WRUP: Memetic invasion edition
Memetics -- from which we derive the term "meme," if you didn't know -- is a fascinating concept. To vastly oversimplify, the idea is that ideas are essentially organisms which reproduce, spread out, and eventually intersect with one another in a wide enough space. You can see it happen online almost constantly, where cat macros have given way to other image macros have led to whatever the current thing is. I think Doctor Zoidberg and Chuck Testa are the big names going. Of course, sometimes you just wind up pasting random images together, but other times it works.
On an unrelated note, let's read all the WRUP entries! Because that's what this is, after all. It's the weekly feature in which the Massively writers tell you what we're doing over the weekend, and this time around we're also talking about whether or not we game with our kids. (Or would, for us childless hermits.) So read our answers past the break, and let us know what you'll be up to in the comments.
@Beau_Hindman: I will be switching to Digimon Masters for Rise and Shiny this week. It looks fun, and if I am allowed to sit back while my monster does all the work, then count me in. I'll also be getting some time in on Skyrim, trying out a handful of new browser-based and mobile games (like Vendetta Online for my Android) and will probably prepare to stream Eldoran, another cool browser-based game that offers a mixture of styles.
I don't have any kids, and we don't want any kids as well, so I would have a hard time imagining playing with them. I dig hanging out with my nephews and nieces, but honestly they get tiring after about 30 minutes. Now, if I could get them to clean the house for me then I'd be down for a session of Free Realms. We're dog people, and I could definitely imagine playing an MMO with them!
@nbrianna: If I get the urge, I may play World of Warcraft or City of Heroes this weekend. But most likely, I'll be playing Skyrim!
My son's too young for MMOs, but I can't wait for him to level up to the right age to play with me. LEGO Universe's sunset really stung -- I was hoping that would still be around, for me as much as for him. A guildie of mine just got his daughter into Torchlight. I'm jealous!
I think I can say now that I'm going to be playing in the beta for Star Wars: The Old Republic now, yes? I can? Cool. I'd also like to get a little time on Final Fantasy XIV, although right now I'm really looking forward to the revisions to the classes due for the next patch. Also I've been playing through Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lion on my PSP, which was always one of my favorite games.
Whether or not we want kids is an ongoing discussion in my home, but there's no question that if we had kids, we would game with them. I like to share the things I'm passionate about with other people, after all. And if my kids didn't turn out to like gaming, well, we'd do something else.
I am ever hopeful that I will have a large block of gaming time this weekend! In that time (and anything else I can squeeze out in between the rest of life) I will be fully immersed in EverQuest II both showing off old stomping grounds to friends who have joined the game and checking out the lower level content I have never seen before myself. And lest you think I have traded my wings in, I will also be camping myself in Aion to try and use all of my arena tickets that have been collecting over the week! I have never been good at splitting my time, but I really can't let either game go! Perhaps it is something I caught here at Massively...
Hopefully, I will also find time to cruise around Star Wars Galaxies and find some spiffy houses and cities to feature next month. Got any ideas or screenies? Send them to me!
Game with my kids? You betcha! I have played Star Wars Galaxies, Lineage II, EverQuest II, and Aion with them (I think I am forgetting a couple). When they were younger, I just took care to keep chat channels closed and they grouped only with me and my friends. Actually, my kids continue these habits today when they game, even though they are quite a bit older. Gaming is a core family pastime in this house. In fact, my son is actually looking at studying game design, programming, and 3-D modeling when he starts college next year.
@mackeypb: I will be playing Champions Online and League of Legends. I don't foresee anything else MMO-related, although I may play some Terraria or another offline game. I'm not playing Skyrim (yet!), as I'm waiting for patches and mods to get released before I play.
I don't have kids, but I'd definitely play MMOs with them if I had kids of the appropriate age. My younger siblings are not really into gaming, so I don't play with them.
At the start of every weekend, we catch up with the Massively staff members and ask them, "What are you playing this week?" (Otherwise known as: WRUP!) Join us to see what we're up to in and out of game -- and catch us in the comments to let us know what you're playing, too!
