Overly Positive

So I figure with summer coming to a close that I’d roll in and try for one more food analogy that will look really odd if I try and pull it off in the colder months.

I’m convinced that the various conflicts and rivalries that people tend to attribute between MMO titles is sort of like people arguing over what flavor of ice cream is the best. Like ice cream, MMOs have some consistent, basic flavors. Some people like a plain jane Vanilla MMO experience with dungeon crawls and level. Others are into the Chocolate richness of an MMO PvP system with visceral battles and good times involving pixellated beatdowns. Or perhaps someone wants the flavored Strawberry or a decent crafting and economical system.

Then you have the variations and mixes which developers tend to use for the release of their own MMO flavor. Maybe someone mixes more Chocolate than Vanilla, and vice versa. Maybe someone throws in a variation of the PvP theme by using chocolate chips mixed with cookie dough. Strawberry crafting may be married to a Banana flavored idea that players should drive the economy. There’s a ton of different subtle changes and therefore a ton of possibilities as well.

Aside from wanting ice cream, I think you’re getting my point. So why is it that people tend to mire themselves in ugly rivalries and manufactured conflicts where people try to argue their flavor of MMO is the best? I think I must have seen, in the past 5 or 6 years, every comparison under the sun, from WoW vs. EQ to WAR vs. WoW to Shadowbane vs. UO and Guild Wars vs. City of Heroes and…well, you get the idea.

Honestly, I think the reason people expend so much energy arguing and bickering over which MMO is best or will dominate the world is that despite their preferred flavor of MMO, people are seeking what they feel is the “perfect” flavor – a mix of ice cream goodness so amazing that it is universally loved and appreciated, and which is the undisputed king of the MMO world. Don’t get me wrong – I can get behind that kind of idealism, but I do think that more happiness (and less arguing) comes from not seeking that perfect MMO, but understanding there’s so many flavors to choose from. Back in the day, there really wasn’t a choice between MMOs, but as more of them enter the market – and carve out a bit of the market for themselves – there’s more of an opportunity to enjoy a flavor that’s right for you.

Frankly, I’d rather have 31 (perhaps more) flavors of MMOs to choose from than just 1 or 2, any day. And that’s what the variety is all about. Compare MMO flavors a little bit, folks, but let’s try not to get into a taste testing match to see which one is best. After all, too much ice cream and too much arguing both lead to the same thing (a headache and a hurting tummy), right?