Due to limited time we were only able to interview one person per game.
EverQuest Interview
How old are you?
fifty years old
What do you do for a living/profession?
I am an Information Technology Professional and a Server Architect
How often do you play EverQuest a week?
Now where days I play Everquest 23 hours a week but, when I was younger I probably played 35-40 hours.
How long have you been playing EverQuest? Are you still playing?
I started playing December 18, 1999. Yes I am still a frequent player it actually came out March of 1999.
How would you rate your game addiction?
I wouldn't call it an addiction Everquest is more of a hobby, I enjoy the fellowship aspect of the game though for some people it can lead to social alienation. In this game you develop sudo-relationships its intangible relationships you may feel like you know someone by playing an online game with them but that doesn't mean you truly know who they are in the real world.
Most people who play Everquest play for the raiding aspect, they enjoy the high end content of the game and enjoying defeating enemies that require a large group to fight.
If you still play what keeps you playing?
The social dynamic keeps me going back, along with game content which requires you to jump through a lot of hoops and repeat areas to gain full satisfaction, it can be time consuming but its a wonderful feeling when you get what you were looking for. The Tech in me also enjoys the mathematical components of the game like trying to figure out how the math for damage works.
What attracted you to the game in the first place?
It was back when I worked at Microsoft I had never played online games. A friend of mines at work was beta testing for Everquest, March 97, he continued into the alpha testing. When it opened up for everyone to play we had 20 people at Microsoft who started playing. Our guild was called Divinus Conisilem (latin for Divine Council), I really got into the game because it was a fantasy world you could really enjoy.
Everquest will be coming out with a new game soon Everquest Next which will be made for the new graphics engines in computers.
What Character class and race is your main?
Tedahmeister
He is a Warrior Human, level 90
Define what a guild is in your own words?
Guilds are kickass, well at least mine is. I would define a guild as a group of people that reside on a systematic way to progress through in game content, of whatever game they are in.
Are you in a Guild? If so what is the focus of your guild if any?
Since I have been playing so long I have switched around to different guilds. Right now I am part of the Red Band Brigade, we meet three days a week we are already half way through the newest expansion. Some of the best guilds in Everquest ill raid up to 42 hours a week, and if you don't keep up with the guild at least 90% of playtime you will be removed. There are people who eat, breathe, piss, sleep this game.
The coolest looking guild name I ever saw was The Big Fat Catfish
How do you communicate in the game?
We use Ventrillo as our main base of verbal communication. Its easier then typing when you type it gets hard due to lag, you loose a lot of content and might mess up a whole raid. When we use Ventrillo one person gives instructions and everyone listens much easier and more successful
Do you feel your communication with the outside world is affect by your in game communicating?
Yes, it makes me more distrusting of people I don't know. Most people I know on game I don't trust. If you communicate well in an online game, you can tell how people are by the way they play their character. So when you see people in real life you can read them well because you are use to the verbal and nonverbal communications.
Do you use similar words/sayings as you do in the game outside? Do you often talk about the game with outsiders?
Yes, I say AFK when I am at work and BRB. There is a whole sub-culture of online gaming. I have found myself talking about Everquest to people who are unfamiliar with online gaming.
Where do you stand on the issues of online gaming being bad for you? WHY?
I think online gaming is a good hobby, its a good way for people to socialize as long as your holding conversations about things other then online games. I would compare it to someone who watches T.V 24/7 if you did that it would be bad for you and hurt your communication style. Its just how you balance your time, it can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you use it.
Do you feel online gaming has lead you into any other hobbies? or vice versa?
When I was younger I use to play Dungeons and Dragons before online gaming was even around. So the fantasy aspect of D&D lead me towards online gaming, like Everquest. Also I have played tons of online games due to Everquest tried out WoW, Lord of the Rings, and some face book apps (like mafia wars)
Anything you have added to the game either inside or outside of it? (youtube videos, art work etc)
I really haven't done much of that but I have done some social experiments. I, being a man, have played a female character and found that by playing a female character I was given free items by other users where as when I play a male character you don't get free items from strangers.
Have you seen/done/reported any sort illegal activities on game? What was the activity? And what was done about it?
Well if by illegal activities you mean people breaking the user license agreement (ULA) or terms of service. I have seen accounts hack, characters stolen, items stolen from characters. There was this one zone where a bank would trade out silver for platinum coins, it was a bug that people exploited. Gold farming, account sharing, and griefing are very common 'crimes.' In 2003-04 there was the online economy issue were people were paying real money to buy characters and weapons, like thousands of dollars.
World Of Warcraft
How old are you?
I am 27 years old.
What do you do for a living/profession?
I am a Wal-Mart mechanic manager.
How often do you play WOW a week?
I play every day for at least six hours a day.
How Long Have You Been Playing WOW? Are you still playing?
I have been playing World of Warcraft for a year and a half. I am no longer playing.
How would you rate your game addiction?
On a scale of 1-10 I believe my gaming addiction is an 8.
If you still play what keeps you playing?
What kept me playing for so long was that I liked socializing with people in the game who have the same interests such as World of Warcraft.
What attracted you to the game in the first place?
I was attracted to the game because I really enjoy RPG’s and creating my own characters.
What Character class and race is your main?
I play a blood elf paladin.
Define what a guild/faction is in your own words?
A guild/faction is people getting together running dungeons.
Are you in a Guild? If so what is the focus of your guild if any?
I have my own guild, it is called “built horde tough”. Our focus is simply just leveling.
How do you communicate in the game?
I communicate in World of Warcraft through typing or using my xbox headset with my guild members through party chat.
Do you feel your communication with the outside world is affect by your in game communicating?
I feel my communication with the outside world is effected because I work with or am related to everyone that I play with.
Do you use similar words/sayings as you do in the game outside? Do you often talk about the game with outsiders?
I do use similar words/sayings in the outside world as I do in the game. I do not talk to people on the outside about the game unless they mention it first.
Where do you stand on the issues of online gaming being bad for you? WHY?
I do not think online gaming is bad for people because it is very social.
Do you feel online gaming has lead you into any other hobbies? or vice versa?
I really enjoyed playing on computers and this hobby led me to play video games more.
Anything you have added to the game either inside or outside of it? (youtube videos, art work etc)
I have added to the game outside of it by making a facebook page for my guild.
Have you seen/done/reported any sort illegal activites on game? What was the activity? And what was done about it?
I have been a witness to buying gold in the game. Nothing was done about the illegal activity.
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