Editorial: Online Gaming: The Next Great Frontier or Darwin at Work?

[Jack Hammer]

My old roommate used to play SOCOM online for 10+ hours a day. He took it way to seriuosly, from specialized controllers to setting up conference calls to organize the players on his team, to trying to setup local meetings. He was a pretty cool person, but sometimes he acted like a total loser with no life when he played. He was like a crack head, but jonesing for online-gaming instead of drugs.

 

[Sheep]

My old roommate used to play SOCOM online for 10+ hours a day. He took it way to seriuosly, from specialized controllers to setting up conference calls to organize the players on his team, to trying to setup local meetings. He was a pretty cool person, but sometimes he acted like a total loser with no life when he played. He was like a crack head, but jonesing for online-gaming instead of drugs.

Old thread I know, but you should have seen the last LAN party I was at.

Normally, we play against each other, but this time someone came up with the great idea of teaming up and facing REALLY hard bots (Godlike in UT2004). We worked our way up to godlike, but once we neared it, we had to break out the white board and make a plan. We spent about half an hour planning out our attacks, and who did what with who.

In the end, it was the BEST gaming we EVER did at a LAN, and this would qualify as textbook "no life". We didn't beat the Godlike bots, but there is another LAN coming up, and we're ready to go again, with new strategies.

Point is, people game like this because its the best way. Large organized groups not only accomplish the most, but have the most fun too. This is no different then playing street hockey with some good friends against a team of strangers.

SheepStar

 

[mikeyj92]

Old thread I know, but you should have seen the last LAN party I was at.

Normally, we play against each other, but this time someone came up with the great idea of teaming up and facing REALLY hard bots (Godlike in UT2004). We worked our way up to godlike, but once we neared it, we had to break out the white board and make a plan. We spent about half an hour planning out our attacks, and who did what with who.

In the end, it was the BEST gaming we EVER did at a LAN, and this would qualify as textbook "no life". We didn't beat the Godlike bots, but there is another LAN coming up, and we're ready to go again, with new strategies.

Point is, people game like this because its the best way. Large organized groups not only accomplish the most, but have the most fun too. This is no different then playing street hockey with some good friends against a team of strangers.

SheepStar

I don't equate this type of "gaming" to that of the playing WoW in a room by yourself, for 6+ hours every day and 12+ on each weekend day.

LAN's like that are just as social and competitive as going out and playing a game of pickup-b-ball...just not as good for your body. Sounded like a blast.

Online gaming has a viable grasp on gamings future. MMORPG's are also the most addictive style of game. They can be alot of fun though, as I can attest.