I’ve said it before and I’ll stay it again– Now’s a great time to be a gamer. Not only do we have multiple gaming platforms, systems, genres, and ways of interacting with fellow gamers, we have a huge variety when it comes to game choice. The MMO market, in particular, is huge right now, with some great titles recently released and planned in the year to come. Diablo III, anyone? How about TERA, Guild Wars 2, and The Secret World? Let’s not forget about the plethora of great games already on the market.
Yeah, I know. You’re cringing at some of those titles. You’re wondering why the heck I’m talking about other games besides SWTOR. For some silly reason, within this often-paranoid gaming community, it’s sometimes seen as an act of betrayal to positively discuss more than one game at a time. Maybe it’s our inner competitive spirits that make uttering words like, “Wow, TERA’s pretty damn fun. I may have to play it and SWTOR!” seem like taboo. I’m here today to reassure everyone of one simple fact: it’s okay. It’s not taboo. Talk about other games, and try other games. SWTOR isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
In the years where MMO players were few and far in between, some MMOs were released and tanked hard, simply because the MMO playerbase wasn’t that expansive. I think that’s where this whole “if a game isn’t number one on the charts, it fails!” attitude comes from, because once upon a time, it made sense. Now? No way. MMOs are becoming increasingly popular, and companies are discovering it doesn’t take a miracle to release an MMO and achieve success. As a result, we’re seeing all kinds of new releases on the horizon. There’s a little something for everyone now, and it’s pretty great.
This means that, honestly, it’s okay to talk about other games and still love SWTOR. SWTOR fills a very large slot in the current MMO market, and an important one– the science fiction slot. There aren’t a lot of sci fi MMOs on the market, and for those of us who adore being able to soar between planets, gaze at the stars, fire up holo-technology, and toss around grenades, SWTOR has a safe spot in our gaming library. It’s also, of course, Star Wars. We already know we’re not going to find Star Wars in any other MMO. That’s enough to convince many fans to stick around.
But let’s say we’re curious about these other games. Are they worth trying? Sure! There’s nothing wrong in playing multiple games. Me, personally, I love both sci fi and fantasy games, so I play SWTOR, RIFT, and every now and then some League of Legends. I’ve already purchased Guild Wars 2 because the world fascinates me, and I’ll be grabbing Diablo III simply because I played the hell out of the other Diablo games.
Am I ashamed in my widespread gaming habits? Not in the slightest. Am I kicking SWTOR to the curb? Nope! I still really enjoy playing through the various SWTOR story arcs, and I have high hopes for what BioWare has in store for us around the bend. I’m sticking around. I’m a story and atmosphere nut, so for me, having multiple worlds to explore really makes the most sense. I’ll say it again: There’s nothing wrong in playing multiple games.
That’s why it boggles me when I hear about players bashing other MMOs on the market. Sometimes games don’t always speak to us, sure, but is there really any sense in bashing a game just because it isn’t someone’s personal cup of tea? Ignore the bashing, I say, and enjoy what you want to enjoy– however you enjoy it. Have a blast in SWTOR for everything the game offers, and have a blast in other games for what they offer, too. The galaxy is what you make of it.
