MMORPG.com's Justin Webb uses his column this week to talk about the history of RPGs and why it is what we individually like what it is that we like.
In this article I’m going to explain why you like what you like. You’re going to end up being either “cool” or “hot” (or maybe even “tepid”). You’ll have your own gaming thermometer. I’ll explain why you might love UO yet hate WoW. I’ll talk about the “play me” and “show me” Ages of RPGs. Along the way, I’m also going to mention Marshall McLuhan and Woody Allen. You’ll then get to poke fun of me in the forums. And I’m going to try and explain it all in about a thousand words or less.
The thoughts behind this article began after I realized that I didn’t much like some recent games that had phenomenally high Metacritic scores (Bioshock, Mass Effect 2, and Dragon Age). I’ll spare you my reasonings. Instead, I’m going to investigate why.
Why Do I Like What I Like? Why Do You?
I first wondered whether it might be because I’ve “seen behind the curtain”? I certainly played Magic a lot less after I started working at Wizards of the Coast. And I’ve been in the MMO trenches for long enough now to understand the development meat grinder. However, that’s not the reason. It’s something more subtle than that.
Read Why You Like What You Like.
