Why I hate MMO

The lecture and readings this week on MMO only reinforced the reasons on why I absolutely hate MMO games.  

A few years ago, when MMO started to get popular, my boyfriend at the time discovered it and thought it was the greatest thing ever invented. He tried to teach me, but I was a casual gamer and I struggled. All we did was run around in this huge, never ending place, looking for things shooting people, and hearing funny voices at the same time- I didn’t get it.

It was scary to see him so immersed in the game. He had the normal attributes of an addictive gamer (playing hours on end etc) but that wasn’t the scary part.

Lessig argues that cyberspaces have the potential to be the most perfectly regulable spaces ever inhabited but unfortunately this is not happening. How can you distinguish what is real or not, when you are continually communicating with real people in this alternative world where space never seems to end. You can practically go anywhere- up buildings, through windows, underground- it was limitless. There is no regulations, and you cop abuse or can abuse others. It is addictive and life consuming as you are stuck in this alternative world and you get lost in a play trance- you could forget that it is a game and wonder around in this world forever. I think, when you hear the other players talk to you, it becomes real. It is a dangerous territory, and people should proceed with caution.