Why I won't be leaving WoW anytime soon
Originally I was writing up a reply to a post by rydiafantasy about WoW Detox, but then I realized that I could spin a post about it instead and get a bit more mileage.
I've been playing WoW for nearly three years now, and my wife has been playing for just over two. For us, it's a bonding thing. We hang out together, level up characters together, run instances as a tank/healing pair (just add DPS and we're good to go, you can't say that often), etc. Rather than an addiction, it's been something we can enjoy together. We don't watch as much TV or as many movies, but I'm okay with that.
We also have at least four great friends IRL who also play. One of them is in the DC area, and while we can't hang out and go catch a movie or dinner, we can go take a stab at Shadow Labs or another instance, do some daily quests, etc., and still get a good bit of the feeling of socialness, even if not physically together. When he visits the hometown this Christmas, we'll get together and have dinner, but we will also probably do some WoW LAN-style too, simply because it's fun and one of the ways we like to hang out. Same with the other friends. We've done five-man parties all based out of my office/sunroom area, and it's been immensely fun.
WoW has been one of the best things in my life. My wife and I keep it in check, and we do get together often with many friends who don't play and enjoy doing other social things. Sometimes it's gaming in another way, like the random bout of Wii Sports and Wario Ware this weekend (when we'd originally planned to watch a movie), involving six of us, but often it's also just dinner and/or a movie and a good time with friends. Our social life hasn't suffered, and I could even argue that Lisa's more outgoing now, thanks to the experience of WoW.
It's been a great thing for the two of us -- in fact, I can honestly say that due to WoW, my wife is a lot more understanding of who I am as a person and it has enhanced our marriage immensely.
Sounds like a lot to say about a video game, but, it's not really just a game. It's a shared hobby, and that's a great way to bond with a person, no matter what the hobby may be. We really enjoy it, but we keep it in check and have a balanced life, ensuring that we spend plenty of time with friends and family as well.
I understand that I'm really quite fortunate in this regard. Many people have horror stories about how WoW has destroyed friendships/relationships/lives/etc. because the person playing wasn't able to keep it controlled. I will also say that until she started playing, there was some tension between me and Lisa over the game. I know there are people out there for whom WoW is a serious struggle, and I feel for that.
As for me? I'm very fortunate to be in a situation where it's a great thing in my life. I'm glad it's there, and I'm glad it'll most likely persist for several years. I know it'll go away eventually, and all of that time spent on the character may be viewed as loss to some, where I could have been reading or learning or something, but the social aspect of it, the memories and connections I've made with people, make it more than worthwhile.
I've been playing WoW for nearly three years now, and my wife has been playing for just over two. For us, it's a bonding thing. We hang out together, level up characters together, run instances as a tank/healing pair (just add DPS and we're good to go, you can't say that often), etc. Rather than an addiction, it's been something we can enjoy together. We don't watch as much TV or as many movies, but I'm okay with that.
We also have at least four great friends IRL who also play. One of them is in the DC area, and while we can't hang out and go catch a movie or dinner, we can go take a stab at Shadow Labs or another instance, do some daily quests, etc., and still get a good bit of the feeling of socialness, even if not physically together. When he visits the hometown this Christmas, we'll get together and have dinner, but we will also probably do some WoW LAN-style too, simply because it's fun and one of the ways we like to hang out. Same with the other friends. We've done five-man parties all based out of my office/sunroom area, and it's been immensely fun.
WoW has been one of the best things in my life. My wife and I keep it in check, and we do get together often with many friends who don't play and enjoy doing other social things. Sometimes it's gaming in another way, like the random bout of Wii Sports and Wario Ware this weekend (when we'd originally planned to watch a movie), involving six of us, but often it's also just dinner and/or a movie and a good time with friends. Our social life hasn't suffered, and I could even argue that Lisa's more outgoing now, thanks to the experience of WoW.
It's been a great thing for the two of us -- in fact, I can honestly say that due to WoW, my wife is a lot more understanding of who I am as a person and it has enhanced our marriage immensely.
Sounds like a lot to say about a video game, but, it's not really just a game. It's a shared hobby, and that's a great way to bond with a person, no matter what the hobby may be. We really enjoy it, but we keep it in check and have a balanced life, ensuring that we spend plenty of time with friends and family as well.
I understand that I'm really quite fortunate in this regard. Many people have horror stories about how WoW has destroyed friendships/relationships/lives/etc. because the person playing wasn't able to keep it controlled. I will also say that until she started playing, there was some tension between me and Lisa over the game. I know there are people out there for whom WoW is a serious struggle, and I feel for that.
As for me? I'm very fortunate to be in a situation where it's a great thing in my life. I'm glad it's there, and I'm glad it'll most likely persist for several years. I know it'll go away eventually, and all of that time spent on the character may be viewed as loss to some, where I could have been reading or learning or something, but the social aspect of it, the memories and connections I've made with people, make it more than worthwhile.