Archeage: Video Game Analysis

With advancements in computing, video games have been increasing in complexity, graphically and storywise. There are games that can appeal to everyone’s interest, whether that is a single-player role-playing game (RPG), or a massively multiplayer online game (MMO). Of course, there are as many genres for games as there are for genres of literature, and very different social worlds within each genre. The social world of Archeage — an MMORPG which is a combination of a role-playing story type game with thousands of people connecting online — will be used for analysis. Archeage is a player-driven game, meaning that players are given the freedom to control the economy, divide territories, and occasionally decide the rules of the game. This freedom …show more content…
Archeage is a microcosm of the real world, although players freely interact with each other, there is still a form of inequality. This inequality is forced onto the players because of the capitalism in the real world. Archeage is a free-to-play game that allows anyone to log in and start playing, however, this means that developers will often incorporate a cash shop that allows players to buy products that gives them an advantage over other players. This creates a sense of inequality in the game, players like myself that do not have a job usually cannot afford the expensive items in the cash shop. These items can create a massive gap between players that do spend real money on the game and players that do not. Often, there will be many players in the world chat that accuse paying players of “playing the easy way” or “cheating”. Over time, game mechanics like housing pets, and trading certificates became unrealistically expensive for virtual currency. Players that refuse to buy these certificates with real money lose access to many of the best features of the game. Eventually players began quitting Archeage, causing the game to eventually become …show more content…
analyzing the stratification system of Archeage provides for a new way of understanding class in the real world. Players are able to take the concept of stratification from reality and create a system that embodies the way they form guilds, divide territories, and control the economy within the game. This improved system is closer to an idyllic social world that provides more opportunities for more people. Allowing for players to temporarily escape the harsher inequalities of life, and reach their potential and goals in a world that does not restrict them from climbing a social