Some people like MMORPGs. Some people don't. You can say the same of all games, but today, MMORPGs. Why do people vary in their preference?
Here's my hypothesis [read "wild-ass guess"]: it has something to do with how easily your brain can be led to believe that the numbers in the game are real and/or important. Which may have something - maybe - to do with hypnosis.
So. Have you been hypnotized? If, so, chime in and answer:
How easy were you to hypnotize?
How do you like MMORPGs?
1 comment:
We saw a stage hypnotist at the PenRen. If you remember her, Nicci was there as well, and she was a top candidate for hypnosis.
As far as your 'suggestability' theory goes, I think you're comparing apples and oranges. Stage hypnotism is a social event, in addition to being a psychological one. Convincing someone that their stats are important, like in MMORPGs isn't social - it relates to the social aspect of the game, but is not itself driven by social pressures. It is, in fact, technical, as well as appealing to the 'gee wiz' factor in people. Big numbers and raw power appeal to a specific personality type.
As for the popularity of MMORPGs, I think it's more of a matter of taking a chat engine (something that's been immensely popular with a certain crowd since the teleprompter days) and attaching it to a giant mini-game. The 'treadmill' effect that people have seen since then has more to do with the currently popular metaphor for the attached mini-game than anything else. Just a way of keeping the crowd entertained, and later attached (thanks to their massive time investitures), while offering a venue for online congregation.
On a side note, I've been quiet here because I can no longer read your posts from work, so I don't get around to it as often.
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