I am a gamer. And I don’t deny it. Is it an addiction? In EVE case, probably so. All MMORPGs are addictive and that’s good from business perspective: playerbase paying monthly fees warantees a steady cash flow. From players point of view being addicted is not good. It means additional monthly expenses, lots of lost time, etc. On the other hand, if you manage to keep that addiction in check, it means you have a large game world to explore, lots of content and many other people you can talk to, play with, or compete with. Persistent world means you do not have to start from scratch every time you play the game, and even if you are not playing, the game lives on. Meaning lots of good quality entertainment.
I have been in computers almost my entire life, programming, configuring, repairing them, even building new rigs. That means games are for me just as natural as the TV. But for others to see this, I needed some gaming apparel.
So I have ordered some t-shirts from an online shop called “J!NX“. At first it was two EVE related tees: one with Gallente Myrmidon and the other with Matari Hurricane. Of course for people not playing EVE they are just some pictures meaning nothing at all (but still looking good). So I have gone unnoticed by my workmates (except the one sitting next to me). Since curiosity kills cats, one of my coleagues checked what EVE is, and found out it’s actually known as EVE Online, and it’s a game. I was still ignored (as a gamer) by most of the staff. Or so I believed.
It seems, that the guy who spied on the markings of my t-shirt must have told others, that I am playing an online game, because a few days before Starcraft II hit the store shelves, few of my coleagues approached me asking about it. They weren’t surprised that I know what they’re talking about and that in fact I am going to buy the game as well, once it’s out. After that, 6 or 7 people asked me on the 27th of July if I already bought Starcraft II, some asked me how the game feels like, is it worth buying, have I finished it already and so on. The biggest surprise was the fact, that some soon followed in my wake and bought a copy of SC 2 as well. One of my coleagues even tried EVE Online (he’s playing another MMO so didn’t stick to EVE – too bad).
It is nice to know that I was wrong; I was sure people at work just laugh at me, being 27 y/o and still playing video games (even if they did, I don’t care). But in the light of the recent events, my being a player, a *gamer* – makes me proud.
PS. Because of the success of my EVE tees, I have got myself a Starcraft II shirt for a change.
PS2. Speaking of J!NX – they are a serious business, focused on making their customers happy. One of my orders was probably lost in the shipping, so I have contacted J!NX. After checking the fate of my previous shipment with Polish Post, J!NX sent me the same merchandise free of charge! (of course the second shipment made it through without further problems).
