WoW in the NY Times - Page 2

exog · 09/06/06, 6:58 AM

dang, this thread delivers!

keep assuming stuff and youll probably find out(or assume) what his wife ate for breakfast 3 months ago!

also, big thanks to the dr phil's giving advice on gaming habits while having a family/job. now we just need some white trailerthrash and fat "afro american" women chickfighting and we got a show goin on!

Antarius · 09/06/06, 7:27 AM

Originally Posted by Rz

Originally Posted by Farstrider

â€œThink about it: Iâ€™m a 33-year-old guy with a 9-to-5 job, a wife and a baby on the way,ï¿½ Mr. Pinsky said. â€œI canâ€™t be going out all the time. So what opportunities do I have to not only meet people and make new friends but actually spend time with them on a nightly basis? In WOW Iâ€™ve made, like, 50 new friends, some of whom Iâ€™ve hung out with in person, and they are of all ages and from all over the place. You donâ€™t get that sitting on the couch watching TV every night like most people.

Meh I really hate to say it but if you've got a wife and kid on the way and you "can't be going out all the time" you probably shouldn't be logging in 6 nights a week to raid for 6 hours.... As long as they keep on focusing on muppets like this with totally skewed priorities, the press coverage is always going to read badly.

Yeah, I think the actual figure was 4 hours a night 6 nights a week for that particular guy. Somewhat significant difference (24 hpw instead of 36).

That said I know a guildmate who sold his account for 1000 USD to a US Army soldier with a wife and kid, and who could not have made more than 20,000 USD per year. That's sad.

Well obviously everyone's experience is slightly different.

But let's assume an Army E-4 (Rank = Specialist) that's been in the Military for about 3 years.

You say he's married with a single kid, making him eligable for Dependant Rate BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) : more or less 800 a month, of course it varies where you live, but that's not a bad guestimate.

He'll also be receiving Basic Allowance for Sustinance which is about 270 a month.

Both of those are non-taxed.

Base Pay is about 1400 a month.

Then you get into wierd things like Uniform replacement allowances, which is like 250 a year...

Then there are special pays. I, for example, am getting 300 a month in Foreign Language Proficiency Pay...

Anyways, you then have to take into other considerations... like the vast majority of Active Duty Military don't pay state income tax.

Anyways, There is a big difference between 35K a year with over a third of that being untaxable... and 20k a year.

Darkmantle · 09/06/06, 9:00 AM

Originally Posted by Farstrider

Originally Posted by Darkmantle

Though it does beat booze as a past time >_>

He probably drinks while he plays.... I used to for a long time until I got that under control...

You should see the drinking games some of our members came up with. Basically after 3 wipes will all the sub clauses you would be looking at alcohol poisoning for an elephant.

Though of course what you really need is a pan galactic gargle blaster.

Kaubel · 09/06/06, 9:17 AM

I also heard that people are throwing lit, gasoline-filled tennis balls into the open windows of cars stopped at traffic lights. It's true because my sister sent me an email about how this lady at her work has a friend in college it happened to.

Farstrider · 09/06/06, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by Darkmantle

You should see the drinking games some of our members came up with. Basically after 3 wipes will all the sub clauses you would be looking at alcohol poisoning for an elephant.

Drunken UBRS, minimum consumption 8 beers, is always a favourite...

Or it was a favourite until the incident described in my sig...

Malorum · 09/06/06, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by Antarius

Originally Posted by Rz

Originally Posted by Farstrider

Meh I really hate to say it but if you've got a wife and kid on the way and you "can't be going out all the time" you probably shouldn't be logging in 6 nights a week to raid for 6 hours.... As long as they keep on focusing on muppets like this with totally skewed priorities, the press coverage is always going to read badly.

Yeah, I think the actual figure was 4 hours a night 6 nights a week for that particular guy. Somewhat significant difference (24 hpw instead of 36).

That said I know a guildmate who sold his account for 1000 USD to a US Army soldier with a wife and kid, and who could not have made more than 20,000 USD per year. That's sad.

Well obviously everyone's experience is slightly different.

But let's assume an Army E-4 (Rank = Specialist) that's been in the Military for about 3 years.

You say he's married with a single kid, making him eligable for Dependant Rate BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) : more or less 800 a month, of course it varies where you live, but that's not a bad guestimate.

He'll also be receiving Basic Allowance for Sustinance which is about 270 a month.

Both of those are non-taxed.

Base Pay is about 1400 a month.

Then you get into wierd things like Uniform replacement allowances, which is like 250 a year...

Then there are special pays. I, for example, am getting 300 a month in Foreign Language Proficiency Pay...

Anyways, you then have to take into other considerations... like the vast majority of Active Duty Military don't pay state income tax.

Anyways, There is a big difference between 35K a year with over a third of that being untaxable... and 20k a year.

Thank goodness somone cleared this up. Also realize this:

If you are married and live in military housing you dont pay electric, water, sewer, or rent. The base pay that you end up getting is essentially spending money and living expenses such as food, clothing, cable, phone, etc... Not to mention you have no medical bills. You have to take that 20,000 into context properly. Total up the compensation you get from the military and at a rank of about E4 (which almost everyone is at after at least 3 years) and you make the equivalent of around 40k a year.

• frmorrison · 09/06/06, 11:46 AM

If people want to know about the mysteries of enlisted life, here is more stuff

You get access to the commisary/PX (grocery store and Wal-mart), and you don't pay tax on purchases. Assuming 200 in groceries a month, that saves 12 a month, or 144 dollars a year. Say you save another 100 dollars from the PX. Each of these little savings add up.

Also free medical (includes all medicines, even stuff you would buy from Walgreens) and free dental for your entire family helps a lot.

Stories of starving young enlisted men are made up; assuming they don't blow their money on booze and women ;) before food.

Inwe · 09/06/06, 11:47 AM

These are my favorite 2 parts of the article:

Less than two years after its introduction, World of Warcraft, made by Blizzard Entertainment, based in Irvine, Calif., is on pace to generate more than $1 billion in revenue this year with almost seven million paying subscribers, who can log into the game and interact with other players.

And:

Since the gameâ€™s introduction in November 2004 the company has expanded to more than 1,800 employees from around 400. Almost all of the additions have been customer-service representatives to handle World of Warcraft players, helping them with both technical advice and billing concerns.

OzX · 09/06/06, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by "Jason Pinsky - From the article.â€œ

One of the players was Jason Pinsky, 33, the chief technology officer for an apparel company in Manhattan. Mr. Pinsky is not unusual among serious players in that he has logged more than 125 days (3,000 hours) on his main character, a hunter.

I play this game six nights a week from 8 p.m. to midnight,â€ he said in a telephone interview. â€œWhen I say that to people, sometimes they look at me a little funny. But then I point out that most people watch TV at least that much, and television is a totally mindless experience.

I'm really tired of this comparison. I'm 27 and don't know anyone who watches that much TV. My buddy's 63 year old retired mother might but, that's about it.

Even then I'd say that gaming is typically a more socially stifling activity activity than TV watching as it demands some degree of focus and provides more of an "escape" than TV. If you're watching non-premium TV, commercials kick you back to reality at least 6 times an hour. Playing WoW you could easily go at least that long without once even looking away from the screen. Also, you certainly can't pause or TiVO your raid.

Originally Posted by Jason Pinsky - From the article.â€œ

â€œInstead of watching â€˜The Lord of the Ringsâ€™ as a three-hour experience, I am now participating in the epic adventure.â€

Yeah, that's a perfect comparison...If you suppose that it's typical for people to have sat enthralled by LOTR for three hours straight over 1,000 times in the last 22 months. Of course, his 125 day /played equates to 5 hours a day, 6 days a week for nearly 2 years not the claimed 4. Now, given that a lot of WoW is re-running or re-wiping to the same shit, watching The Fellowship 2 and half times every night but Sunday for 22 months straight would be more accurate.

Originally Posted by Farstrider

Originally Posted by Darkmantle

You should see the drinking games some of our members came up with. Basically after 3 wipes will all the sub clauses you would be looking at alcohol poisoning for an elephant.

Drunken UBRS, minimum consumption 8 beers, is always a favourite...

Or it was a favourite until the incident described in my sig...

Here's another thing I see a lot and as often as I see people tell stories like this I see others (sometimes the same people) claim that WoW is so much "better" than going out, spending money on beer and getting drunk. Well, I guess it is better if you're a jackass who likes to DWI but otherwise...

I wish gamers would stop making these silly excuses and comparisons or trying to call themselves athletes (FPS players). Just accept that what you do and how much time you spend doing it *is* fairly extreme and abnormal and be happy with it.

I welcome your flames, anecdotal evidence and claims of hypocrisy!

Kalman · 09/06/06, 12:35 PM

You don't know anyone who watches 24 hours of TV a week? You're sheltered.

probiscus · 09/06/06, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by Kalman

You don't know anyone who watches 24 hours of TV a week? You're sheltered.

I gave up TV 3 years ago. One of the best decisions I've ever made.

OzX · 09/06/06, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by Kalman

You don't know anyone who watches 24 hours of TV a week? You're sheltered.

Sheltered from TV watchers? Never heard that one before. If the topic was race, drug use or religion I could see that term being used but, TV? I dunno.

Kalman · 09/06/06, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by OzX

Originally Posted by Kalman

You don't know anyone who watches 24 hours of TV a week? You're sheltered.

Sheltered from TV watchers? Never heard that one before. If the topic was race, drug use or religion I could see that term being used but, TV? I dunno.

From the economic class (and in some ways, social class) of people who are drawn to that, yes. Sheltered.

♦ Praetorian · 09/06/06, 1:01 PM

Yeah, there are better things to do with one's time than play WoW every night, but there are certainly worse things too. It's kind of a silly discussion. Everyone engages in unhealthful behaviors of some sort or another, and it's all too easy to criticize when you look at others.

Regarding the TV question, courtesy of a 1998 Neilsen survey:

1) Percentage of US households with at least one television: 98
2) Percentage of US households with at least one VCR: 84
3) Percentage of US households with two TV sets: 34; three or more TV sets: 40
4) Hours per day that TV is on in an average US home: 7 hours, 12 minutes
5) Percentage of Americans that regularly watch television while eating dinner: 66
6) Number of videos rented daily in the US: 6 million
7) Number of public library items checked out daily: 3 million
8) Chance that an American falls asleep with the TV on at least three nights a week: 1 in 4
9) Percentage of Americans who say they watch too much TV: 49

Farstrider · 09/06/06, 1:04 PM

Originally Posted by OzX

. Well, I guess it is better if you're a jackass who likes to DWI but otherwise...

Sorry - non-American here - what is DWI?