This is a heartwarming tale: Pixelsmith, a Leeds-based journalist, met up with his other UK-based guildie, and set off into Europe to find the rest of their WoW guild. The story's long, so I have only actually read the summary:
If anything, it validates online gaming - at least our little corner of it - as a worthwhile pursuit. And it recasts those people you socialise with while you’re doing it not as pseudo-friends, but as friends in waiting.
Aw, sweet. I love this quote too:
So true - although I'd personally not use a drug analogy, because this is where certain types games pip probably all other forms of (home-based) entertainment: they're sociable and there's something to do, together. That taps into the fundament of what makes humans happy, I think: crack doesn't make you happy, love and friendship does.
Online games are delightful because they give us another excuse to do things together.
(Thanks Tom!)
My guild's had numerous meet-ups around Europe. Amsterdam, Prague, London! I'm planning on one for Norway later in the year.
I didn't know it was so rare that I should chronicle our adventures, though...
My experiences have been mixed. Friendships certainly carry over, and there's that feeling of camaraderie certainly. But also, it's not always so easy for geeks to communicate in person as it is online, and of course there are equality issues -- at one meet we had a 15 year old, and a 36 year old... and they only share so much real life common ground :)
Posted by: Sebastian | June 04, 2009 at 14:03