Comments on: What MMORPGs Can Teach You About Physical Fitness

By: evilK

evilK — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:57:48 +0000

WoW, FinalFantasy or Diablo.. the “level up” concept of this games is completely artificial, false, lifewasting. Really want a true feeling of reward playing a video game? Play Demon’s Souls. The only game that can achieve the positive “tired in the bed before sleep” concept that Scott talked about in another article. Without a guide, of course.

By: Vlad Dolezal

Vlad Dolezal — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:54:23 +0000

So true.

Speaking of game metaphors, I had a friend who used the sims as a metaphor when getting over his fears of approaching women.

In the past, he would talk to a woman, and every time something didn’t go well, he imagined a sims-like red number above his head – “Relationship points decreased”. Then he realized how counter-productive that was, and instead every time something didn’t go as he planned, he imagined a green number and something along the lines “starting a conversation skill increased” or “Ability to hear no gracefully increased”.

It’s one of the most fun examples of reframing I’ve ever heard

By: Jackbid

Jackbid — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 19:09:05 +0000

Scott, excellent article. I want to thank you for writing it..

I spend a lot of time everyday playing MMORPG games. I should actually spend some time towards my wellness in RL. I really want to do it… and hope that I succeed in forming the exercise habit. Till date, I’ve been unsuccessful. I am very lazy…

By: Ryan Krueger

Ryan Krueger — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:08:29 +0000

As you and the the others have said, the ability to improve and level up was (and still is) my favorite part of video games. Perhaps it is just a self selecting group of people who read self improvement websites, or more likely a thing most people really enjoy.

The only thing I might add in your article is the huge difference between video game leveling up and real life improvement–the time it takes to see results. I would imagine this is one of the biggest reasons people do not view working out like leveling up. In video games it takes an hour maybe two to level up. Going from benching the bar to 200 is going to take several months, if not years.

You did touch on that issue in mentioning that you have to make the workouts fun. When you see them as a chore you don’t really want to do it. Also, writing down your progress is key as you can actually see your “stats” increase. I think if more people did this they would be more successful.

Good post.

By: Peter

Peter — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 04:10:30 +0000

What’s a less clichéd way of saying ‘you hit the nail on the head’? I was enamoured with Final Fantasy 7 way back when. It’s so true, I loved that I could level up my character, the weapons, magic, etc. Obviously there’s no actual value in that outside the game, unlike life.

Self improvement is something I’m not terribly adept at due to lack of will, but I think I’m learning, slowly. I want 9999 HP, and I want to be able to use Cloud’s level 4 limit, ‘omnislash’ lol. Thank you for this wonderful analogy. Your mind is simply brilliant (and I mean that in a paradoxical way).

By: Mike Stankavich

Mike Stankavich — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:01:24 +0000

Scott, this metaphor really resonates with me. I hate to admit how many hours I spent building 10 level 50 characters in Dark Age of Camelot.

I was thinking that you could also factor the quest into the metaphor. By leveling up your character in RPGs, you can do more difficult quests. Leveling up in exercise enables you to take on quests like mountain climbing, long hikes, bike rides, rock climbing, and any number of other goal oriented outdoor sports. Eventually you can take on major quests such as triathlons or marathons.

I lost my way on my fitness program after a recent move buried my equipment. Thanks for giving me another paradigm that I can use to build my motivation to get going again.

By: Stefan | StudySuccessful.com

Stefan | StudySuccessful.com — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:03:49 +0000

What a fantastic methaphor Scott!
‘One element of the game I always found addictive was the ability to level-up your character.’
That is what I love also about playing games. Get new weapons, get new skills, get better!
I am actually excited to start playing God of War II again, Kratos needs some new blades!