Clarkson Integrator

Issue date: 9/2/08 Section: Features

Media Credit: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons The photo above portrays a stereotypical nerd. The style of dress is commonly illustrated this way in today's media.

Perhaps to start this column it is best to examine what defines a 'Geek' or 'Nerd.' Dictionary.com defines nerd as "an intelligent but single-minded person obsessed with a nonsocial hobby or pursuit."

Certainly, many students can relate to this. One particular voice of choice at Clarkson seems to be World of Warcraft, or WoW for short. Granted, obsession is not limited to WoW or Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs). Obsessions can involve almost anything: physical, intellectual, or social. Yet, we certainly would not describe someone that exercises obsessively as a nerd, even though it can often be nonsocial.

The label most often refers to intellectual and technological pursuits. The idea of being nonsocial also has a heavy influence. Here at Clarkson, there are many people that would be commonly categorized as nerds or geeks. Often times, these students will hang out together.

Thus, their activities are inherently social. Yet, the name persists. Some of the campus have adopted the title of geek, and wear it proudly.

This week, we'll discuss some of the most popular online games. A 2007 survey (gigaom.com) lists the Top Ten most popular games at the time to be:

1. World of Warcraft
2. Habbo Hotel
3. RuneScape
4. Club Penguin
5. Webkinz
6. Gaia Online
7. Guild Wars
8. Puzzle Pirates
9. Lineage (I/II)
10. Second Life

WoW is definitely the most seen game around campus, though others, such as RuneScape, have grown at impressive rates over the past couple of years. The MMORPG craze has grown over the past decade and shows no signs of slowing down. The age of the nerd has come, and now it has found its sport.

What can we expect for the future of these games? Hopefully quite a bit, being as the target-audience is primarily tech-savvy. Currently, one of the main constraints involves users' hardware and bandwidth restrictions. These issues may be the first to be tackled, while developers work on creative new ways to display and market their designs.

Social networking has undergone massive changes over the past five years, becoming hugely popular with teens and young adults. This has been reflected in MMORPGs such as Second Life, Habbo Hotel, and Club Penguin focusing on the social aspect of online gaming. I expect that more games will follow in their footsteps over the next few years.

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