Tuesday, June 3, 2014

RELEASE THE DRAKEN!

WildStar has released! Huzzah!

After months (years, for some) of anxiously waiting, WildStar is now officially released and ready for mass consumption. Ignore the fact that you could play the past three days had you preordered, and let the excitement wash over you as it is undoubtedly washing over the devs at this moment.

Let's put that into perspective: Carbine has actively been working on developing this game for years and years. Stephan Frost tweeted that he was hired by Carbine in August of 2010 and has been working towards today since then. He, as well as all of his coworkers, has spent four years of his life pouring countless hours, miles, blood, sweat, and tears into this game, and it is finally in the hands of a swarming mob of individuals who are eager to devour everything that has been jammed into this space MMO. I'm sure it's a feeling of pure elation and excitement; I know if I was in their shoes, I would drink to excess and pass out pantsless, because damn it I've earned that right.

But then there's that tiny little stipulation that comes with putting out a major MMO: this isn't the end. Whereas a game such as Watch Dogs can release to huge fanfare and take time to relish its accomplishments, WildStar and Carbine do not have that luxury. As of two days ago, individuals were already approaching and hitting level cap. People are preparing to plow headfirst into the Elder Game (which blows my little level 12 Esper's mind), and are doing everything they can to max out their characters. MMO's grow. By their very nature, they require new content.

It is because of this that I truly applaud not just Carbine, but any company itching to make an MMO; their development cycle mimics the lifecycle of an MMO. You roll up a character, log in, and then there's immediate excitement. You've waited for this moment for so long, and you're ready to go. However, as you're leveling, you're working towards that next goal, and the next step in your character's journey. Devs are doing the same; they will thrive in this moment, then buckle back up and prepare for the journey ahead. It is, many times, a thankless and stressful job, for developers- their work can at times go unappreciated and overlooked, but they do it regardless.

That is why I want to thank Carbine for doing what they've done, and putting the time in to release this wonderful game that we all look forward to playing for some time to come. It wasn't easy and it's not going to be easy, but you did it anyway. In the immortal words of the Narrator, "Way to go, Cupcakes!"


 I initially intended for this post to examine some of the issues and varying opinions on how "smooth" this launch went, but this seemed more appropriate. There will be time for criticism, critiques, and retrospection later. For now, live it up!

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