To read written reviews by players about any video game, go to www.amazon.com, and enter the name of the game in the search field and select video games as the category.
You will find hundreds of reviews, written by gamers, about the game.
This is a very handy reference to see what the game is about, and what the gamers views are.
—
Liz Woolley
Everquest
Submitted by
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Another one of my unembarassed pasions is scanning through product reviews on amazon.com. If I hear a kick-ass band, I'll check up what people are saying and get some international feedback before I decide on a purchase. This applys to books, music, and especially video games.
For sh**s n' grins, I decided to hear what buzz was out there about Everquest. I've never played nor seen the game, but I've talked to quite a few people who play regularly.
I can't believe what people are saying about this game. I've heard that it was addicting, but I had no idea to what degree. Here are some clippets of actual comments made about this game:
"Some people are worried that the computer game EverQuest is more than a hobby. Instead, it's being described as an addiction. One counsellor has even nicknamed the game "EverCrack."
There are more than 400,000 EverQuest players in North America, and twenty-five to thirty hours a week of playing appears common. A recent study of 2,000 EverQuest players shows 45 percent of them admit to being addicted.
In Hudson, Wisconsin, Liz Woolley has already seen the down side of EverQuest. She says her 21-year-old son Shawn became addicted to the game. He was diagnosed with depression and eventually killed himself with EverQuest still flickering on his screen. Woolley says the maker of EverQuest, Sony On-Line, has made a game so powerful, it's addictive, and she wants Sony to put warning labels on the game."
--Reviewer: hh from seattle, WA usa
"yes this game can be fun, but it is VERY addictive, i am a player of a year and a half, and am finally quitting"
--Reviewer: Mike from texas
"I must confess that I spend 24 hrs a week playing this game. I stay up late into the night, and it is the first thing i do when i get up!!"
--Reviewer: An Everquest Addict from Texas, USA
"It consumes my thoughts both when I am awake and when I dream. However, why do I feel like I'm running in place and not getting anywhere? After the first 2 hours it all seems the same. I always think there will be something new but there never is. But I still play..."
--Reviewer: singerspell (see more about me) from New York, NY United States
"Now it is true that this game can totally drain your life away and become very addicting, but only if your someone who doesn't have a life and doesn't see the fine line between Everquest and your life. And if you've laughed at the review about how it drains your life away then please understand."
--Reviewer: A 12-year old gamer
"'Nuff said. Actually if you have any life left you wish to save do not buy this game. If you do you will do nothing but play it from now until the day you die, this isn't your average game once your hooked you can kiss your friends good bye (unless they too connect to everquest!!)"
--Reviewer: Robert Dylann (see more about me) from Bob Dylanns house
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I couldn't believe it. The list goes on and on. Broken relationships, lost jobs, couseling, SUICIDE... OVER A @#%$ VIDEO GAME!!! Now, I know games can be addictive, but come on.
Anyone (besides Razor) played this game?
Murphy
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User Reviews
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Submitted by BongZilla (user info) at 2003-05-09 15:16:23 (#)
Ranking: 0
@#%$, about three years ago, I worked so much, I saved up and ass load of money and didn't work for an entire year. During that year, I played a lot of @#%$ everquest. During the summer, I would wake up, play, go out or whatever, come home later at night and play til sun-up. Rinse, lather, and reapeat. I loved that game, I thought it was a blast, I had so much fun interacting with everyone in my guild(kinda like here, but to a much higher extent). I havent played EQ in about a year and I do miss playing from time to time, like those nights whered I'd get a forty or 3 and just go kill @#%$ with my EQ "friends." My game of choice now is Counter-strike, but I dont play more than a couple hours a week, no time =( Everquest was fun, but I got tired of paying $10 a month. Although I did sell all my @#%$ on ebay for about $500 so it wasnt a complete waste.
Bong
'
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Submitted by beer-turtle (user info) at 2003-05-09 15:03:38 (#)
Ranking: 0
Screw Evercrack...long live Asheron's call
-Turtle
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Submitted by HeavensWalls (user info) at 2003-05-09 10:35:24 (#)
Ranking: 2
"I mean how can one expect to keep friends if you tell them that you can't go out to the bars because you have to go kill the Emperor in SSR temple or have to go help scout out Corinav (the god of water) in some video game."
I could actually see someone saying this...
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Submitted by turveytopsy (user info) at 2003-05-09 10:24:49 (#)
Ranking: 0
I am one of those who was once addicted to the game of Evercrack. I was what people would call a hardcore player in that I spent upwards of 4 hours each night partaking in guild 'raids' to attain the best loot in the game (armor, weapons, accessories, etc). These raids involved over 60 people who all got online at the same time with the intent of killing one computer controlled monster. I was in the AfA"ber guild (Nightbane) which killed dragons and gods nightly. Sadly enough one of the reasons for me leaving the world of Everquest is my guild broke up. I must say it was a fun time even if it was socially limiting. I mean how can one expect to keep friends if you tell them that you can't go out to the bars because you have to go kill the Emperor in SSR temple or have to go help scout out Corinav (the god of water) in some video game. By the end of my Everquest career I logged a total of 134 days worth of playing time and by doing some simple math that translates into approx 192960 minutes of video game bliss. Do I regret it? No. Would I do it again knowing what I know now? No.
As for the player economy, there are many publications on the economics of the game.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/pape..._id=294828
I know of several other college professors who have written about the game. Ironically enough a player could make approx. 3$/hour playing this game with intent to sell whatever content you unlock for the character on Ebay or other auction sites.
January marked the end of my EQ career as I sold my characters on ebay for a little over 1200$ and promply stuck the game CD's in the microwave and nuked them. Good riddance.
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Submitted by Razor (user info) at 2003-05-09 10:23:01 (#)
Ranking: 0
As bad as you think that Everquest might be, it's actually much much worse.
On top of the addiction factor, the game is and always has been designed to keep the top tier of players fighting amongst themselves for not enough resources.
It turns completely wonderful human beings into evil, evil creatures.
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Submitted by Hadooken (user info) at 2003-05-09 08:58:16 (#)
Ranking: 2
I still play tecmo super bowl! I think it has to be the greatest sports game ever made.
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Submitted by Caligirlintx (user info) at 2003-05-09 08:53:15 (#)
Ranking: 0
Murph-
I promise not to insult you on this one. I have some good friends who divorced over EQ- no seriously, she was more interested in EQ than her hubby, then fell for someone in the game and then left hubby for said gamer. Recently she dumped said gamer for another one. She has actually cancelled plans with me so she could play EQ... it is a sad sad state of affairs.
As far as UO goes, my husband (before he was my husband) was HUGE into UO. He was one of the orig. beta testers. He said he was WAY addicted. In my home, there are no RPG's allowed.
See? I can be nice.
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Submitted by qmakowski (user info) at 2003-05-09 08:45:13 (#)
Ranking: 2
Counterstrike addict myself here, 3 years playing the game, still not boring, i used to play all summer, 6 hours a day, now i get in about half hour to an hour, girlfriend fixed my CS habbit quit, untill that one dumped me, so i got back into it again, played for a while, joined a clan, got a server, website, then 2 weeks after the ex, got another girl, she doesnt mind my habbit much, i still talk to her, and i pretty much only play at work. i rule the fantisy world of firstperson shooters, but who wouldnt want to? at least it's keeping me from shooting up my school, Godbless video games, and god bless the people who kill them selves over them, cuz they have no @#%$ life.
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Submitted by antluvdog (user info) at 2003-05-09 07:51:56 (#)
Ranking: 1
Three words - Tecmo Super Bowl. I literally lost 10 points on my averages in all my high school classes in one quarter playing this game freshman year of HS. If you liked football, and you had a Nintendo, you had this game, end of story. Every team, all the stats saved. You could play a whole season in one 24 hour sitting. All you needed was a 3-liter of Tahitian Treat and your control paddle. @#%$ loved that game
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Submitted by Teri (user info) at 2003-05-09 06:19:34 (#)
Ranking: 2
Has anyone played Thief: The Dark Project before? It's got really sh**ty graphics, but amazing sound effects. The point of the entire game was to complete objectives as quietly as possible, so I turned up the speakers and listened for any footsteps and whatnot. After about three hours of the game in a completely dark room, I started getting paranoid and pausing whenever I think I hear someone moving around the house. After around half a year of this game, I try to walk as quietly as possible, and generally keep things quiet around the house.
When my computer couldn't handle Thief anymore, I headed out to net cafes and started playing CounterStrike. Bad choice. Sneak sneak sneak. BLAM. My ears didn't appreciate the change in volume. After a while of CS, I've become a half-decent sniper and I can hold off around a dozen people on cs_assault. Not much of an achievement, I know, but I've started getting too broke for net cafes.
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Submitted by chipolatte (user info) at 2003-05-09 00:25:30 (#)
Ranking: 0
im already addicted to enough things. i don't need to add Evercrack to the list.
Besides, Counterstrike is my love. it's addicting enough.
TERRORISTS WIN
Get out of there, it's gonna blow!
Storm the Front!
Stick Together, Team
You take the point
Team, Fall Back!
Follow Me
Regroup Team
Report in Team
Reporting In
Enemy Spotted
Enemy Down
Sector Clear
Affirmative/Roger That
Negative
Go go go!
Hold this position
Get in position and Wait for my go
That's most of the commands. Man I love counterstrike.
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Submitted by TheMan (user info) at 2003-05-08 21:27:06 (#)
Ranking: 0
Yes, I too was addicted for a brief time. Then, when the girlfriend moved out, I mysteriously became un-addicted.
Hmmmm. The girlfriend lived with me, I played all day on the weekends, all night long during the week after work. She leaves, and I miraculously stop playing. Hmmmm. Coincidence? I don't know. Was playing the game an excuse, a way for me to silently bow out of the relationship? I don't like to think so, but I can understand how it would seem this way.
It's one hell of a cool game. Use in moderation. I haven't played since June of last year. In fact, I don't even have it on my computer anymore. I want to put it back in, but it will take me forever to download all the updates again. Dial-up sucks ass. My character is only like level 23 or something, but he kicks ass and I don't want to lose him, so I pay the $12.95 a month anyway-even though I don't play for right now.
@#%$ man. This sucks. I've got a hankerin' for EQ again. Gonna install it right now.
See what you've done! **** you! **** you all to hell! Hey, where'd all these ****in' monkeys come from?
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Submitted by Fuunsaiki (user info) at 2003-05-08 21:01:13 (#)
Ranking: 1
I was one of those people but DAoC and Asheron's Call. I had a lvl 112 Og Mage DarkTide server(PvP) which is rare..Sold it for $1,000. Accually I spent a lot of time to get to 50 then after I just gained xp in a chain ladder xp thing because I was so high. DAoC I sold an account for $500.
I will say I've never been addicted to games. I limit myself to 3 or 4 hours a day. But those games are very addicting and you gotta control yourself. Just because someone above you doesn't mean you can't be there in a controlled playing time in the future. Everyone will get to the end, just who nuts enough to play all day long and get there faster. I've done it..not that great. Plus if you get sleep deprived long enough you can harm you body and mainly your heart because your heart needs that sorta downtime you get sleeping.
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Submitted by hidden101 (user info) at 2003-05-08 20:58:11 (#)
Ranking: 0
i used to be pretty addicted to counter-strike. it was always making me late for EVERYTHING. now i'm addicted to Ubersite, and it makes me late for EVERYTHING. i'm like, oh man, i'm running late for work. wait... one more post... just one more...
@#%$ you, Bart....
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Submitted by hidden101 (user info) at 2003-05-08 20:51:51 (#)
Ranking: 0
i've never played it because i think it's stupid as hell, but i've literally seen it destroy lives....
a video game. seriously.
it was programmed by Satan, himself.
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Submitted by Kasarius (user info) at 2003-05-08 20:28:56 (#)
Ranking: 0
I was addicted to Diablo II. When summer rolled around I could play all day if I wanted, but then it got popular, the game took longer to load, and I got ****ed when I would fail to join game after game. I eventually gave it up, as I was spending more time trying to get into the games rather than playing in them, but this summer I'm getting high speed access and I can only imagine what will happen...
On another note, did the guy in the article kill himself over the game or did the game just happen to be on when he killed himself?
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Submitted by HeavensWalls (user info) at 2003-05-08 20:23:01 (#)
Ranking: 0
I was at a friends house once a while back, and he had just purchased Ghost Recon for his X-box and gotten his X-box live subscription up and running, and I had the privlage of playing it. I know that alot of online computer games allow you to hook up your headset and actually talk to other gamers, but this is the first time I've done it in a game. It just makes it that much more addictive and enjoyable...
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Submitted by HeavensWalls (user info) at 2003-05-08 20:22:57 (#)
Ranking: 0
I was at a friends house once a while back, and he had just purchased Ghost Recon for his X-box and gotten his X-box live subscription up and running, and I had the privlage of playing it. I know that alot of online computer games allow you to hook up your headset and actually talk to other gamers, but this is the first time I've done it in a game. It just makes it that much more addictive and enjoyable...
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Submitted by jeetkunetony (user info) at 2003-05-08 20:21:49 (#)
Ranking: 2
All I can say, is Starcraft. Yes it's old, but still. I'm still going through withdrawl. It's been three months guys!
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Submitted by Beer_bong (user info) at 2003-05-08 20:03:25 (#)
Ranking: 2
I'd play Diablo2 for about 5 hours a day for nearly a year, it sucked. But now I'm addicted to playing MechAssault online and Heroes of Might and Magic4. I hate myself but at least I'm entertained. I think I may have found the right combonation of pot and Barqs to make me kickass at Mechassault. Still haven't found that combo for HoMM4.
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Submitted by PeopleAreStrange (user info) at 2003-05-08 20:02:18 (#)
Ranking: 2
I haven't played Everquest but I go through phases, one minute I'll be addicted to a game or reading a certain book or watching a certain programme or posting on a particular site (like here!) and at some point I will get bored and do something else.
As John Laroche put it so eloquently;
"Then one day I say @#%$ fish. I renounce fish, I vow never to set foot in that ocean again. That's how much '@#%$ fish'. That was 17 years ago and I have never since stuck so much as a toe in that ocean, and I love the ocean."
Susan Orlean: But why?
John Laroche: Done with fish.
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Submitted by Murphy1844 (user info) at 2003-05-08 20:00:04 (#)
Ranking: 0
Thanks for the link, HeavensWalls... I guess you're not a @#%$ after all!
Murphy
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Submitted by Murphy1844 (user info) at 2003-05-08 19:58:24 (#)
Ranking: 0
OH MY GOD. I just finished reading that article. A REAL LIFE economist analyed an Ultima fantasy world and compared the value (in REAL dollars) of items being traded on ebay to the fantasy currency in the game (gold units, I think). He estimated that this fantasy world has a GDP of approximately $250 million REAL @#%$ DOLLARS. You've got to be kidding me! People can actually make a living (a decent one at that) by building up characters and buying / trading.
Am I the only one here who's sitting in front of my computer in awe!? I knew these things were a big deal, but a 250 mil GDP, GET REAL!
Amazing.
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Submitted by LondonBroil at 2003-05-08 19:57:56 (#)
Ranking: 0
Oh, same thing happened when Quake came out oh so many years ago. At least then all my friends played it and it was before I had a g/f.
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Submitted by LondonBroil at 2003-05-08 19:57:03 (#)
Ranking: 0
If you think Everquest is bad, do some searching for a game called Lineage:The Bloodpledge. Contrary to what many people think, Lineage has about 5x the subscribers world-wide than Everquest with something like 4 million. It's immensly popular in Korea where it originated because of internet cafes but not ver known here in the states.
I started playing it back in February 2001 and was addicted for 18 months (4-5 hours weekdays, more on the weekends) until my girlfriend made me make a choice between her or the game. Luckily I picked her and haven't logged in since although I still browse the forums once a week just to see whats new.
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Submitted by jwlmar10 (user info) at 2003-05-08 19:51:54 (#)
Ranking: 0
I played Medal of Honor: Allied Assault online for a long time and it showed me how addicting online gaming can be. The game is basically a WW2 shooter and in the online multiplayer the players can choose teams and carry out certain objectives in fascinating 3D maps of war-torn Europe. It is a lot of fun and I started playing simply because I enjoyed it. I started playing maybe an hour a night. Eventually I started to get good. I played more. Soon enough I was a force to be reckoned with. I became really good. I became a hero in this online fantasy world and being one of the best was a lot of fun. I excell at many things in life, but for some reason I got a special satisfaction out of taking out entire squads of online opponents. I joined a "clan" in which I played in matches with other clans and moved through the ranks. Eventually I realized that this game was consuming 4 to 5 hours a day of my already busy schedule and I had to stop. Stopping wasn't easy. I had to smack myself many times to stop. I think that these online games are so addicting because they are an escape. These games are like drugs because they allow the user to experience the world in a different way. You feel as though you have entered a new world because it feels like you are interacting with normal people, yet they look and behave in totally different ways.
And now I'm addicted to ubersite. :-(
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Submitted by masterofdissaster (user info) at 2003-05-08 19:43:25 (#)
Ranking: 1
EQ was boring. Guess I was immune.
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Submitted by DarthAwesome (user info) at 2003-05-08 19:38:46 (#)
Ranking: 0
I played it for a while, it was fun. All my grades dropped, it was great. First marking period all good, second good, third when christmas rolls around, bam down the drains, by fourth quater SHIZ AM it was like a wizard casted fireball on my report card. **** wizards...
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Submitted by HeavensWalls (user info) at 2003-05-08 19:33:43 (#)
Ranking: 1
Sorry, the article is mostly about Ultima Online, but from what I gather, they are generally the same type of game...
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Submitted by HeavensWalls (user info) at 2003-05-08 19:29:54 (#)
Ranking: 1
Murphy, Wired Magazine recently did an article on Everquest and the items from it on Ebay. If your willing, it's
www.wired.com/wired/archi...aming.html
Pretty interesting if you ask me.
No, I've never played nor seen Everquest either, but like someone said before me, I was addicted to Diablo I & II...
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Submitted by Murphy1844 (user info) at 2003-05-08 19:15:17 (#)
Ranking: 0
I limit myself to about 2 hours a day playing video games or watching movies (either one). Between working 40 hours/week, 1 hour/day commute, 3-4 days working out, and chiseling away at whatever novel I've got, I have no time for much of a social life much less a 20+ hour/week investment in ANOTHER video game. I prefer games like Zelda, GTA, Final Fantasy, Super Mario, stuff like that. Pick it up, have a beer, put it down, go to bed.
This game seems more like work!
Murphy
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Submitted by Phinch (user info) at 2003-05-08 19:12:00 (#)
Ranking: 1
I was addicted to diablo 1 when it first came out, but now i spend about 0 hours a week playing any computer game.
if you get this game, you probably won't be posting on uber anymore.
and i believe you will have to get internet access at home.
phinch
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Submitted by drink_DDT (user info) at 2003-05-08 19:08:30 (#)
Ranking: 1
I know people personally who have lost jobs and gotten divorces over this game and also Ultima Online. I know a guy who plays at least 12 hours per day.
Liz Woolley