the nerdy stuff. She is good friends with others in her year, who, like her, have all sorts of nerdy pastimes.
She and her group of friends, however, do not make their hobbies public knowledge. Other people in the school don't tease them, they believe them to be normal people, just like everyone else in the school. They get on OK with the other kids, they don't get bullied or harassed.
Chris is a boy plays WoW, DnD, Rift, all sorts of RPG's, tabletop wargames, all the nerdy stuff. He makes it exceedingly obvious; everyone knows. He and his band of friends are generally picked on, laughed at, bullied, the lot.
The differences between these two people are minimal. Both are absolute nerds, both play every computer game imaginable. Only Chris, however, is bullied, because Anuillae makes sure everyone else thinks the is the same as them.
That;s my point. I'm not saying that you should do everything that the cool kids say, just that you should appear, at least to them, to. It makes it a whole lot more comfortable, and you still get to do what you enjoy.
Billlop Mar 18th 2011 9:10AM
Or you could, you know, get a PS3 and have better quality, free online.
Imnick Mar 18th 2011 9:12AM
Starting console wars in the second comment is a brilliant idea
DarkWalker Mar 18th 2011 11:30AM
The only reason I went for the Wii is that most games I would want to play on the 360 or the PS3 are also available for PC (even if they sometimes arrive late on the PC, I don't really care; I tend to play old games all the time, it's cheaper and lets me try more games for the same amount of money), while the games I want to play on the Wii are exclusives and will remain so (Nintendo ones, mostly).
Imnick Mar 18th 2011 9:12AM
I enjoy WoW so I don't care what anyone else's opinion on it is
That said, Xbox live is not cheaper than WoW considering that most console games are designed for roughly 10-20 hours play rather than the months you will spend on world of warcraft. Pounds per hour compared to many other hobbies, WoW is actually a pretty good deal.
Jorges Mar 18th 2011 10:49AM
Exactly my toughts.
Joe, you have to add the cost of the games you're going to play to the sub of xbox live. Only the annual sub plus one game make it more expensive than WoW. And you're probably going to buy more than one game this year, games that will get you bored eventually (I'm talking weeks here).
Also, you have to learn that people will ALWAYS stick their nose were they aren't supposed to. People will ALWAYS talk about other people's life, instead of getting busy with their own affairs. So in short, let them talk. Whatever you do, being it more socially acceptable or not, will be rejected by someone else at some point.
Just enjoy what you like to do and not what other people think you should do. Remember it is YOUR life and you have only one shot at it.
moonblaze Mar 18th 2011 9:19AM
The advantage of taking a break from WoW is that you get more content for your money when you return to playing the game. This is not the same for other games. Games like Call of Duty eventually become replaced with sequels or other entirely new games and you will usually only get the full gaming experience from playing the game while it's popular. WoW follows similar concepts but not entirely - although each expansion brings new content into the game that often replaces the old, the game type is still very much the same and you are still playing the same game.
I have quit my WoW subscription a couple of months ago and it's not the first time I have stopped playing the game. I don't like the idea of paying for the "in-between" time it takes Blizzard to release new content. I have played a great deal of the Cata content and have narrowed down my remaining content to heroic farming and achievement hunting - something that's still going to be there when I decide to start playing the game again. Maybe I'll subscribe for a month when Firelands are released with the daily quests to progress my character further in the new content, but if I went back to the game now I'd just go back to the same content I paid for at Cata's release and that is imo a waste of money.
There is one other reason to play WoW that doesn't apply to the game's content and that is the social aspect of the game. Many players enjoy logging into the game for their guild chat and the social networks they've become part of. For me, that is a loss and I am very grateful to be in a guild that pardons month-long absences. However, you choose to play another game for an even better social experience and for that reason, I strongly recommend you go through with it. WoW is a strong game and it's still going to be around when you are bored with your other games.
Matrillik Mar 18th 2011 9:24AM
My current roommate cannot stand how much I play WoW. It bothers the shit out of him to the point where he tries to make me feel bad for playing when we hang out with one of his friends. I don't view this as my problem at all, more like his, and frankly, I think it's really funny that having a hobby that I enjoy bothers him.
When I first started dating my most recent ex, I didn't mention that I played WoW because it didn't really seem very important (And I thought I might seem cooler). Eventually I realized if someone I care about gives me a hard time for playing a game or they think it's too nerdy, that's not the kind of person you should be friends with in this first place.
If you play WoW, you're a nerd. You might not be as big a nerd as the kids in guilds who already downed heroic senestra or the guy who was the world first 85, but you're still a nerd. If it turns out your "friends" don't like you anymore because of a game you play or because you're a nerd, you'll find that you're better off without them anyway.
Barnzey_cool Mar 18th 2011 10:05AM
I don't understand how playing WoW automatically makes you a nerd. If it's a small part of your lifestyle then you are not a nerd, people need to start realising this! This is like saying your a professional swimmer when you go for a swim at the gym for an hour every week. You can say they may have a nerdy side but it doesn't mean they are now a nerd. It's 2011, all sorts of different people with different lifestyles play WoW and other games. They aren't all nerds!
Vitos Mar 18th 2011 12:01PM
Its not that you are a nerd (although I am), its that people will perceive you as a nerd and call you nerd. At least- those people who still consider it an insult.
Rai Mar 18th 2011 12:17PM
I'm not a nerd.
Nerds are smart.