Faith. Life. Gaming.
A good quote from a USA Today article on the US deficit:
Bowles (Erskine) has been in touch with Microsoft‘s Steve Ballmer about creating a deficit-reduction video game that would enable anyone with a computer to take a stab at balancing the budget, much like the 1994 commission did.
Updated for 2010, Kerrey says, such a game could “go viral.”
*Oh yes, the video games will save us and show us the way.
*No sarcasm intended.
Bouncing off a topic Syp @ Bio Break wrote on today, I want to take a moment and dive into what I believe is one of the reasons people still play World of Warcraft, nostalgia.
Personally, I have played WoW off and on since its inception in 2004. Sometime after graduating college and getting married, I put down the game for what I thought was the last time. My friends and I went on to play other MMO’s (Lord of the Rings Online, Warhammer, etc.) and always talked about the glory days in Azeroth. Our nostalgia was not just rooted in WoW but in the Warcraft RTS series as well. Hours upon hours spent playing online in high school only helped cement memories in time.
Last year I did the unthinkable though when my friends and I dove back into the lands of Azeroth. What had started out as a series of conversations about the good old days, soon manifested itself into us playing again. The past, the memories of days gone by, had pulled us back into the behemoths claws. This all didn’t last long though, as I soon grew bored in zones I had slogged through before.
Going back to Syp’s post, what will pull gamers back to World of Warcraft for the great Cataclysm? Will it be new specs? New character classes? Hardly. I believe cold hard nostalgia will be the drawing factor. Here is the thing though, nostalgia only lasts for so long. Soon reality sets in and people see things for what they are now, and not what they used to be.
The great cataclysm awaits…yawn.
Went to visit the Hobby Master in Bree this evening. He would stare right at me and yet say nothing. So, I offered him a few of my mother’s choice pies — so delicious! –. Nothing. He just stood there, looking at me. Humans, at times, are odd. – Aubrik
Hit level 14 tonight!
Over at Massively.com, they have a great write up on Pocket Legends, an MMMG (Mobile Massively Multiplayer Game) for the iDevice.
Pocket Legends is a Mobile Massively Multiplayer Game available for the iPod, iPhone and iPad devices. It is a 3d online role-playing game where you can join thousands of players from around the world. Play with your friends and make new friends online. Cooperate to undertake wild adventures in endless dungeon campaigns!
The initial game client is free (link opens iTunes). Additional dungeon campaigns, gear, and gold are available for a price.
Impressions so far:
I installed Pocket Legends over lunch on my 1st generation iPod Touch. (Yes, despite what the iTunes store has listed, Pocket Legends seems to work fine on a 1st generation iTouch.) The game client updated itself quickly, and I was soon able to create my first character (an archer). Due to time constraints, I was only able to play for a few minutes. My overall impression is that the game plays like Diablo…or a more recent Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles game on the DS. Further thoughts to come!
JohnnyBGamer