Such WoW

Okay. Favorite book so far, hands down. Mainly because the author is relatable in that she is not (well, I guess now she is) video/computer game savvy. I have always known about WoW but never knew much about it. I honestly thought it was just a game where people play as little elves and slay dragons. Turns out, thaaaaat’s essentially the game. My boyfriend’s friends love WoW and were so excited I was reading Nardi’s book.They were constantly quizzing me on what I had just read, and wanted to know some of the author’s opinions. I asked one of my friends who plays WoW, ” What is the purpose of the game?” he replied, ” LOOT.” He explained that the game is literally about obtaining loot and that it’s a waste of money in the end. BUT, he can’t stop playing it because he’s “come so far”. His answer made me think of the intermittent reinforcement Nardi discusses. After all, this method of reinforcement is the most reliable and addicting. I enjoyed her discussion about aesthetic appeal of games and its influence on how long you may play a game. The more visually appealing something is, the more you’re going to want to look at it/play it- same with a book. If the words you’re reading aren’t captivating, you’re going to stop reading it. Nardi makes great points throughout her book that were easy to understand, as well as fun to learn about.

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