So I guess it’s common knowledge around here that I enjoy playing MMOs. I realize I’m the minority, but whatever… I love ‘em. Apparently a lot of other people do as well, because millions of people play these games all over the world. So many people, in fact, that some filmmakers set out to make a documentary about MMORPG’s and the people that play them. The movie is called Second Skin and I had an opportunity to sit down and watch a pre-release screening on the internet.

The movie follows the lives and play habits of a handful of people: the couple that met in an online game, the guy who went to gamer-rehab, and the guys who share a house where they play World of Warcraft 24/7. Right off the bat, I’ll say that I was disappointed with the people chosen to represent MMO players. I realize that in the interest of making a movie with some drama it’s essential to highlight the unstable type of player, but I really feel like the majority of people who play these games are able to do it in healthy doses. It’s like making a documentary about alcohol that focuses primarily on alcoholics… the impression you walk away with is going to be a negative one.

This isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the movie, I actually found it to be pretty compelling to watch. I’ve certainly met my share of these caricatures in the games over the past 5-6 years and the filmmakers did a nice job telling their stories. I could definitely relate to some of the guys on there, though I’ve never been as extreme as they are in the movie.

The Nostromo SpeedPad (aka the n52) from Belkin is a USB gaming peripheral for your PC. I picked one up during a newegg clearance sale a couple of months back, but never really got around to trying it out. Recently, while playing World of Warcraft I rerolled a new character and decided it might be a good time to try out the n52. Fast forward a few weeks and I love this thing, its become second nature for me to use.

The n52 is laid out with all the keys you would use on your keyboard to play games. There are three rows which by default are mapped to WASD and the keys that surround them on a keyboard. In the spot where your thumb rests there is a big orange trigger button and a D-pad that looks like the one from a 360 controller. Below the D-pad is a large button that toggles between different key-mapping schemes, however it can be remapped to do whatever you want and would probable make a good space bar for some people. It also has a click-able scroll wheel by your thumb which to me seems like a wasted button since I’m using my mouse anyway.

The first thing I noticed was that my hand fit pretty comfortably on the palm rest, I did not have to stretch my fingers very far in order to hit any buttons. This was good because upon first inspection of this thing I had a bad feeling that my hand was going to cramp up. I’ve been using it for a few weeks now and I’ve never had any pain in my hand or wrist.

What is it about a site like WoW Item Creator that immediately makes me revert into the 14 year old version of myself? Such a beautiful idea, so much work to make it a reality and here I am making stuff like this. It’s shameful, yes… and yet I’m over here at my desk snickering with my head down on my keyboard. What can I say? I was the kind of kid that filled in MadLibs with every filthy word I could think of.

Aside from the fact that their web site is plastered with Gold ads, I would still recommend that you head over and check it out out for some good old fashioned fun.

Looks like Tuesday is going to be my official World of Warcraft article day. So those of you that are chomping at the bit for some Azeroth action can get your fill on Tuesday mornings. I’ve also launched my own personal WoW blog on blogspot. So if you’re interested in even deeper, nerdier explorations of WoW feel free to check that out. Anyway, here we go…

I find it surprising that so many of my friends still have problems making money in WoW. I remember struggling on my first toon a couple years ago, borrowing gold from friends and family so I could get my level 40 mount. At this point though, making gold in WoW is extremely easy, especially when you compare it to the economy of other games. There are plenty of guides out there to help players new and old to the world of Azeroth in their quest for gold. Some cost money while there are tons of free alternatives written by players themselves. I’m going to take a moment and write up a few tips that have helped me immensely.

1. Crafting Professions are the fast track to bankruptcy

It’s true that each of the crafting professions can craft items of Auction House value. Leatherworking produces some decent low level Blue gear that can fetch some decent gold from twinks. Swiftness potion can make you some gold, especially on Battleground Holiday weekends.

I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoy World of Warcraft, or the Warcraft Universe in general. Though some of my fellow Shamoozal staffers may mock me and act as though they are somehow above a game like WoW, I’ve decided to start writing about aspects of the game for this site. With my Blood Elf Priest on track to hit level 35 tonight, I think it’s safe to say I’m back in the game for the long haul.

Anyone who has spent any length of time in a zone doing quests, grinding mobs, or gathering mats for their profession knows that even though Blizzard’s music initially sets a lush aural landscape… three hours of the same 5 minutes of music looping can drive you bat-shit insane. Plus, listening to an album or playlist really helps you break up your time into smaller chunks. So, without further ado… I present some of my favorite music to play World of Warcraft to. So go to your in-game Sound Settings, un-check ‘Enable Music’ and start swinging that battlehammer or summon up an imp! After the Jump…

Demons and Wizards – Touched by the Crimson King
This band is a side-project of the vocalist for Blind Guardian, Hansi Kürsch, and the guitarist of Iced Earth, Jon Schaffer. Stern fans will recognize Iced Earth as the band that Richard Christy used to play drums for prior to becoming a regular on the radio show. This album is full of powerful anthems like Beneath these Waves and Terror Train. It also features an amazing cover of The Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin.

Okay, so I guess it’s time to fess up and come clean. I bought The Burning Crusade… like a week ago… online and downloaded it directly from Blizzard. Lazy? Possibly, but that’s not the reason I bought it online. I had the game in my hand literally 10 times since it came out, and every time I managed to put it down and walk away. I even reactivated my account to test myself and see how uninterested I was in playing again. Initially it worked.

“This game is friggin’ boring“, I told myself. Case closed.

Then, one night without warning Blizzard’s newly announced online upgrade service crit my wallet for $40. Online purchase really are the worst kind of impulse buy ever devised in our lifetime. “If the only thing I did was click a button, and there’s no box in my hands, did I make a purchase?” That’s what I keep telling myself anyway. I’m not sure that my wife would agree.