The Balancing Act: WoW & Other Video Games
Posted by 
iTZKooPA on Thursday, October 30, 2008 - 35 Comments Tags: fallout 3, gtaiv, half-life 2, life strat, other games, shrink wrap, warhammer online, wow, wrath
iTZKooPA on Thursday, October 30, 2008 - 35 Comments Tags: fallout 3, gtaiv, half-life 2, life strat, other games, shrink wrap, warhammer online, wow, wrath 
Like 95 percent of the eyes on this page right now, I play World of Warcraft. I am not one to shy away from the subject that I play WoW, unlike some people. To top it off, I am actually proud of my nerdiness, displaying the titles I am playing in my living room as if they are trophies from the local bowling league. This brings me to my point, I am a gamer - console, PC, handhelds, IRL sports, you name it.
For nearly the past 20 years, the holiday season has become a video gamer's time to shine. By that, I mean their time to get a handful of games, and lock themselves in a room in a vain attempt to finish all those news titles. In recent years the holiday window has been extended further and further into the summer, with some analysts claiming that the new rush begins as early as September. With all these triple A titles hitting the market, how is one supposed to find the time for them, as well as World of Warcraft?
When I first started playing WoW, all other video games fell off the radar. I let titles like Oblivion, Battlefield 2, Call of Duty 2, Company of Heroes, Neverwinter Nights 2, even Half-Life 2 slip by me. Sadly, Resident Evil 4 (one of the best titles ever, in my humble opinion) and F.E.A.R. are the only titles released in that timeframe that I played and are worth noting - looking at you, Halo 2.
Earlier this year I started a new regiment of gaming to compensate for all the missed material. First and foremost, I cut back my World of Warcraft play time as a whole, and now play about half as much as I did during my high-end raiding days. To accommodate this, I joined a raiding guild that was a close group of friends (I am not one of them) rather than a hardcore PvE guild. Another simple change was to schedule things ahead of time and stick to it. Basically, I only raid when I allocate the time a week or so in advance, as you would for any other activity that may take more than 30 minutes.
Since implementing my new "life strat," I have been able to play dozens of other games, for better or for worse. No longer am I missing as many big titles as I was before. Portal, Team Fortress 2, Dead Rising, Halo 3, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mass Effect, all defeated. I even found the time to go back and play the amazing Half-Life 2. With titles like Fallout 3, Red Alert 3, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, Street Fighter IV, etc. coming or here, I am glad I made the new strategy. Then of course, there is Wrath of the Lich King. That may change things for awhile...
Are you guys content with just World of Warcraft and everything it has to offer? Or do you fruitlessly strive to digest everything the wonderful video game industry has to offer as I do? If so, what is your strategy?
For those who may be wondering, I am currently playing The Witcher: Enhanced Edition, Red Alert 3, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, The Incredible Maze (WiiWare - oh god, what a piece of trash), and still wrapping up Grand Theft Auto IV. Fallout 3 is still in its shrink wrap, waiting for me to finish The Witcher.
Reader Comments (35)
I am pretty content with WoW for now. Been playing it for about 2 years now, have a couple of 70's on greymane with kara/badge gear. I'm really excited about WOTLK dropping. Have I neglected other titles? Yes I have. I'm 23, and I grew up playing the original zelda, original mario, final fantasy, mostly RPG's. Hell, I even grew up playing paper, pencil and dice AD&D. Why have I neglected other titles? I like interaction, and WoW has a lot of it. Meeting new people, making friends, and just enjoying playing a game with you're Real life friends. Also, I don't have like 400 dollars to pay for a PS3 or a XBOX 360. I have bills to pay, especially college and dont want to spend a obscene amount of money on a new system I know I will sell like a year or 2 later and not get even close top half the money i paid for. Besides, Iike raiding in my casual guild, because we run to have fun, new experiences with content, not to just get the best loot in the shortest amount of time.
I don't really have your problem....Since i do not enjoy fighting/racing/shooting games, And for me at least, there's not really a lot of platformers or adventure games that's worth it anymore. And even if you did find a good game it's probably a series, and i don't like jumping in in the middle of a series (at least a series that has alot of story).
You can enjoy your games as much as you want, i just wished there was a little more adventure and not just...shootshoot games. (And if there is a game i want...it might not be on teh Wii, that's what i have)
But on the other hand, i play 2 MMO's at the same time, along with the occasional adventure or platformer.
And, i'm in guilds that can understand that there's other things in life than raiding. I just play whatever i feel like.
Playing is about fun afterall.
I totaly agree, this is my delema at the moment. I do love WoW, and i have several friends irl that want me to play it. I am a major gamer and i love playing the new games that come out but WoW takes up so much time. I'm considering going on a small break before WotLK to get some of my "other game" goodness. Though i fear my friends getting way more powerfull then me.
Koopa-
A-FREAKING-MEN, BROTHA!!!
Although I do tend to make the 'best of a bad situation' in terms of my limited time to play WOW:
Wireless keyboard and mouse w/lap desk so I can play from the comfort of my recliner as the game comes to me across 46" of HD glory since my TV has a monitor input jack.
With a busy work and social life i dont tend to find time to play other games, having levelled my second toon to 70 last week i have been trying to get some good gear and rep and completing some achievements whilst they are there (i will get all the masks damn it!).
but when i play i like to play wow as i have a good group of online friends in my guild and stuff to play with, there is always something to do, something to buy etc. etc. whereas buying console games to me seems like a waste as i start playing it and get into it and it seems to end, so not worth the effort anymore, although some titles are looking pretty tasty atm :)
I've played video games since I was about 3, I never really considered myself a gamer until around the time I got my first 70.
The thing is that I don't have a 360, wii, or ps3.
I rarely take the time to play on my xbox or gamecube but occasionally ill have a friend over some weekend and well just destroy halo 2 on legendary.
When lich king comes out I'm gunna have to go about 2-3 weeks of having no life at all :P
I love games, been playing games since our family got our first PC, it was a IBM XT... The only game that I remember we had for it was Castle Adventure (1983).
WoW takes up most of my time these days, tho I have made time for other games like Stalker, Unreal Tournament 3, Juiced 2... Waitting for Left 4 Dead, GTA4 (PC version) and of course, Diablo 3.
WOTLK will be good, BUT... I don't think I will get it right away for a few reasons: The zones will be packed with everyone trying to finish the starting quests and there will be LOADS of bugs and many server lag spikes, DC's etc... If there isn't I will be suprized. I will probably wait 2 weeks before get wrath.
Love Project Lore! Do you guys plan to release a DVD of your past episodes? Or seasons. That would be kinda cool.
<3
Well I would have to say that I pretty much only play WoW. I don't even have any other consoles ATM. I have 3 lvl 70s and all my other chars are lvl 54 and below. I do have one of each class though. I tried Lord of the Rings online, and Warhammer Online but always go back to WoW. I've been playing for like 4 years now.
As long as WoW remains an adventure, and there is always something to do. It will remain our one and only.
Until CRUSADES comesout.
Ive tired every MMO out there, this one seems the only one that works, & has a good server population
Gaming update - beat three of those titles. Only Fallout 3 remains. It's currently about half done thanks to maintenance days.