Just what the internet needs right? Another blog about games. Yeah, that’s what I thought. And don’t have the hours and hours of game play and ‘expertise’ as so many of the other people that write about games, what could I possibly be thinking?
Someone in one of the games, asked me what it was I like about that game and it got me to thinking about the different games that I have played and about the differences amongst them and the differences in the styles of play and what I like and don’t like about them. So when the idea of this blog came up I thought ‘sure, I’ll give it a shot’. Here we are now with the inaugural article on the Games Land blog. I suppose a little background would help.
I started playing online games out of curiosity. I read a magazine article about this person who had made money in a game
and then spent a lot of money on virtual property in the same game. Then, some time later I read a different magazine article about Anshe Chung and the land barons in Second Life. I thus got the two games confused. Still they peaked my interest in the online worlds.
I started out in Second Life. I met some really nice people. One person who was so very helpful in my learning about the world and how to do things in it. I maintain a presence in Second Life still. I don’t spend as much time there as I did at first. It has some really great things about it.
Some of the things I really like is that it is very creative and Linden Labs has been very forward thinking with their approach to in world creations. At last check, if you create or build stuff in world you maintain the intellectual propery rights to it. So, you can legitimately sell your creations for real money. You can also use it to create models and proto-types of products that you can then produce in the real world and make money off of it. There are of course certain constraints. Things like if you are using someone else’s textures and things it starts to get a little sticky. Aside from that, I like the ease with which you can either own land that can hold a house, a business, or whatever you want there. I also like the idea that someone can send you a message from in game and it will automatically be redirected to the email account you set up your game account with. I also like that you can legitimately trade in game currency for real world dollars.
Ah, so all the good stuff. What’s the downside? Well, it’s a lot like life. You don’t have someone to give you quests so you have something to do and that will help you develope a reputation. You don’t really have much to start out with and you gotta figure out what you are gonna do.
They do have different in-world events for different times of the years. I’ve been to a birthday party in-world, and I’ve been to a Winter’s party where I danced. I’ve even held a part-time job. It’s a lot of fun. And like life it takes some work.
I’ve played other games. The primary criteria for the games has usually been that I could play for free. At least in theory. I’ve tried Entropia Universe, Shadowbane, Anarchy Online,Space Cowboy, Silkroad, Voyage Century Online, 9 Dragons, and a few others. I have even tried a couple of subscription games. I find it interesting what they have incommon and the things that are different. I also find the differences in attitudes of the people that play the different games. I’ve had some good experiences and some less than ideal experiences.
It is my hope to explore some of these things through the course of this blog and not just rip on the latest upgrade or bug in whichever program. These online worlds have become so much more than they started out and they are worth looking at a little differently.
See you in the machine.
Games
Originally published at: suguayproductions.com/joomla which has been discontinued.
