Too Much WoW

Is there even such a thing?

The impact of this game (as well as other MMO's) and the way it affects people, completely fascinates me. Now, i'm not being pretentious: i have sacrificed many hours of my sleep, of social life, of real-life obligations, just to play. I like the game, its game design and mechanics, as well as its artistic disposition, is truly monumental. But there is a line. If you cross it, you enter that ugly place with all the flanked classes, broken relationships, retirements, neglected kids and looming obesity. It's a line i have been tempted to cross, just to be able to analyze this better. Thankfully, that has not happened.

Anyway, it's a cultural phenomenon and i could go on for hours. We're also doing a piece on the magazine, entitled 'Too Much WoW'. It's about silly things that people do and humorously refers to the craziness of it all. We found:

- A player that levelled 1-60 naked
- A player Exalted with all (even Shen'dralar, with hundreds of returned librams)
- A player that used perma-death when a character died
- A player with three Grand Marshalls at the same time
- A player that hit 'at war' with Argent Dawn, after getting exalted, and went out on a killing spree on AD NPCs, just to hit 'Hated' for fun.
- Much more.

We also gathered heaps of cultural references, trivia, legends and curios. Some made me smile, some made me sad. Some people take this way, way too seriously. I dread to mock them however, lest i become one of them... in no way do i want to come out as patronizing and i will never judge an individual, other than myself. I just don't see myself dressing in full Paladin Tier 2! One thing is for certain: i will continue to study the genre and its influence on the industry, its psycologic background and the implications of its blooming.

In other news: we are taking a break from C'thun, downed the trio bug (hard combo) and started Naxx'ramas, killing Razuvious easily in the first try. :)

What's Your Happy Place?

One of those days today.

'Thank God It was a Friday', is a massive understatement. Deadlines of 'yesterday', ping-pongs between sales managers and publishing managers, hopeless attempts of conversation and cooperation with equally hopeless individuals that should be working elsewhere. Sometimes i really don't know what keeps me going.

That's a lie of course- i know that i love what i do and i need nothing more. But apart from that spark that sets the engine running, you've got to have fuel.

At random times, during minute moments of extreme happiness and tranquility, the brain records those very images and feelings that surround you, that give you inner peace. These snippets are stored forever. Those moments are your fuel when you need it. Subconsciously, my mind kept running back to this year's summer images and the breath-taking beaches i visited... while editing articles, assigning reviews, moderating sites, scheduling editor deadlines for the next few weeks, analyzing charts and doing a few more things at the same time, my mind was calmly travelling to that perfect beach.

And all's well!



Agios Nikolaos beach, at Alonissos, Greece. That beach is pure magic. Needless to say, the colors and resolution fail to do her justice...

No more karvouno!

Neverwinter Nights 2, Gothic 3, Dark Messiah of Might & Magic, Company of Heroes, Need for Speed: Carbon, Guild Wars: Nightfall, Flight Simulator X, Fifa Manager 07, Football Manager 2007, Championship Manager 07, Age of Empires III: Warchiefs, Battlefield 2142, Sam & Max, Medieval 2: Total War, Splinter Cell: Double Agent, Pro Evolution Soccer 6, Warhammer: Dawn of War-Dark Crusade. Coming up: World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade, Spore, Crysis, Alan Wake, Age of Conan, Bioshock, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Lord of the Rings Online, Tabula Rasa, Supreme Commander, Warhammer: Age of Reckoning, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary, Medal of Honor: Airborne, Hellgate: London, What, The, Hell, Is, Going, On?

Once upon a time, i was so thrilled with just a Bard's Tale or King's Quest.