The highlight of my gaming life, BlizzCon, has wrapped for another year. As I walked the cavernous halls and sat wide eyed and open-mouthed listening to the key note addresses detailing the things Blizzard will bring to the gaming universe in the year to come, I was surrounded by tens of thousands of other Blizzard aficionados, from all around the world. Excited chatter in a dozen languages filled the space. And I knew that hundreds of thousands of other Blizz fans were watching the live streams from their homes around the world.
I couldn’t help but think about the similarities between the two communities I hold so dear and spend so much of my life interacting with - the Blizzard gaming community and Steem.
Most gaming platforms are very community oriented, but I think the millions of Blizz players are perhaps more engaged with each other than others. Fast friendships, many spanning the 20 years of Warcraft are formed. Players often “partner up” in the game worlds and go on to marry that special person, becoming a real life couple. WoW themed wedding parties are not that unusual anymore, and while the numbers of gaming couples who met through Blizzard games will probably not challenge Tinder numbers any time soon, it is a real mark of the community spirit that can be found in the gaming world.
We don’t know how many people in Steem have met a partner who will walk down the aisle with them into a lifetime partnership. Steem hasn’t been around as long as Blizzard, but I am certain there are a few and more will follow.
But that isn’t the only similarity I see between the two. I feel there is a shared sense of purpose, of thought, of behavior beyond just the dating potential. In World of Warcraft, you may find yourself in different camps, pledging your loyalty to the Horde or the Alliance and still find a member of the opposing faction dealing the finishing blow on that mini boss or that group mob that overwhelmed you. A bow or a wave or a cheery gesture often follow the end of that fight.
On Steem, there are many people, especially in the Discord channels who share and exhibit that same spirit of helpfulness and teamwork. Speaking of Discord, that mainstay of gaming life, are Blizzard gaming guilds that much different than Steem Discord servers?
Both unite people who share common goals. Guilds for adventure and questing, raiding, serious practice to perhaps rise in the ranks and win a coveted spot in a game league. Discord servers and channels to unite Steemians who share vegan cooking recipes, teach others the ins and outs of markup language, share travel experience and photos, and yes share their gaming reviews and experiences.
Blizzard recognizes their players who may suffer fatal illness or adversity honoring both a young man dying from cancer with his own ingame character and quest line that have lived on long after his death, and Robin Williams (an avid player) by recreating his blue Genie character in game. On Steem I have read tributes to other Steemians who have suffered adversity, paying tribute to parents, siblings, friends, and people they may only know from Steem itself.
But perhaps the one trait that both groups share that outweighs all the rest is the sense of wanting to help others both inside and outside the community. Blizzard has always been known for their behind the scenes donations to worthy causes - from charity auction events of Blizzard original sketches, artwork, character models and more, to the annual Adopt-A-Pet promotion that sends all sale proceeds from a special in game pet to organizations like Make-A-Wish or Children's Hospital of Orange County.
It’s hard to browse through Steemit posts without running into at least a handful of initiatives designed to help others - whether it's providing school supplies for disadvantaged children, sports equipment for youth groups or nutritious lunches for street orphans.
I can’t help wondering if many of the first Steemians weren’t Blizzard gamers who used their experiences in the Blizzard universe to help fashion and mold the caring, giving, helpful global community that is Steemit.
I guess in the end it doesn’t really matter because one thing stands out - they BOTH have created communities that can spread hope, share accomplishments and give back to the world. Maybe other organizations and groups will take a page from the Blizzard and Steem "How to Build A Global Community" and help us build a better world.