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Past Time: Re-Encountering Everquest

Brief EverQuest started off as just an idea in 1996 by John Smaedley. However, the original design is credited to Brad, McQuaid, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost, but was actually developed by Sony’s 989 Studios and published by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE)(EverQuest). EverQuest was not released until March 16,1999. EverQuest is a 3D fantasy themed MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game). Its design is heavily charged to text based MUD games. It’s also considered to be a 3D evolution of the text MUD genre. This game requires the player to create a character, otherwise known as an “avatar” (EverQuest). The player can choose from 1-16 different races, such as humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, trolls, and ogres of fantasy, each race having several subcategories. The player also gets to choose the character’s adventuring occupation (wizard, ranger, or cleric), patron deity and the starting city. The player then gets to explore the world of Norrath while fighting monsters and enemies for treasure, experience points and master trade skills (EverQuest). Players can progress through almost four hundred different zones by gaining power, prestige, spells, and skills by defeating other opponents of equal capabilities. EverQuest was so popular because it allowed players to interact with other people through role playing, joining player guilds, and dueling other players (EverQuest).

Author's Main Argument

The author’s main argument in this article is the major changes that have been added to the game. Bembeneck begins expressing the players concerns about the new changes. For instance, they want to return to the “good old days.” By this they mean that with the new changes to the game, they make the game easier and somewhat “dumb down” the game. One player even recalls, “I remember when death was a punishment! Now it doesn’t mean anything” (Bembeneck).

Bembeneck goes on to say that because of the 17 various expansions of EverQuest, created by Sony, there are clusters of players in certain areas and high-level player, which inevitably create ghost towns for newcomers or returning players. Because of these ghost towns, Sony launched a “progression server,” which allows players to go back and experience the old days and playing in the past. She feels, however, that this idea will fail because the past is “lost” (Bembeneck).

To support her argument, Bembeneck shows how there are new graphical updates in the game that were not present before. These changes, she adds, adjust the players’ experiences. She also mentions the fact that we have changed, along with the game. She argues that players can’t experience their primary encounter with the world of EverQuest because they already know the story. They are essentially re-encountering the world of EverQuest, re-reading the text, and re-running the paths. This is not their first time playing the game (Bembeneck).

At the same time, she says that although they have already experienced the game, because of the new changes and updates, they are reading and playing the game with new eyes. They have new expectations for running the paths.

Social and Cultural Importance

Bembeneck demonstrates the main reason why the idea proposed by Sony failed by showing how people over time have progressed and evolved socially and culturally, along with the game. She states that players’ expectations and experiences have been changed by the updates in EverQuest and by other outside MMO games in the market. They now have something new to compare EverQuest to, so they don’t have the same “innocence” that they did in the beginning.

General Discussion/Controversies

There have been some small controversies surrounding EverQuest. For example, although EverQuest itself didn’t offer in-game object sales, players were able to make sales through other websites, such as ebay. They were able to trade in-game objects for real money. This exchange when so far as to companies creating high-level characters and then auctioning them off to make money (EverQuest).

Another controversy is the opposition from psychologists. They believe this game to be highly addictive in nature. Some players have even referred to EverQuest as “NeverRest” or “EverCrack.” There was even a high profile suicide associated with EverQuest (EverQuest).

Bembeneck post did not personally generate any debate. One commenter mentioned the fact that Bembeneck had an “interesting perspective.” She also noted the fact that it’s not necessarily the same game because of the changes not only to the game, but also to the gamer. The second commenter related it to an example of re-reading an old childhood book. He mentions the fact that you will see new meanings and interpretations that you didn’t before. The last commenter brought up the fact that the changes in the game may have disappointed returning players, such as the elimination of your favorite skill (Bembeneck).

Personal Opinion

Although, I haven’t played the game EverQuest, I can understand both sides of the story. Taking the example mentioned by a commenter of re-reading a book, I find it very hard to go back and re-read books because I find myself jumping ahead in the story and already knowing what happens at the end of the book. However, I have found myself re-playing games that I have already completed, but I inevitably get bored with the game because I already know what to do and how to complete each level. So therefore, I disagree with the idea of trying to recreate the past because gamers won't be able to experience for the first time, they will always have that idea of how things used to be in the back of their mind.

Works Cited:

Bembeneck, E. (2011, February 16). Past-Time: Re-Encountering Everquest | Play The Past. Play The Past | . Retrieved June 1, 2013, from http://www.playthepast.org/?p=818

"EverQuest". (2013, May 13). Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 1, 2013, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EverQuest