The Daily Grind: Are you loyal?

by Adrian Bott Sep 21st 2008 at 8:00AM

Something that a lot of gamers like to do is argue about the merits of their games. We see it every day here at Massively, in many of the comments we get left. Differences of opinion are inevitable, but at the same time it's strange that many of us feel the need to defend the games we like. After all, it's not like our fun is impacted by what anyone else happens to think, right?

Sometimes, people will speak up in defence of a game for reasons other than simple appreciation of its qualities, or a desire to have another side of the story presented. You often see a factor of game loyalty come into play, which is more than just the valuing of a game as a play experience, as one might feel for any other product. People can feel loyalty for many reasons: a sense of community, memories of good times or learning experiences, or even gratitude for status and respect earned in the game that feeds back into everyday life. It's not always mere fanboyism.

Are you loyal to any of the games you play? Are you inclined to defend them if they get misrepresented or excessively criticized? Do you give them the benefit of the doubt and stay subscribed for as long as possible if things get rocky? Or is a game just like any other product - something for entertainment, not deserving of loyalty?

Tags: loyalty, the-daily-grind

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

C.A. said on 8:19AM 9-21-2008

Eh, it's natural.

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"I have fun at a game. I feel that that feeling is right and true.

I believe because of my "correct" feelings of enjoyment, others too should have those same feelings.

Someone disagreeing in a maner that doesn't mesh with my feelings is stating that it isn't fun or enjoyable, thus invalidating my feelings."

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That of course is a very simplified version of what you're talking about, but basically it's what all the flame wars about different games boil down to. Luckily, people can also use common sense and some have an understanding that just because one person enjoys something another doesn't both views can be valid.

Jess said on 10:58AM 9-21-2008

Lifetime LOTRO membership = absolute loyalty. That and as of Jan 09 I'll be playing it for free!

Distiler said on 11:20AM 9-21-2008

That is because MMOs broke the "gaming" barrier and become life styles. This is why people takes it so personal. It's a very interesting behaviour.

Beau said on 12:57PM 9-21-2008

I only harp on someone when they come into a forum, day after day, talking about how much they hate the game.

If someone comes to my party and just keeps mentioning that they hate the dip, I tell them to get the hell out.

Of course, those players defend their right to look like a total loser, and are perfectly satisfied when it seems like they NEED a certain game or game company to fail in order to feel vindicated: they actually have a grudge against a game company. It's sad, really.

STereo said on 2:20PM 9-21-2008

On the contrary, I feel like a customer and I want what I've paid for. I left wow because they couldn't fix hunters for 2+ years, now I'm looking at WarHammer. If it's good, I'll stay with it. But it's a product like any other.

torak said on 2:34PM 9-21-2008

I'm as loyal to a brand I like as a reasonable consumer can be I guess.
If I really like a game I will recemmend it to friends and talk about it.
I feel arguing about it on forums is pretty pointless.

I also feel nothing in MMO land is even close to perfect and everything can use some improvement. In fact most MMO's are a frickin mess.

MMO's, like anything else, cool off and things change, taste change, new games launch, improvements are made, the customer expectation has skyrocketed and the overall quality has gone into the toilet. Its a tough business.

Companies definitely are NOT picking up on what PLAYERS actually want in an MMORPG.

JaMBo said on 5:49PM 9-21-2008

I think defending your game is a necessary step in building community. I never would have tried WoW if my friends hadn't given me good reasons to. My first impression was it looked to bright and cartoon-like, which just wasn't my style. If nobody would have defended Everquest or UO, I don't think MMOs would not have evolved to the point they have today.

If more people defend games and give "valid" reasons for others to play them then it will be more likely that they will give the game a try. Which increases the numbers and usually makes the game more enjoyable.

Mythic said on 2:50AM 9-22-2008

I agree that the lifetime LOTRO subscription engenders some loyalty. I want the game to do well so Turbine keeps cranking out content and updates...

InfamousBrad said on 6:54PM 9-22-2008

I've been the kind of (frankly, stupidly) loyal to a game that wasn't any good exactly once: Neocron 2. Neocron 1 lacked only some finish and polish and bug-fixes of being one of the best MMOs ever, and Reakktor was really, really good at convincing us that the changes we needed were right around the corner. Then came Neocron 2, which introduced new bugs, fixed no old ones, and took the game in the wrong direction, but I stuck with it, because I could still see inside that steaming mess the seed of the great game it never became. I kept thinking that if I could persuade enough people to keep playing, eventually those of us long-time loyalists on the forums could persuade them to revert the dumb design decisions and start fixing the bugs.

It almost worked. They did revert some of the dumbest design decisions. And then ran flat out of money.

I don't think I'll make that mistake twice.