Gemini Studio
Are You a Gamer? by Deborah Tirico
Boy … has playing a game changed. To think Trivial Pursuit used to amuse us in the 80’s as an interactive game. Today, computer gamers have a plethora of exciting and
interactive venues to choose from and can interact online with people from
around the world. Creativity is practically limitless in portraying your character in many of the
web 2.0 applications… you can be an orc or a princess … have weapons or servants … but one thing is for sure – this is so not your father’s video game.
MMORPG is the acronym for massive multiplayer online role-playing game, generally
referred to as MMOs. An MMO is a computer role-playing game in which a large number of players can
interact with one another in a virtual world. Players assume the role of a
fictional character (often in a fantasy world) based on fantasy themes like
Dungeons and Dragons. Other popular themes include science fiction, sword and
sorcery, or crime fiction. MMOs almost always allow players to communicate with
one another and offer support for guilds or clans. Players use teamwork to fight during game play and are often expected to carry
out a specialized role (such as healing) as part of that team. There are a ton
of these games, some free and many with monthly subscriptions - but none as
popular as World of Warcraft which boasts 8 million players, with 4 million
players in China alone.
Some MMOs also expect players to roleplay their characters – that is, to speak and act in the way their character would act. MMOs generally
have Game Moderators or Game Masters which may be paid employees or unpaid
volunteers who attempt to supervise the world and/or the battle.
Mr T, William Shatner and Ozzie Osbourne endorse WOW in Television commercials – do they actually play?
© Gemini Studio, Inc. 2009
