Editorial: What Happened? WoW.

Those of you who manage to stop by Contraptica in the past few months have no doubt wondered why we so abruptly stopped posting regularly. The answer is simple: World of Warcraft has completely sucked away just about all of my active interest in console gaming.

Ok maybe not all of it. I still will pop onto some Gears of War or Halo periodically, and I still keep my DS with me at all times, but the truth of the matter is, World of Warcraft is the most epic and consuming computer game I’ve ever encountered. The sheer scale of it is jaw dropping, the community aspect has allowed me to become closer to some friends and family who play the game (the teamwork, communication and planning that are required to succeed foster this sense of community), and the breathtaking lore form it into an experience that is second to none.

I had never really played an MMO for any real length of time, apart from a brief stint with Star Wars Galaxies, but knew the mechanics well enough from growing up on MUDs, Final Fantasy and DnD. But nothing prepared me for the experience gained from an epic raid on an opposing city, nor the thrill of taking down a tough boss with the help of your real life friends, even if you’re separated by a great distance.

It remains important to keep up your life outside of the game though. An incredible MMO can easily encompass your social life, and taking the time to just get out and do something different is very important. I now think I can understand how difficult these games can be to a person’s work and social life if they allow it to take over. Playing along with my girlfriend and other real life friends makes the experience even more special though, and it has almost become a communication tool along the lines of AIM, with just a slightly more engrossing interface.

Contraptica is here to stay though, and we’ll see if we can get it back in business as a nice comentary on gaming and technology, even while I turn into an MMO head.