It's just a game

I try to tell myself that every now and then. However, part of it doesn’t sit right with me. It’s more than that. Games like Hearts and Minesweeper and Solitaire don’t have websites dedicated to them which are updated daily. Every aspect of the game is picked apart, scrutinized, analyzed, studied and documented. They are videotaped and posted on youtube set to some song I’ve never heard of.

It’s a social networking site as well. There are so many people I enjoy talking to on a daily basis where, if the game ended today, I would have no idea how to continue on our conversations. It’s not even game talk. Granted, that is always part of it, but its about news, sports, music, cultural differences, what does a rooster say in Norway opposed to the United States? (you’d be surprised how each country has a different answer to stereotypical animal noises – thank you David Sedaris).

I know people who have met each other playing, then went on to actually meet in real life and become friends. It’s something parents play with their kids, which is amazing.

Everyone gets something different out of it because each person puts something different into it. It’s amazing to see something so huge get broken down to such a level where people ignore the 457 different things available to do at any given moment, and choose to spend 15 minutes typing a forum rant up about the font selection.

According to Wiki, there’s 8.5 million active accounts. That’s more than most cities and even some entire countries. You’re part of something that is growing every day and keeps gaining momentum while it changes, experiments with new ideas, has an open forum for exchanging feedback between the company and customers trying to make it better. The game doesn’t limit you to certain servers so you always have the opportunity to meet new people.

Every time you log in something is different. You can do the same task 30 days in a row, but something will be new about. You’ll get different drops, maybe you’ll level unlocking something new to do, you’ll overhear a conversation which makes you burst out laughing, you’ll learn something new from a stranger with a bit of advice…

It’s fine to log in and get immediately to what you want to do, but do like Ferris Bueller so wisely said and stop and look around for a while.