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I'm going to start segments like this were I write about topics on my mind. Hopefully this improves my writing skills - well, probably not.
Finally, pictures - something ive always wanted to add
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As a westerner, I am used to the format of subscription based games. You pay for the sub, and get access to almost all of the game, not including stuff like expansions and gem shops. Being the ignorant American I am, I was not aware of the differences in MMORPGS for Eastern and Western audiences. There is a ton - some of which ive even experienced myself in 'Eastern MMORPGS'. I learned all of this from reading a GW2 forum about the Chinese version of GW2, only just recently released Article I will be getting all my information from.
One of the largest differences in Western and Eastern releases is how long it takes to level up. The main focus - you guessed it - grinding. Grinding is a major element in Eastern MMORPGS. Not the "go grind for a few minutes to gain levels", nothing that easy. Players spend hours every day just to grind maybe one fourth of a level. Of course this all depends on the game, as well as what level the character in question is at. Why would anyone want to do that? Most Westerners dont understand why the Easterners would want to do such a tedious task. From what I've gathered, many players would rather not spend hours grinding. Even if they wanted to limit the amount of grinding, they have no choice in the matter. The company decides whats going to be in the game, not the players. In the case of GW2, they made dungeon experience drop from 75% of a level to only 15%. You now need 50% more experience to level up. Many players will not care about this change, as this is what they are used to, and even expect in their MMORPGS.
This is some GW2, Chinese version game play. If you look closely, you can spot the differences in the game play when compared to the US/EU version. Video here - jeez Gaia, why is your Youtube BBC code broken?
The one other major difference in games like these is the money system - in game and out. Most major Eastern games have a "pay to win" type system. You pay large amounts of money to get the top gear and items, to essentially "win" against other players. Most games have a VIP system - the more you pay, the more benefits you gain. To a Westerner, this must sound absurd. Who would want to pay that much just to play a game? We have cheaper subscriptions and expansion packs, that give us access to all the game with just one system. This is a major difference in culture between the hemispheres, being a huge reason servers are completely isolated. Item prices are different across different versions. In GW2, US/EU servers have no way of communicating with the Chinese servers at all.
Culture differences also play a major part in MMORPGS. For example, in the World of Warcraft version for China, the bones on the undead race were colored to appear more like flesh than actual bones. This was because the Chinese people treat their dead differently, and as such, the government has set this restriction. This really isn't a major difference - not something to get upset about. Major things have been changed in games to make them suitable for a different culture of people.
Overall, this is an issue most people are not aware of in the gaming community. Cultural barriers will for the most part, always exist in games such as these. We should make an effort to educate people on these issues. Maybe people would stop saying the Chinese actually "like grinding and unlocking items". Most dont, really. Make the online gaming community a better place by understanding that cultural barriers really do exist.
 xXDuplicaXx · Mon Jun 02, 2014 @ 08:13am · 0 Comments |
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