Comments on: Take My Survey, Please

By: Roz Clarke

Roz Clarke — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:39:20 +0000

Like Ysharros, I live in a 2-rabid-gamer household.

I haven’t cancelled any subs because of my financial situation, but I have been out of work for a few months now (I’m an IT contractor), and that has prevented me from subscribing to anything new, and is holding me down to one DAoC subscription, when I might otherwise have 2.

By: Zygwen

Zygwen — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:08:20 +0000

I stopped playing MMOs about 9 months ago when my guild switched from WAR to WOW. Might rejoin them if they play the new Star Wars MMO or I might try a free to play MMO but probably won’t since RL and single player games are keeping me busy.

By: The Waaaghshington Post

The Waaaghshington Post — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 07:29:21 +0000

Great survey. Straight forward and short. The question about the primary household yadda yadda could have been reworded perhaps. It sort of came across as though if anyone DID get you involved in an MMO, they lived in your house. I know you didn’t mean it that way.

Nonetheless, awesome and gl with the survey.

-The Waaaghsington Post

By: ceolstan

ceolstan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:58:44 +0000

I’m the only gamer in my household, and while I subscribe to one MMO, I’m likely going to be canceling it–or perhaps going to a lifetime membership. I’ve liked LotRO better than WoW, but my major online time is in games like Guild Wars or one of Valve’s team shooters. I discovered that I have a low tolerance for the kind of Progress Quest-esque tasks that are associated with level-based games. I discovered that I prefer skills-based games more. The exception is in single player, where I’ll play rpgs.

However, finances aren’t really the reason that I play mostly free games. I’m employed in higher education, which is significantly more recession-resistant than other occupations. I may not get a raise this year, but I’m not likely to lose my job, either. In contrast, my husband’s job is a bit more insecure, as he is in private industry linked to manufacturing. Still, the reason I’m playing mostly free-to-play games is that I’ve yet to find an MMO that gives me the kind of playing experience I want in the kind of time I have to play it.

I don’t want to have to spend a lot of time leveling before I get to the good stuff. I want the good stuff now! I also don’t want to have to feel as if I need to play for several hours per day to accomplish anything in the game–or to succeed in the endgame content. I have a family. My priority is to put them first. A game that asks me to devote 3-4 hours on a single game objective is a game that I’m not going to play. I’m also not terribly item-centric, or rather, I dislike having to spend hours in game to find the perfect item to make my character efficient. I’d rather be able to craft that item sooner into the game so that I can enjoy the item while I play. I’d also like to respec (which is why I like skills-based games), since for me, my character’s personality isn’t defined by the particular skill choice I made back at level 1 when I had no idea of how to play the game!

When I find an MMO that lets me play how I want to play, though, you can bet I’ll subscribe!

By: zapp

zapp — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:36:25 +0000

I also missed the option of not playing as much as one year ago because of uninteresting or bad MMOs lately. My playing time is picking up currently however and by summer I expect it to be at a few hours every day, assuming all the interesting MMOs coming now will be good.

By: Shaz

Shaz — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 23:22:35 +0000

Ditto what Ysharros said. I play more than my husband does, but that’s because I have more free time, so I can’t really call myself ‘primary’. We’re both serious gamers. Being as how we’re also on a night shift schedule and there’s nothing besides bars open at 3am here, gaming will maintain it’s spot as the ‘after necessities, but nearly one itself’ item on the ‘monthly bills’ list.

By: Apache

Apache — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:04:31 +0000

I don’t play as much. There aren’t any games out right now that I liked as much as DAoC. I am subscribed to a couple though. WAR included.

By: Tio

Tio — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:41:37 +0000

Done, passed it on to my gang that plays Eve (and various others) as well.

By: Calarius

Calarius — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:23:32 +0000

Done too. I’m playing less WoW, but more because I think I’m enjoying it less that I used to, not for any financial reason. Still, I’m not sure I’m going to continue my account come time for my next renewal. It’s still wait and see for me.

Meanwhile, Jumpgate is around the corner. Maybe what I need is a change of scenery for a while.

By: Tmon

Tmon — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:56:42 +0000

I’m not playing any MMOs because none of them interest me at the moment. Finances are fine, I did cancel my XM radio but that was because between my IPod and Pandora I wasn’t listening to it much.