disillusioned
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Disillusionment with MMOs
Because I never studied nor considered studying psychology, you may doubt my words, but I will still tell you that many people go through a phase in life in which things become less shiny for them. What, there really is no Santa Claus? Those awesome space battles on TV are just tiny plastic miniatures hanging from fishing-line? World of Warcraft didn't invent Naga? Sooner or later the curtain will be pulled back on something you found new or fascinating in your life. Losing that sense of excitement from something you thought was different or new can leave a gaping hole of disillusionment. The short history of MMOs is not immune to providing plenty of room for players to become disillusioned. Like television, movies, and books, MMOs don't use 100% new content that developers invented out of thin air. I've been on many MMO forums and have seen players at different stages of disillusionment seemingly frothing at the mouth about being sick of elves in fantasy MMOs, and accusing one MMO of stealing a name or even a similar-sounding name from an MMO they would defend as "more original." The fact is that most concepts and ideas have already been done, and it can just be hard to deal with. Who doesn't get a little disillusioned when he grows up and finds out his dad or mom really isn't the smartest or strongest person in the world? If I haven't disappointed you enough then follow along as I spoil even more of your favorite MMOs -- but hopefully I can also show you that disillusionment isn't the end.
The antidote for in-game advertising
Over at the Guardian Games Blog they're pretty fond of a game development company called Persuasive Games. Apparently the company has created some rather thought provoking titles in the past, ranging from games that are based upon the "inconvenience and the tradeoffs between security and rights in American airports" and political titles such as the Howard Dean for Iowa game. With their next title earning the name of Disaffected, it's not hard to guess that it'll have a similar premise to the company's earlier efforts.Disaffected is aimed at challenging the view that games and advertising are perfect for each other. The press release mentions that primitive advergaming goes all the way back to the Atari 2600, but also highlights the increasing popularity of advertising in games within the last ten years. The main questions which the creators hope this game will provoke are: "Are games only capable of carrying positive advertising messages? Or can they also enact dissatisfaction and criticism against corporations?". It's not the first time that someone has made a game with a distinct anti-corporate streak, but it treads new ground in that the subject specifically relates to a problem that gamers will have to face. Whether you find it fun or not isn't relevant, since it's more about making a statement than entertaining players. In fact, since you play a disaffected employee of a photocopying shop, the boredom you experience actually lends more credence to its anti-corporate stance. We're happy to see that somone within the "games industry" is expressing another opinion on the inevitability of in-game ads.
