Why

I would like to preface this post by say this is not a justification for playing the World of Warcraft, I have no desire to justify what I do with my time. It is instead an explanation as to why many people enjoy this game so much.

Throughout my life I have never been the center of social circles. I am not the person who is at the top of everyone I knows party invite list. This isn’t a case of being left out but instead relates an innate need to be important. Essentially it is the desire to be popular.


In major contrast is my life in the World of Warcraft. As a protection warrior and one of the top tanks in my guild, a list of desired party or raid members will often start with my name. The very nature of the game means that a tank is required in every group and although I am most certainly not the best tank in the game, I have built a reputation within my guild as a good player who is friendly, fun and reliable (well I hope I have anyway).

The World of Warcraft is essentially a club house; you can log on at almost any time of day or night and have a chat to one of your friends. People are there when they have free time and want to do something or when they are just hanging out. If you feel like it, you can organise an event at the drop of a hat. Subsequently you can avoid the scheduling and time conflicts that always seem to occur when planning to go out for lunch/dinner/drinks with friends or family. You can also avoid situations where none of your friends don't answer their phones and you are bored or lonely. Flexibility and freedom are they key here and they exist without upsetting or annoying anyone.

The nature of my job also means that any feedback I get relating to my work tends to be negative. In addition, involvement in my projects by other members of my department and my manager is very low. So essentially I work alone with very little positive reinforcement.


Again this is a large contrast to the World of Warcraft. Most of my time there, is spent working in teams or at least five and although criticism is often dealt out it is generally balanced with praise and congratulations when goals or targets are met. Almost every raid or group is ended with “Thankyou everyone great run” and although for some people this is a hollow statement they feel obliged to write, within our guild as well as for many pick up groups it is sincere. This leads to a situation where the rewards, in this case emotional, are greater when achieving goals within the game than when achieving goals in real life.

There are other hobbies which create situations very similar to this. When compared to other aspects of your life, you might get more satisfaction from playing in your local football team; receive a bigger emotional reward from your progression in a martial arts club or a more significant feeling of belonging at a war gaming tournament.

In a situation where I got more of these things from my work life then perhaps I would find less value in the time I spend in the game. This may mean I should look for a new job or change the approach I have to my current one. However that would not change the fact that my presence is often more desired in the virtual world than the real world. It provides an excellent platform and venue for casual, convenient, social interaction which fulfills my desires to socialise. Finally, on this platform we have built a community to which I have a strong sense of belonging.