Comments on: Let Loose the Rants of War http://www.mmognation.com/2007/02/08/let-loose-the-rants-of-war/ Wed, 25 May 2011 02:52:43 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Grimwell http://www.mmognation.com/2007/02/08/let-loose-the-rants-of-war/comment-page-1/#comment-5045 Grimwell Sat, 10 Feb 2007 06:43:15 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/2007/02/08/let-loose-the-rants-of-war/#comment-5045 <i>"Forcing a college student to decide between bread and a piece of content, giving a MMOG addict a direct shortcut to financial ruin; these are very much the trappings of the modern world, and they have no place in Massive gaming."</i> I'm calling shenanigans on that one friend. Nobody <b>forces</b> such decisions on others. Bread vs. Content? That sounds good as a sound-bite but is a bit unfair. Are you really of the mind that there are game developers out there who would make a game to create such decisions? I agree that there are some hard decisions out there in terms of game design when RMT is deliberately a part of the design, but if you don't make a compelling game, even at the pre-RMT level... who's going to stick around to buy anything? The good game still has to be a prerequisite. You can't make a good game if your only mission is to suck dollars out of the bank accounts of your community. “Forcing a college student to decide between bread and a piece of content, giving a MMOG addict a direct shortcut to financial ruin; these are very much the trappings of the modern world, and they have no place in Massive gaming.”

I’m calling shenanigans on that one friend. Nobody forces such decisions on others. Bread vs. Content? That sounds good as a sound-bite but is a bit unfair. Are you really of the mind that there are game developers out there who would make a game to create such decisions?

I agree that there are some hard decisions out there in terms of game design when RMT is deliberately a part of the design, but if you don’t make a compelling game, even at the pre-RMT level… who’s going to stick around to buy anything?

The good game still has to be a prerequisite. You can’t make a good game if your only mission is to suck dollars out of the bank accounts of your community.

]]> By: Cameron Sorden http://www.mmognation.com/2007/02/08/let-loose-the-rants-of-war/comment-page-1/#comment-5031 Cameron Sorden Fri, 09 Feb 2007 18:32:22 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/2007/02/08/let-loose-the-rants-of-war/#comment-5031 That’s not really how I look at it. You know how often these debates rage back and forth on any forum for a game that has an RMT market, but at the end of the day gaming is a hobby like any other. Whether you golf, knit, read, hunt, or slay dragons, at the end of the day it’s something you do to relax, have fun, and generally enjoy yourself. It just happens to be digital in the case of online worlds. That said, I would consider people paying to get ahead in an MMO the same as someone buying a really nice set of golf clubs you can’t afford (but could earn by winning the golf tournament). It’s only going to bother you if you let it. Why do you care if he’s got a better set of golf clubs? Aren’t you playing to enjoy the game? This analogy isn’t perfect, I know, because it doesn’t translate directly. But my point is this: some people have more purchasing power, and some people have more time. In a game where either one is a potential path to a desired goal, why does it affect you at all which one people choose to use? Someone who has time to play for 16 hours each day is going to have the same advantages over you as someone who has money to drop $1000 on characters and items. Why is the person who sacrifices his life for the game somehow more validated? That’s not really how I look at it. You know how often these debates rage back and forth on any forum for a game that has an RMT market, but at the end of the day gaming is a hobby like any other. Whether you golf, knit, read, hunt, or slay dragons, at the end of the day it’s something you do to relax, have fun, and generally enjoy yourself. It just happens to be digital in the case of online worlds.

That said, I would consider people paying to get ahead in an MMO the same as someone buying a really nice set of golf clubs you can’t afford (but could earn by winning the golf tournament). It’s only going to bother you if you let it. Why do you care if he’s got a better set of golf clubs? Aren’t you playing to enjoy the game?

This analogy isn’t perfect, I know, because it doesn’t translate directly. But my point is this: some people have more purchasing power, and some people have more time. In a game where either one is a potential path to a desired goal, why does it affect you at all which one people choose to use? Someone who has time to play for 16 hours each day is going to have the same advantages over you as someone who has money to drop $1000 on characters and items. Why is the person who sacrifices his life for the game somehow more validated?

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