Get To Know a Gamer: Jordan Kahn AKA 'vVv Doomhammer'

"My first video game experience was Asteroids, when I was around the age of six. It was on a tiny computer that could hardly do more than Asteroids and word processing, and despite it being a one-player game, it was very much a social activity, since there were four of us experiencing this digital amusement. As the crew of our trusty ship, we took turns at each of the positions: one person accelerated and steered, one person fired the cannon and the third activated the random teleport whenever possible. Our youthful energy was a bit more than the machine could handle, and it promptly broke from our banging on the keyboard too hard, but forever after that, the sense of team play and working as a group stuck with me.

"Fast forward in time, and co-operative play has gained new meaning. Instead of sharing the controls of a game designed for one person, now the games themselves are designed to have multiple people joining forces in-game. Nowhere has this reached the same degree as in Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) games. These games create an online world populated by angels and devils, elves and goblins, or Jedi and aliens, and it's an experience I can share with my friends. More than that, I can make new friends within this digital realm. I fight monsters side by side with other characters and there are complex social networks of teammates and allies who I can talk to and count on in-game, and organizations like vVv Gaming are an instant family.

"Even without knowing the players, I can count on a member of vVv because we're in this game together. Vocal Communication programs like Ventrilo and Team Speak allow me to communicate with the players behind these characters, and suddenly friends from just down the street can be joined by people from halfway around the world that joined the group while defending a fortress from an invading army. Thousands of people meet inside the same game to play together, questing, fighting, talking, laughing and accomplishing great things.

"As much as killing computer controlled enemies, can be fun, competitive gaming takes a new perspective on teamwork. There can be no greater challenge for a player than a human opponent. Competitive gamers will seek out competition of the highest caliber. When competitive gamers form teams to compete, the concept of co-operative play is refined and distilled. The skill and accuracy with which players communicate will often determine which team is victorious. 

"MMO games are not always known for their competitive element.  Aion: The Tower of Eternity is one of the more recent MMOs available in North America. Set in a fantastical world of heroes and villains, the game pits two different factions of divine heroes (Daevas) against each other, and against a race of evil creatures (Balaur). The game provides the kind of encompassing world that makes MMOs so appealing, while adding in treats that make it feel special and exciting (for example all the characters have wings, allowing them to glide down great heights and fly in certain areas. My character can fly!).

Aion screenshot - courtesy vVv-Gaming.com

"Aion is also an MMO that was designed with competition in mind. A large part of this has to do with the design of the characters creating balance between teams. Because both sides can use the exact same types of characters, victory will come down to skill, communication and what kind of team is assembled. In addition, once we've put a team together, the game provides numerous opportunities for player vs. player game play, and these can take place on many different scales, from individual players pitting their skills against one another, to massive clashes where armies struggle to gain the upper hand, and everything in between.

"Not everyone plays Aion to compete against other players head to head. There are many things to do instead, such as completing quests, raiding dungeons (complex and difficult scenarios against the AI), crafting (gathering resources to make powerful items in-game), or even spending time socializing. These are all part of what makes the game a fun and rich experience, and I enjoy these activities a great deal, since the group mentality behind accomplishing these is part of what makes gaming fun for me. But I know that when the call goes out and teams are being assembled, I will eagerly join forces with my allies to go out and pit myself against other players to see if I have what it takes to be great, and Aion is the game where skill can truly shine." - vVv Doomhammer

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