MMOG...

MMOG is a virtual world/multi player game where people can go in as avatars into a whole new world. MMOG's are getting more and more popular with the new game World of War Craft or WOW as many call it. WOW involves you making up a mythical creature who you play in this world where it is a multi player three dimensional game. I have seen people playing WOW a lot and I haven't really grasped why the game is so addicting. I think that many poeple thrive on the fact that you are in a whole other world and you can recreate yourself in the game. MMOG's can help support thousands and thousands of people. I did some research into MMOG's and now many new game consoles for new media have capabilities of MMOG's. Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and other consoles now-a-days are using like capabilities involving the internet to play other people around the world. Now-a-days you can play basketball or sporting games with someone from another country as long as they have an internet connection. MMOG's involve avatars, mythical creatures, virtual worlds, and other things you won't see in real life. Avatar's can be mythical creatures to a basketball player you create. Many of these video systems use VOIP to help players communicate through the MMOG. This will help friends at their own homes play games together, or help you interact with other players around the world in games such as HALO or WOW.
How does this all relate to interpersonal relationships? MMOG's is a place where even though you may not be in the game and talking to someone as an avatar, you kind of are. Now- a-days game systems such as the XBOX 360 and some computer games have microphones set up so you have the opportunity to talk to other people with in the game that you are playing. I believe that the game is the world is totally different and even through MMOG's you can't still really have interpersonal relationships. Interpersonal relationships should be communication in person between people, being on a game console or in a virtual world where everything is mythical and unreal can't really be an honest relationship between one another. I mean who knows maybe people communicate better in MMOG's then they do in real life, maybe some people have actually met the real person behind the avatar depiction of themselves you never know. MMOG's I feel can hurt and help interpersonal relationship, if an individual has social problems or is shy then yes that can help them build social skills, but if a person does choose to hide behind the computer or tv screen then it would not help as much. From what I got from the readings about this it seems like this is an alternative for people who want to escape reality and I don't believe that this is such a bad thing all the time necessarily because lets be honest if you had the chance to escape from your life for one day, who wouldn't take it?