Morgan Williams: Gamer

In the back of a second-hand store, a hard-working associate is lifting furniture. Later, he will be attending classes at Johnson County Community College where he is pursuing a degree in Computer Science. When he’s off the clock, you can find him at his computer, playing one of his favorite games. This man is Morgan Williams, and he is a member of the gamer community.

While he holds a calm temperament, Morgan leads a busy lifestyle. He says that his “Fast-paced lifestyle leads to fast-paced gameplay,” and his choice of game genre certainly reflects that.

His preferred games fall within the genre of 'Role Playing Games' (RPGs), “Where the player controls the actions of a character immersed in some well-defined world” as defined by Wikipedia. More specifically, Morgan considers himself to be an independent member of the 'Massive Multiplayer Online' (MMO) RPG community. In an 'MMO' style of game, a player can respond in real time to the actions of other players in an immersive shared world. 

When asked why he has chosen this genre over others, Morgan states it is “Because they have a pretty structured format as to how they have to be physics-wise, not only that but world mechanics-wise, there’s a set formula to it. It’s not just all over the place, whereas you can get that with some genres.” This organized structure can be seen in 'MMO RPGs' such as "Guild Wars 2," one of Morgan’s games of choice.

In "Guild Wars 2," the player is brought into the action-packed world of Tyria, a world that shapes itself based on player actions, in which they must join forces to defeat a common enemy: the Elder Dragons. This style of fast-paced gameplay encourages player-to-player communication, both through the game itself and various applications.

Morgan says that he uses many methods to stay connected both inside and out of his games.  For in-game communication, Morgan uses “Certain apps like 'Team Speak' [and] 'Discord',” which allow for instantaneous voice chat separate from a game’s server. Outside of the game, he states that “Online chat rooms and forums can be an excellent source to stay connected to other gamers.” These online discussion groups serve as a place for gamers to share their questions, humor, and experiences with their peers. Many gamers often like to share stories of their first experience playing a video game, and Morgan is no exception.

I asked Morgan to recall his first experience with gaming: “I can remember it… I was about 5 years old and I started playing Zelda Ocarina of time. Ever since then, the idea of video games just fascinated me.” A positive and memorable first experience can be a gateway into the gaming community. Many gamers feel that a developer's first responsibility is to ensure that all players have positive and memorable experiences when playing a game. However, some gamers are concerned that this is no longer a priority amongst modern video game industry titans.

“It’s… *sigh*… It’s a mess but recovering,” Morgan says in regards to the modern video game industry. He feels that industry leaders like "Electronic Arts" have utilized a 'mind-on-the-money' attitude to decide what goes into their games. By this, he means that when choosing what content is added to the game, these developers often select those that will yield the highest profit margin, while consequentially forgoing the requests of their players for novel experiences. Morgan states that gamers “Say they want updates and they want new [content], and instead of that, [the developers] just crammed more filler into it.” Another issue gamers face is inequality between the treatment of new and veteran gamers.

Morgan states that he holds a reverence for Guild Wars 2 because, “It doesn’t just try to shut out most of its people for its veteran players, they try and bring in newer and fresher faces, but still keeping to the old player base.” Some other 'MMO RPGs' like "World of Warcraft" tend to favor their veteran players, consistently releasing the best level items within only their reach, while new players can face a seemingly insurmountable experience gap between themselves and those who have been playing since the game’s release. 

This experience gap may turn away potential community members from joining the game. When new people join your game, “It keeps you on your toes,” Morgan states, “and like whenever you do play, it’s nice seeing new people –you get tired of seeing the same old people over and over again. It’s just like, ‘OK, come on now’.” Many gamers feel that these new members are the lifeblood of 'MMO RPGs.' 

Morgan hopes that new players will continue to join his community so that more people can experience the joy he finds in gaming. “Video games strike me as a place for you know, people to cut back and just relax and have fun, while also communicating with others and being active within their player base,” he says. 

For Morgan, gaming is a way of life that provides a valuable relief from daily stresses and encourages the development of problem-solving skills. “I think of it… as an escape. Not just that, but it’s a way to expand your brain, to think in a different way,” Morgan postulates.

After he graduates, Morgan says that he wants to do programming for video games, writing the codes and structures that govern the parameters of the game. Morgan plans on utilizing his degree to contribute to his community, and his vision for player equality will surely be an asset to all of gamer-kind.

-Joseph Wheeler