To be blunt, I love video games. I have been involved in a sordid affair with them since I first laid hands on a pong paddle. Interacting with the television simply astounded my young, impressionable mind and I was forever blessed (read: ruined) with a passion for all things gaming. This passion has taken me through decades of console and PC gaming in pretty much every genre out there.
How I came to play WoW can solely be blamed on Microsoft.
To elaborate a bit, my opinion of MMOs post-MUDs (Multi-User Dungeon for the new people) was ruined by Ultima Online. A friend of mine had told me that it was the type of game that I would probably enjoy expending loads of time and energy into. Seeing as how I was trying to put my addiction to Counter Strike behind me, I went ahead and gave it a try. In short, I called my friend a liar, and avoided MMOs henceforth.
Still doesn't explain how Microsoft is at fault I know...
In the years after that I slowly migrated to being more and more of a console only gamer. When I was given a free Xbox and PS2 (broken, but I managed to repair them at little to no cost,) it seemed to seal the fate of my PC days. Moving to another state drove the final nails into the coffin when I sold my PC to assist in financing the move. This was all about four years ago.
So around two and a half years ago when Triv tried to talk me into playing WoW, I was pretty much a console only player. I had my 360, and as far as I was concerned that's all I needed. Well, I guess I still played games like Civilization and Rome: Total War on my mail machine at home, but that box couldn't handle anything more demanding.
Triv is nothing if not persistent. He continued to badger me to start playing WoW, telling me how much I would enjoy it, etc. I held firm to my console superiority for a few reasons:
1. He kept saying how similar it was to a MUD we both played extensively. I thought back and remembered how much time I had sunk into that game, and shuddered.
2. Even though I wanted to build a new gaming PC, I am a frugal bastard in some ways and hate spending money.
3. I didn't really want to pay $15/mo for a subscription fee.
4. The game had been out long enough that everyone I would be playing with would be so far ahead of me that I felt I would constantly look like a noob since I, uh, would be one.
There are a couple of other reasons, but I'm bored with writing that list.
So, around five months ago, my third Xbox 360 threw the dreaded red ring of death. I was stuck waiting three weeks without any kind of gaming, which made me start to itch immediately. I am as I said above, an addict.
Who is there to come to my "rescue?" Triv.
He's worse than a pusher trying to get a new client. I again stood firm stating that I had no desire to play.
I said I didn't have the money at the time to get a new computer to play the game. Triv said it would play fine on my laptop. Remember I installed it when I was up there?
Damn.
I said I wouldn't be able to afford the game. Triv said don't worry, I have keys from an old multi-boxing account that I don't have any characters on or use any more. You can have that.
Double damn.
I said I couldn't activate the account until the following week. Triv said, I can sport you the first month.
So, I buckled down and started downloading the game.
Sigh... in hind sight, I should have just tried heroin.
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