How a Computer Game Improved My Life
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Weird, I know, but true. I’ve been playing World of Warcraft since just after Thanksgiving. I got it because it looked like fun and because a couple of friends of mine had played in the beta test and were planning on getting it.
All of my friends have left town in the last couple of years except for one who travels extensively for his job (home 1 week out of 4). Because we all have different (busy) schedules, instant messaging doesn’t work and no one ever thinks of sitting down and writing an email.
So I thought I might see my friends who played the beta on sometimes to say “Hi.”
In reality, I see them 3 or 4 times a week and even when we don’t play “together” we still chat in game. That’s where they told me they had gotten married. I’ve been (re)introduced to their friends where they live now and I chat with them some.
I chat with total strangers.
I’m just short of anti-social on the introvert scale so voluntarily interacting with people I don’t know is a huge thing for me. The game is very geared toward collaboration. You can certainly play alone but it’s just easier (and more fun) sometimes with a group. One of the things that has come out of this is “Random Helping.” A Priest or Paladin running by will give random people healing or spells to make them tougher for the heck of it. You in turn might see someone getting creamed and stop to help them. It’s a nice community feeling that carries into the real world. Recently, I stopped to help a lost couple I might have passed by before because that’s the kind of thing I do “in game.”
There are plenty of jerks. But it’s like the ad filters you develop for webpages, you just screen them out or leave the chat channel. You forget all about them the next time someone helps you out.
So gaming has made me more social and nicer. And active. It totally engages my brain and even boosts my heart rate occasionally.
So what does this have to do with libraries? Think about a game demo night hosted at a public library. People from kids to adults can come in and try the game of their choice before buying it themselves. Games are expensive and non-returnable if you just don’t like them. So they come and also see that the library has CDs and wifi. It instantly becomes a possible hangout spot. Or at least a positive memory at voting time.
Another possibility is gaming stations but that would require licensing and 2 hour time slots. It would be cool but resource-intensive.
The next time you hear how bad gaming is for people you can think of me. I may be an exception but I do prove that there is more that goes on that the “experts” haven’t discovered yet. Maybe if they played for a while. BTW- we’ve talked about it so much two more of my friends are getting the game so I’ll “see” them too.
Gaming — laura
