World of Warcraft - Not Just For Nerds
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My initial preconception about these MMO fanatics was someone who cannot interact in social situations. A rather large person who sits in front of the computer all day, drinking Mountain Dew through a straw and when venturing out of the house, wears elf ears and a cape. I should explain that as a nerd myself, I'm judging those only slightly nerdier than myself. What I discovered on the con floor is that, while there certainly are those who fit the stereotypical bill, most are anything but. I met doctors, lawyers, teachers and actors (yes, most of those were in costume) who are devout players. One woman told me she started playing to keep in touch with her son who lives across the country. I can only imagine the campaigns...Mom's a Blood Elf, son is a Troll. They enter caves full of dragons and slay them together...all the while gossiping about the neighbors and what Aunt Bea is up to. I met a couple who got married in costume this morning and were coming to the con to celebrate. She was dressed as a golden owl, or at least that's what I thought she was. I even met a woman who nervously told me that she was waiting to meet her online partner. They'd been playing for 2 years and this was the first meeting for them. She'd recently lost 80 lbs in anticipation of this day.
And then, when I couldn't avoid it anymore, I walked over to the computer to give it a shot. I suppose I shouldn't have avoided it so long. It's not like I'm a stranger to planting myself in front of a screen. I mean, I very recently completed a 12 hour session of Rock Band. The demo had me playing as a very high level character and though I had no idea what I was doing, I jumped in by mashing buttons and frantically clicking my mouse. I'm not quite sure how, but I killed some sort of ice beast and climbed onto an indescribable riding creature. Off I went, following my companions down a snow-covered mountain, reading a steady stream of their comments and watching their escapades.
