I’ve been playing the online game, World of Warcraft (WoW) and this explains my absence on this blog. WoW has been very fun and entertaining. The game manufactures a sense of achievement as you progress your character and this was satisfying. There is a social aspect to WoW that makes you feel like you are connected. The truth is that the satisfaction I got from the game progression and social connectedness are an illusion that I have wasted too much of my life on.
You might be thinking, yes, captain obvious, WoW is a online fantasy game and as such it is a digital illusion. I think as you get into WoW this truth becomes less obvious. When I am mentally into that grove of the game, it is really hard to think about anything else. The game starts to carry the same weight and feel as real life priorities. WoW never ends so there is always the feeling that there is something left undone that must be completed. Aspects of WoW are a lot like gambling in that the reinforcement methods are the same as slot machines. But instead of money you insert your time. We all have the need of social interaction and the need to accomplish something in life. WoW provides this in an easy but fraudulent way. I have invested a lot of myself into this game and it has not produced any fruit. The game instead has had a negative impact on my relationship with my wife, children, and Christ . I have decided to stop playing.
This makes me think about how much of my life fits into this category of illusion. What else in my life gives me a sense of social connection and achievement fraudulently. My online involvement with bloging, posting on forums, emails, and online apologetics have a lot of similarity to WoW. When stopping WoW could I be just trading one lie for another? I am going to try to pray more so that I will be able to answer this question.
Here is a video that gives a better idea of what WoW is.
[fast forward the video until you see faces if you do not want to hear bad language]
.jpg)
14 comments:
Some comments on this topic if your interested...
http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=71214&st=0&start=0
please stop your conservative propoganda. if u play wow it doesnt mean that your gonna go to hell. its called moderation! Its sad that you are just jealous and have to pick on the creative people who made the game.
Dear anonymous,
Just for the record, my wife still plays World of Warcraft and I don't think she is going to hell. Your right that moderation is the issue. I don't seem to have moderation when I play wow. If this is not a problem for you then more power to you.
well, from what I read he never said a word about "Playing wow means you're going to hell". That's just a cheap diversion from the real truth: MMO's take up WAY too much of real life. It's not about "going to hell", its about missing out on THIS life, not accomplishing all the things you've dreamed of because yer stuck in a game.
I had a 60 paladin, a 42 mage, and a 26 orc when I had to quit WoW. I spent over 1000 hours developing a character that was in reality only so many bits of digital space on a hard drive. I could've written whole SERIES of books, made a CG movie, heck even made my OWN game. But no, all I have to show for it is a nonexistent character that is now erased. 1000 hours, gone.
The only people who said anything about hell are the ones complaining about it in these comments. Nice generic and biased wall, peeps.
I played WoW when it first came out, had it for 6 months. When I quit I had a 60 pally and a 42 mage. And, 1000 hours of my life I wont get back. That IS hell.
I have books to write, movies to make, ideas to solidify and things to accomplish. 1000 hours could do a LOT of that. I could have finished that game I was designing. How many friends do I NOT have in RL because I was stuck behind a computer? Did I miss my future wife because I was at home watching cartoon peeps beat on each other instead of at the store when she was? Or at the mall? Or skiing, or jogging, or biking, or any myriad of other REAL social activites?
No, I was home killing Onyxia or Ragnaros for the umpteenth time. Or maybe the bat chick in ZF. Who knows.
I have a 60 rogue... and have been trying to stop myself before I end up like so many of the people that I know that are pretty much out of control.
It's interfering with school, friends, and family... and sleep, too!
The video posted is 100% truth if you ask me. It's a growing issue, but a lot of people like the game too much to fix it =P
For all you know life is just an illusion also. Reality is simply what you perceive it to be, and if someone enjoys the reality they make for themself in a game, then I see no problem.
Honestl, WoW is just another game. I'm not a game geek, I'm good at games, but I just play, just because I have free time and there's nothign to do. Playing WoW is the same thing as playing Halo online or Call of Duty or whatever you choose to play. People get addicted to those too. The thing about WoW is that, I don't have to buy a $300 system plus controllers, games and whatnot to play. WoW is only a negative part in your life and can only become and addiction if you allow it to. God won't hate you just because you like doing something that doesn't hurt or bother anyone. Some people love to play chess, and will play it hours on end. Is that a harmful addiction? Some love to just play puzzles or just sit and watch people go by. Is that harmful or addicting? WoW takes stragetic and logical thinking. You learn to multitask and you learn how to think quickly and stragetically. You may becaome addicted, but it will only become a negative impact on your life, if you allow it to and you make it. WoW is just another game, another past time. It's about the same as watching football every single night or maybe your favorite TV show. At least it takes thinking power to play. It's just another pastime...
Four years have passed since the aftermath of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, and a great tension now smolders throughout the ravaged world of Azeroth. As the battle-worn races begin to rebuild their shattered kingdoms, new threats, both ancient and ominous, arise to plague the world once again.
World of Warcraft is an online role-playing experience set in the award-winning Warcraft universe. Players assume the roles of Warcraft heroes as they explore, adventure, and quest across a vast world and trying to stay alive at the same time.
============================================
WoW Gold
crispian
Four years have passed since the aftermath of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, and a great tension now smolders throughout the ravaged world of Azeroth. As the battle-worn races begin to rebuild their shattered kingdoms, new threats, both ancient and ominous, arise to plague the world once again.
World of Warcraft is an online role-playing experience set in the award-winning Warcraft universe. Players assume the roles of Warcraft heroes as they explore, adventure, and quest across a vast world and trying to stay alive at the same time.
===============================================================
WoW Gold
crispian
Yes,i agree with you.I expect the same.I am very impressed with you and this blog.it's nice.Very thankful for youtube.It is soo helpful.With out this people would have forgotten about his cartoons.
===================================
JOHN
wow gold
wow gold guide
So enjoyed your blog re. WOW. I can't see the video. What would I type in to see it via you tube? I' m afraid my husband is addicted to the game. He is 62 and a good Orthodox Catholic man. Whenever I bring the problem up, he gets agitated. I know we all have our faults. I'll just keep praying. God bless
Post a Comment