The Daily Grind: If all of your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?

by Shawn Schuster Aug 7th 2009 at 8:00AM

Filed under: Culture, Guilds, Grouping, Opinion, The Daily Grind

How many times did we hear that growing up? Peer pressure is a powerful thing, but when it comes to the allure of a new MMO, it may take on a whole new meaning. Let's say you've had a favorite game that you've been playing for years now with a steady group of friends. A shiny new game comes along and those friends all want to check it out, and they're begging you to join them. The problem is, you love your current game and have already invested so much time and energy into getting your characters exactly the way you want them!

So what do you do? Do you grudgingly follow your friends to this new game, even if you know you won't enjoy it? Is it really so much about staying in the group that you're willing to endure crappy game mechanics for the comaradarie of friends? Maybe the new game actually turns out to be much more fun anyway! Let us know if you've ever faced this situation and how you dealt with it.

Tags: friends, grouping, new-games, opinion, peer-pressure, the-daily-grind

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Hypester said on 8:09AM 8-07-2009

Not a chance. My friends are awesome, but on some things our tastes are radically different.

MrGutts said on 8:14AM 8-07-2009

As long as I had a bungee cord or parachute.

Archipelagos said on 8:15AM 8-07-2009

If I'm not going to enjoy the game I'm not going to buy it, simple as that. Who cares what people think? This is probably why I live in a spooky run-down house with a barren garden and only have taxidermy pets as friends. The local kids dare each other to chap my door, too! Dam them all!

Ahem. I jest, of course.

Rumil said on 5:00PM 8-07-2009

I was "peer pressured" into WoW. While most of my friends still play I now play WAR exclusively.

I trust my friends and thier taste enough for me to try new games but not enough to leave a game I love.

Tom said on 8:40AM 8-07-2009

Friends? What friends?

Seriously, though, I play my own games. Most of my friends do not go anywhere near online games, whereas I just love 'em.

mikejl said on 8:44AM 8-07-2009

How much XP will the jump get me?

Bam! said on 9:07AM 8-07-2009

I've tried to peer pressure my friends into an OLDER online game (Asheron's Call). Thats a tough one! It's hard to explain the rich and complex nature of the game when the graphics are so old.

rick said on 10:07AM 8-07-2009

Wut? I can play only one game now?

Arkanaloth said on 9:03AM 8-07-2009

not really no.. I make my own decisions based on things I do or don't like. I played EverQuest 2 before giving WoW the time of day, honestly were it not for the StationExchange (aka the cheat servers) that I'm morally opposed to in a subscription based game I'd likely still be playing EQ2, regardless of none of my friends ever giving it a try.

but I moved to WoW, played it.. enjoyed leveling, hate end-game.. so I spend more time in GW. I can count the number of my friends that play guildwars on one hand and have 4 fingers left over, but I enjoy it more than being 80 and bored of dailies in WoW.

Jasdemi said on 9:07AM 8-07-2009

Naah, if I really like this game and they all leave, I'd just cut all ties and find new friends.

mistergreen said on 9:21AM 8-07-2009

Jump, sure. I'll just make sure to hover just before going splat.

Macabre said on 9:19AM 8-07-2009

For me, the reason I now strictly play multiplayer online games, and specifically MMO's, is to have a good time with friends, both old and new, and to compete in some good PvP. This is why I can no longer play single player games, no matter how good they may be.

That being said, the game itself holds a bit less priority than these social aspects, so yeah, I'd jump ship if all my friends were. The caveat here is that I'm usually the one being followed off the bridge, as I'm always looking for that next great PvP offering.

Still, I won't make the jump if my friends aren't with me, and if they find one they're highly interested in, I'd definitely go check it out. Fortunately my tight-knit group has very similar tastes, so this seldom causes any static.

There has been one exception, though, due to a ridiculously extraordinary PvP environment. Steel Battalion: Line of Contact was my last great stomping ground, and unfortunately, most of my friends had serious connection issues and couldn't play properly (a flaw which ultimately doomed the game *cry*), but that just couldn't stop me from playing my favorite game of all time. Sorry buds!

Jenks said on 9:28AM 8-07-2009

I'm usually the guy jumping off the bridge first. I've definitely destroyed a few social lives. :)

MeowCat said on 10:00AM 8-07-2009

I only have 1 real life friend who I coordinate games with. Even when one of us likes something we do a lot of research first. So, the answer is no in terms of blindly following another person to a new game. I would take the plunge if, in addition to his recommendations, the game looked solid and interesting.

Innocente said on 11:24AM 8-07-2009

ROFLMAO -

"...have already invested so much time and energy into getting your characters exactly the way you want them!"

Whoever wrote that does not play many modern MMOs. About the LAST thing you can count on is your character to stay the way you want them to!

Evi said on 11:39AM 8-07-2009

I've stuck with WoW as long as I have because so many of my friends play. However, they don't stop me from trying new games on my own. I just haven't found one that piques my interest more than WoW does.

John said on 12:08PM 8-07-2009

I'm doing it now...AHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Meagen said on 12:42PM 8-07-2009

I'm usually the one going "hey let's jump off that bridge, c'mon, it'll be fun!"

Sadly everyone ends up back in CoH again and I get bored of playing my shiny new game without the usual crew.

Wart said on 1:17PM 8-07-2009

Friends, Who needs friends?...Porn and video games FTW !

-But it was my RL friends that dictated what realm we play in DAOC, They wanted Albion I wanted either Mid or Hib, so we played Albion :(
-Another RL friend suggested WoW to me and told me what server to roll on. Dude never once helped me out or even tried to run an instance with me once i reached his lvl...And I joined his guild, that he was the GM for.
-Back in my COH career I hooked up with a cool guild that i got in contact with to play WAR. I was in closed beta long before them yet My server sugestions were ignored. I told them to roll Iron Rock, they all rolled Iron Fist! I had made so many Tier 1's already, i wasn't bout to start a new one on a new server.
-Oddly enough I met a rather cool Guild on IR, in WAR. Left the game in April and got in contact with some of them now there're 5 of us back in WOW.

I don't kow what down the road, I wanna try Aion and CO. But I don't think anyone will come with me.
So what I learned is that RL friends suck to play MMO's with. There are always people to meet online. Do what ever floats your boat. If you can stay in contact with guidmates , do so, but not at the cost of your own amusement.

SAN DIMAS HIGH RULES!

torak said on 1:27PM 8-07-2009

Generally if there is a free trial or a buddy key, sure I'll check it out with them. I mean that's why you play MMO and not single player games, right? For your buddies either RL or ingame.
If the game is good, I'll stick with it because what are you gonna do, go back to the old game and solo or start again socially? If it's bad, well they will all be back lol.