Breakfast Topic: Do you put WoW on display?
by Anne Stickney 
Jan 31st 2012 at 8:00AM
I'm not really hugely vocal about the games I play. I don't really talk about them to my friends outside of work or the game itself. I don't have any tattoos or T-shirts that I wear around in public. The only real concession to my Warcraft obsession is my car, really. I love my car, and I love putting things in my car, whether it's the unobtrusive Harry Potter sticker on the back, the dinosaur on my dash as a subtle nod to Firefly, or the small Horde decal in the back window. I also have a Warcraft license plate frame that looks much nicer than the dealer frame that came with the car.
Most people don't really give the items in my car a second glance, but I always know when there's a Warcraft player behind me at the Starbucks drive-through line -- I'll get a glimpse of an excited driver behind me throwing the horns or expressing their delight with my vehicle in one way or another. Now, I'd never go so far as to order a custom license plate, but I don't mind my unobtrusive decal and plate frame -- it's a subtle way of expressing my delight in the game that I play.
Do you openly display your Warcraft pride? Do you wear T-shirts, have a tattoo, or cover your car with stickers? Do you have a custom license plate or a set of Warcraft jewelry that you wear all the time? Or do you keep quiet about your gaming obsession, content to simply play at home and be happy about it?
While you're pondering that, take a look at this old gallery of custom Warcraft plates. I'll be over here, quietly wondering if there's somewhere I can nab a Skyrim decal for the other side of my car's back window.
Most people don't really give the items in my car a second glance, but I always know when there's a Warcraft player behind me at the Starbucks drive-through line -- I'll get a glimpse of an excited driver behind me throwing the horns or expressing their delight with my vehicle in one way or another. Now, I'd never go so far as to order a custom license plate, but I don't mind my unobtrusive decal and plate frame -- it's a subtle way of expressing my delight in the game that I play.
Do you openly display your Warcraft pride? Do you wear T-shirts, have a tattoo, or cover your car with stickers? Do you have a custom license plate or a set of Warcraft jewelry that you wear all the time? Or do you keep quiet about your gaming obsession, content to simply play at home and be happy about it?
While you're pondering that, take a look at this old gallery of custom Warcraft plates. I'll be over here, quietly wondering if there's somewhere I can nab a Skyrim decal for the other side of my car's back window.
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Trey Jan 31st 2012 8:04AM
nope. dont take this in a cocky way, but i am the starting QB, i start on the basketball team, with all A's in honors classes and an active social life. if people heard me tell them i play wow, theyd think im high.
Nick Jan 31st 2012 8:34AM
pretty much this.
No football here (in Scotland) that is accessible to me due to working weekends, but I am at university, captain the basketball club, gym 4+ times a week, and have a reasonable social life.
I actually think "normal" people are the majority in WoW, albeit a silent majority. Perhaps if people like us spoke up WoW, and gaming in general, wouldn't have such a bad rep?
Nick Jan 31st 2012 8:34AM
pretty much this.
No football here (in Scotland) that is accessible to me due to working weekends, but I am at university, captain the basketball club, gym 4+ times a week, and have a reasonable social life.
I actually think "normal" people are the majority in WoW, albeit a silent majority. Perhaps if people like us spoke up WoW, and gaming in general, wouldn't have such a bad rep?
Revnah Jan 31st 2012 8:38AM
@Nick: that's exactly why I'm doing it. At 41 years of age, I'm beyond caring what people think. And when someone registers astonishment that "someone like me" plays an online game, I tell them that most people in my guild are married with kids and lead completely normal lives.
Burnaphatone Jan 31st 2012 8:43AM
I'm not sure how playing wow would have any bearing on the grades you get, the sports you enjoy participating in, or the effort you make socializing. If you're afraid of how others might perceive you despite all of those admirable accomplishments you just listed, you might have some self esteem issues, or just be totally ashamed of your little secret/addiction.
On the other hand, you yourself might have a misconception or a stereotypical idea of the "average wow player". Not all of us are pimply adolescents who are horrible at sports, get bad grades, and lack social skills. There are over 10 million people that play, that leaves a lot of room for a diverse scope of people.
Nick Jan 31st 2012 9:28AM
What I intended to add, but forgot, is that I AM open about playing WoW. Not to everyone, my BBall team don't know, and a few of my work colleagues and classmates know. My girlfriend knows of course, kinda hard to keep secrets under the same roof, and our cat watches me play so I assume he knows.
I tell people that either need to know what I'm doing at my desk for 3 hours a night that can't be interrupted, or people that might be interested.
Trey Jan 31st 2012 9:40AM
i just try to wait a little bit before meeting someone. nonplayers assume all wow players are the stereotypical nerd gamer. once they know im not like that, i will tell them.
Thal Jan 31st 2012 9:52AM
Same here. I'm a student, I have a very good social life and still manage to find time to play and enjoy WoW. My close friends and my fellow gamers, ofcourse, know I play WoW and don't mind at all. Although they sometimes make jokes about it.
But buying t-shirts or hats or anything like that, don't think I'll ever do that. Not that I'm embarassed about it, but I just don't care much about it.
Noyou Jan 31st 2012 12:07PM
Trey- you probably are not a bad kid, you just need to mature. There are tons of "non nerdy people" who play from NFL players to rock stars. The sooner you realize you are not a special snowflake for being a jock the better off you will be.
Evelinda Jan 31st 2012 10:22PM
I feel like the people commenting on this saying that trey has self esteem issues, or needs to grow up, must have either had idyllic high school experiences or maybe just can't remember what it was like.
High schoolers can be truly vicious little shits, who will seize on anything that can be perceived as a weakness to make someone else's life a living hell. Being an individual is awesome, and being proud of who you are is something that everyone should be able to feel, but there's nothing wrong with trying to fit in while you're in high school. High school was probably the worst time of my life, precisely because i was different, because i read books and played computer games.
I don't think you've got anything to be ashamed of for playing wow, but that doesn't mean that the other kids you go to school with won't give you grief about it.
Bluemain Jan 31st 2012 8:06AM
It does seem that many people have a love/shame relationship with wow, they love the game but keep in on the quiet. As for me, alliance pride indeed. I have the stormwind lion as a tattoo on my right arm and often wear my jynx alliance t-shirt too.
Unfortunatly my car is more a gray than a purple so no liscence plates.....yet.
Arrowsmith Jan 31st 2012 8:07AM
For Christmas 2010, My mom got me the Murhol Pop Art Shirt out of the blue.
http://www.jinx.com/p/world_of_warcraft_murhol_pop_art_t_shirt.html?catid=
It's the shirt I wear the most proudly. :D
RetPallyJil Jan 31st 2012 8:09AM
I have a WoW themed necklace, a paladin t-shirt, and two of those tiny JINX buttons on my winter coat.
And even worn one at a time, those have been enough to start lively conversations with total strangers.
yab Jan 31st 2012 8:12AM
Lots of awesome plates there. Especially love the "OMGEPIX" on the Lexus.
And nope. But if I ever did I'd make a shirt that says: "I play Horde, AND Alliance. Deal with it." Just to be the proud few that enjoy the best of both worlds.
Revnah Jan 31st 2012 8:16AM
People who know me know that I play WoW. It's my hobby, so I mention it in conversation the way other people mention their football training or their movie DVD collection.
As for items, I have a beautiful mousepad with my Revnah in Tier 12 priest armour at my workplace, and I own a self-designed WoW hoodie. Not exactly the most obvious, in-your-face products but those who pay attention, do notice :-)
arquenvaron Jan 31st 2012 8:24AM
I got 4 t-shirts and a awesomely tattooed horde crest on my right calf.
exogenesis. Jan 31st 2012 8:29AM
I have a For the Horde t-shirt (so far, it has not caused any fellow WoW players to come up and start a conversation -sadface-), and my bookshelves are adorned with a few Warcraft novels.
Other than that, I don't really display my love for WoW. Not for lack of wanting to, just that a lot of merchandise is too expensive. -_-
Nina Katarina Jan 31st 2012 8:30AM
I don't have any WoW-themed showoff stuff. I probably ought to get some, sometime, once I get some credit cards paid down.
Zarabethe Jan 31st 2012 8:32AM
I have a Cataclysm poster hanging in my bathroom that my mother scored when they came out. I have two shirts, and I have two onesies I decorated with WoW (one text, one alliance lion) for my babies. It's enoguh that someone who knows it recognizes it, but someone who doesn't has no clue. I have no problem showing WoW pride and I have long ago ceased caring what people thought of me :).
chris crouse Jan 31st 2012 8:35AM
It's sad, yet this license plate makes me think of one thing: the pronunciation of the word "hearth." The word was around long before wow, and is pronounced like the ear in "heart," rather than the "ear" in earth.