World Of Warcraft has abducted My Friends
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Okay I know I've touched on a lot of sensitive subjects lately, but this is something I've got a serious issue with. And this is something that's truly happened to me and I really want to know if anybody else has had the same issue. A couple years back my friends started playing an online Massively Multiplayer PC Video game. Many of you probably know it as WOW or World Of Warcraft.
Here is what I found so disturbing. Virtually overnight, I lost contact with all my friends because I wasn't in the game. This is what is called a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) and it is so addictive that as a result, I can't talk to those friends anymore because they're still sucked into the video game. The few times I do manage to connect with them, it is like we are speaking a different language.
The problem is that I can't relate to them because all they ever talk about is what's going on in their game, so I've got a question. How can I reclaim my friends and not get sucked in myself? I don't want to become consumed by this game. I have a life and I used to enjoy sharing it with my friends. I mean, we used to go out and do things all the time or even just hang out, but all of a sudden, as soon as they got onto this stupid game, it's like they are on drugs. I mean, this stupid game is all they think about and are completely dependent on. They schedule everything in their lives to revolve around the game.
I mean literally, all I can think of is to do something awful to their computer. I know that if I did they would never talk to me again because all of a sudden they would be cut off from their virtual life. They would be frantically looking for a source to get a WOW fix.
To show how much of an epidemic this is, I have an uncle (not exactly a kid) who has recently gotten to the world of MMO's and he is so addicted that he actually spends more time on his computer than he does interacting with his four-year-old daughter.
I'm really at a loss for what to do! All I have to say is if you are considering getting into the massively multiplayer games. Please don't, you will lose your life and everything that is most important to it. So really, what should I do? Has anyone else out there experienced the same problem?
By the way, if any of my friends are reading this, would you guys please contact me? Let's go snowboarding or something FUN!
- Warcraft Riches
"Crazy WoW gamer shows proof of 27,000g and his secrets to masses of gold every night!" - World of Warcraft - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Rehab center for video game addicts
- How to Stop Playing World of Warcraft - wikiHow
wikiHow article about How to Stop Playing World of Warcraft.
World of Warcraft Addiction
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Comments
I can relate to your plight. My best friend, who was also the best man at my wedding, has become consumed by WoW. What makes it even worse is that he is a "functional addict". Since he is able to maintain a respectable job and still study for his Ph.D. he believes no problem exists. Unfortunately, either he does not realize or does not care that ALL of his free time is dominated by WoW. Furthermore, like your friends, when I'm granted the privilege of actual human contact all he can talk about is WoW. He has abandoned me and his other friends for his new, so-called "online friends". I wonder if his "online friends" would help him move from one 3rd story apartment to another? I wonder if his "online friends" would go over to his mother's house and help her out? I wonder if his "online friends" would walk around on a broken ankle so he didn't feel bad because everyone else had cancelled on him at the last minute for big night out?
So I tried to enter his world. Even though I had played the free trial and decided that WoW was not a game for me, I signed up for a paid WoW account, and in the beginning we played together a little and it was great fun. However, it soon became obvious that he played WAY more than I and because he had progressed to such an advanced level I was no longer able to play with him and he did not wish to "slum it" with me. He plays every day and for hours a day. Personally I don't see how he manages to find the time. Now I've played video games all my life and always enjoyed them but WoW is the biggest BS time vampire I've ever come across. Everything in the game is designed to take TONS more time that it should so you'll keep playing and keep paying that stupid monthly fee. Because of family, friends, going out, seeing shows, weekend trips and just general real life stuff there's now way I can EVER commit the amount of time it takes to reach the advanced levels of WoW. Actually I'm a little ashamed of the time I have spent, all in a naive effort to relate to my once best friend.
To the question of reclaiming friends all I can say is to have faith that your friendships are stronger than some video game. While WoW has lasted longer than most, video games have relatively short life spans and will eventually die out due to lack of interest. Also, don't give up on your friends either. Continue to invite them out on a regular basis. Ask them to do the things you all used to love to do together. Yes you will probably be rejected a hundred times but for that one time that they actually unplug and hang out it will be worth it. In the end WoW will be dead, "online friends" will fade, and you'll still be there. At that moment it will dawn on them what it means to be a true friend.
World Of Warcraft is a graet game unless you are stupid enough to let it completely take over your life. I play and my friends in real life play, we go to school and only play 4 hours at the most (which is barely ever). So you all need to stop complaining and tell your kids to get off and do something better for a while.
Timothy,
This is a real problem and people need to know that MMO's are verry addictive. how is it you can say that 4 hours a day is hardly ever? 4 hours a day is a part time job!! Oh and by the way I'm not complaining about my kids (Which if this ever happend to them I would pull the plug.) becouse i don't have any yet. I am though talking about my friends. They have lost there lives to this game and i know others have too.
Just replace them. Its what I did when my family and friends ditched me for WoW. Friends are easily made with the right attitude. Don't "ditch" your old friends, just refuse to hang out with them when they are playing and eventually they will get the idea.
Also I hate to break your guy's "reality virginity" but World of Warcraft isn't going to just fade out in a year or even two or three. Look at other Blizzard games like Starcraft and Warcraft. Starcraft came out 10 years ago and STILL has competitive gaming and a strong online presence. Additionally Blizzard is releasing new expansions for WoW, making sure that it is always "fresh".
tl;dr: get new friends. WoW isn't going to go away.
I can relate. A very good friend of mine is in his 30's yet he's still a bum. Asking money from his parents, going out all the time with his friends to play WoC. And not just WoC, other times in other online games.
This is a contagion that must be quashed. A good resource could be found here
No...This Is A Free Country, We Are (Supposed To Be) Allowed To Do Almost Anything We Want. If Someone Wants To Play A Game Let Them. For Christ's Sake ANYONE CAN GET ADDICTED TO ANYTHING. Video Games Are One, Drugs, LOTTERY TICKETS, Gambling, Losing Weight, Bodybuilding, SEX, Compulsive Shopping, Compulsive TV Watching, ANYTHING CAN BECOME AN ADDICTION. I Used To Play Everquest And I Played WOW After That. I Had School, I Had A Job That Was 4pm-10pm And I Worked 5 Days Out Of 7, I Have Payments (Car,Insurance,Cell,Gas), I Have Friends, And I Have A Girlfriend. I Loved Playing, But I Also Kept My Time Limited So I Had Time To Do Other Things...Obviously If Your Friend Wants To Play WOW Then Go Out And Hang With Friends At A Bar Or Something Then It Is More Interesting Than Hanging Out With You...
Let People Alone...We Are Old Enough To Make Our Own Decisions And Are Responsible For Ourselves...
-Pesimo
Well said. Balancing your time is important. I play WOW but I don't find it addicting. I keep a strong social life and I study well in school. You need to tell your friends to make a choice on who is more important. You or WOW. If they made a choice they made their choice. However you can suggest they balance their time. Have some time set for you guys to hang out and let them have some time to play. Don't judge WOW, judge the people who play it.
My best friend in college has always played WoW. He stopped for a while, but started up again this semester when the expansion came out. I go over to his appt and all he is every doing is sitting glued to his laptop with his headset on. It’s like pulling teeth trying to have a conversation with him. We used to go out and have so much fun but now he NEVER leaves his apartment, he doesn’t go to class anymore, he barley even eats or sleeps. He is going to fail out but he doesn’t care. He gets very defensive when I mention addiction. He doesn’t realize all that he is missing out on because he is wasting his life in a virtual world. My (one day) kids are going to hate me, but because of what I see happening to my friend like this, I’m going to be very strict with video/PC games.. I hate WoW..
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kerbyninja says:
9 months ago
I totally agree with this subject.
The world is going to hell in a handbasket named World of Warcraft.
Keep up the good work. :-)