2008-09-24, 06:47 PM
Despite its shortcomings, I still play this game after two years because it's inexpensive (it can be very expensive, but that's a choice people make) and simple. Certainly there are "better" games out there in many respects, but I happened to play this one. After two years, my highest character is only level 80, yet it's still fun.
Obviously the programming could be better, the customer service could be much better, and so on. If I had a big problem with any of those, I'd leave, and in fact I did leave for almost six months when the entire game was overrun with "hackers" so that playing seemed pointless. I understand that the game (at least in the North American market) is intentionally designed to extract money from teens, and it seems very successful in that respect. Knowing the nature of the beast, I can avoid its snares.
People who keep playing the game even though they don't like it... well, if you continue to do something even though you know it's bad, you don't like it any more, and yet you still can't stop, I think that's a sign of addiction. Seriously, if anyone's in that position they should seek help.
Obviously the programming could be better, the customer service could be much better, and so on. If I had a big problem with any of those, I'd leave, and in fact I did leave for almost six months when the entire game was overrun with "hackers" so that playing seemed pointless. I understand that the game (at least in the North American market) is intentionally designed to extract money from teens, and it seems very successful in that respect. Knowing the nature of the beast, I can avoid its snares.
People who keep playing the game even though they don't like it... well, if you continue to do something even though you know it's bad, you don't like it any more, and yet you still can't stop, I think that's a sign of addiction. Seriously, if anyone's in that position they should seek help.