Scott Mills, Ph.D.
I have always loved video games. Perhaps I am something of a nerd or maybe it's just that my generation grew up on Atari and have never quite got it out of our system. But lately I have developed a serious addiction to a game called "World of Warcraft." Of course, I'm not alone. There are over two million people in the U.S. (and millions more around the world) that are playing this game in an industry that claims over $10 billion per year with 60% of the country playing some sort of video games. But as I really wanted to play my game (rather than doing my work) I had to wonder what made it so captivating? I have a few guesses.
For those of you have not experienced World of Warcraft, or WOW, for short, it is a role playing game in which you create a character, gain experience to widen your possibilities in life as you engage in quests around the world. It strikes me that there are two compelling reasons to play that point to what so many of us are longing for in our lives: meaning and community.
Meaning
Our culture seems pretty lost to me most days. We don't have much sense of purpose even in the midst of ecological calamity and all of the other problems that our world faces. But in the WOW world, players have a clear set of quests that they are given that lead to new adventures. And these tasks are more often than not for the good of others. I suspect that we are all searching for some clarity in purpose in our lives and for some of us, this is a way to practice achieving that in our lives.
Community
In the WOW world, there is a sense of common language, goals and decorum. In this global gathering of different races, genders, ages, and experiences people find a way to come together and have fun. And, particular to this game, while it is possible to play alone many of the quests can not be completed with the help of others. The play parameters are set up in such a way as to promote community.
New Possibilities
I am excited to see that the world of video games is now opening up to exciting ways for us to think about global problems. The UN has produced a game called Food Force (www.food-force.com), a free game that allows players to help a disaster torn island. Companies are picking up this trend and developing games that can be used by kids to learn skills that are taught through memorization.
While some are using video games as their outlet, I am encouraged by the number of people who are longing for meaning and community. I wonder what would happen if we started trying to live the ways our characters play? Perhaps we can learn from them.
