Editor's Note: Gamers without Borders

[Jordan Deam]

Gamers without Borders

World travel can be enlightening, but if you're comfortable where you are, you can always hop into your favorite online game for a little cross-cultural exchange.

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[micktheviking]

nice to see that meeting people is (normally) a good experience.

i experienced the same thing when on WoW.

with people all over europe.

made lots of friends and had some good fun that didnt exclude or excuse the grind for me.

nice post.

 

[S.H.A.R.P.]

Nice write, though I wonder what exactly you learned from those Aussies. Did you actually discussed your cultural differences? Was it mostly the different use of basically the same language which surprised you?

I always enjoy the multicultural aspect of gaming. In the game UT2004 I joined a clan composed of people all over Europe (France, Netherlands, England, Belgium, Sweden, Lithuania, Italy and Switzerland). It's great to have a chat with each other, and funny to notice the different accents. We have a meeting every summer (though sadly not everyone can make it), and it's really cool to meet them in person.

 

[Dogstile]

ah, see, all i got in wow was "you british fag! you have level 20 gear when your level 23!"

then i got up to level 59. then burning crusade came out...i quit

 

[Disembodied_Dave]

Online games.. tearing down boarders. Just think, in some future world war two people on opposing sides will face off only to realize they're in the same guild.

 

[Ultrajoe]

Khaz'goroth!

It's a bugger you don't still play, i could have found you and made emotes and run around in circles and... well i suppose we could go do a quest if you were around the level of one of my characters, but i still like the running in circles idea.

I'm a rogue, we have sprint, we can run in circles on a proffesional level.

On another less useless note, this is a damn good issue. Cultural crossovers always fascinate me, so that an escapist issue should arrive just as I was in such a pensive phase is only slightly disturbing.

 

[Labyrinth]

On another less useless note, this is a damn good issue. Cultural crossovers always fascinate me, so that an Escapist issue should arrive just as I was in such a pensive phase is only slightly disturbing.

Oh god! It's in your brain!

On a serious note yes, cultural barriers and games are much reduced. The same can be said of everything due to the Internet and the advent of near-instantaneous communications. It's prevalent here on Escapist too. We Australians freely associate with people half a world away from us, chilling out, conversing, laughing, arguing.. its all good. Mate.

Such a thing is a positive tool for not only pleasure but the reduction of social prejudices and all the problems they can cause. There's information on cultures, sure, but what better way to get to know them than by idle chatter while you grind your mining?

 

[Clemenstation]

I remember feeling sad when I got to Seoul, S. Korea, and realized that all of my mad FPS skillz were now useless. If I wanted to go to a games room, I was gonna have to learn how to play Winning Eleven soccer...

And forget even trying to play Starcraft versus THAT particular nation of hardcores.

HORROR!

 

[Valiance]

I believe that 'gg' is 'gg' in any language, as is a smiley face.

Most games I play involve playing with people all over the world, and it's pretty awesome. MMOs especially focus on the social element, so you end up talking to people from everywhere about things that your culture doesn't even have, while FPS and RTS simply remind me that at we can all be equal on this medium - a European is simply a player, and an African is also simply a player.