Hey folks and welcome to Bel’s Blog Bonanza, a new feature here on MMO Games where I attempt to highlight some of the more interesting topics currently cycling through the gaming blogosphere. One of my favorite aspects of writing about games, is the interactions I have with other bloggers. In this new column, it is my goal to highlight some of the individuals in this community and present their interesting take on current issues. Let us dispense with the introduction and get to the awesome.
While the community can provide a good deal of though provoking discussion, it can also be the source of some toxicity. This week two bloggers crafted pieces talking about negativity in social media and the blogosphere. The first post by Gamer Lady P presents the idea of the “Mocktatership”, or the public trend of creating memes to mock people for their mistakes. Similarly The Mystical Mesmer talks about how they are done with negative bloggers creating hostile and contentious environments. In both cases the bloggers are seeking to cleanse themselves of these negative influences and present a discussion of alternative behaviors.
At the beginning of January, the blogger and podcaster Braxwolf conducted an informal study of 75 respondents asking various questions about their demographics and their particular leanings within the games they play. Last month he released the early results of this questionnaire in a summary form. This week he released the second part of this on-going look at the results, this time digging into our play style preferences. In the survey he looks at player leanings towards PVE and PVP and how it relates to age and gender, as well as preferences towards sandbox environments and several different elements. This makes for an extremely interesting read, and while too small to be truly representative, it still creates some curious discussion points.
With the recent release of the 2.5 content patch, free game play weekend, and a fairly hefty sale on both the PC and Playstation Network versions of the game, the blogosphere has been buzzing with talk of Final Fantasy XIV. This week there are three posts that do an excellent job highlighting three vastly different experiences with the game. First we have a post from the MMO Gypsy talking about the excitement of immersing herself in the large and beautiful world of Eorzea. Next we have a post from A Green Mushroom, discussing how he enjoyed the ride while it lasted but now upon finishing the main storyline he has lost his sense of purpose. Finally we have an interesting piece from Sypster talking about how while he has tried to like the game, he just cannot seem to get into the Final Fantasy series any more.
Most of the posts I have chosen to discuss today are actually clusters of posts centering around a specific topic, but sometimes there is a post so unique and interesting that warrants discussion all by itself. Rambling Thoughts About WoW presents the concept of the $14.99 All You Can Eat Buffet as it relates specifically to the present state of World of Warcraft and the other Blizzard properties. I have to admit I had never really thought about gaming in these terms directly, but the metaphor holds up extremely well. He talks about the lifecycle of a game, how it goes from a relatively obscure title, to a hype riddled rush to finally something that is looked upon a being a little tired, and the ultimate revitalization. This is the first post in what seems to be a series of posts exploring World of Warcraft and our motivations as players, so watch Rambling Thoughts About WoW in the coming days for more.
It is impossible to discuss this week in blogging without delving into the rather tragic news received Wednesday regarding the major cuts at Daybreak Games formerly Sony Online Entertainment. As you might expect the community has been deeply effected by the loss of many that had become the public face of long loved franchises like Everquest. As gamers we become attached to these names and faces associated with the games we play, and many bloggers shared personal stories about interactions with them. Others expressed a sense of loss and dismay, and even some anger towards what happened. This leaves many of us questioning what the future holds for games still in development like Everquest Next and H1Z1. We were even granted a bit of a behind the scenes view at the events as a former Planetside 2 producer that lost his job urged us not to hate Columbus Nova/Daybreak. For those whom we lost, I wish them the best of luck in finding a new home.
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