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“People play MMOs for other people playing MMOs. Every player has a different story.” -Matt Firor Game Developer, Dark Age of Camelot Exploring the Virtual World Over the course of making the film we followed a range of people. From our resident guild, The Ft Wayne Boys, to our virtual couple, Kevin & Heather. We explore virtual world addiction with Dan, gold farming with Frederick, disabled gaming with Andrew, and guild leadership with Dragons. We also ask a number of experts to weigh in on the subject. There are those that worship the games and those that damn them, those that play casually and those who consider the virtual world their permanent residence. 
The Fort Wayne Boys Ft. Wayne, Indiana is home to a thriving MMO community that lives, works and games together. Andy is a seasoned MMO gamer who currently raids nightly in WoW along with his wife, Karalee. Their neighbors, Anthony, Chris and Matt, converted their living room into the Fortress of Dorkitude, where they also play MMOs for 40+ hours a week They are part of an even larger group of gamers, most of whom work together at a cell phone company, live in close proximity, hit bars on the weekends, and play WoW constantly. Watching them interact is watching MMO culture spoken, without the avatars.  The Lovers
Kevin Keel met Heather Cowan on the Peaks of Everfrost, in the virtual world of Norrath. The two fell in love as a knight and a cleric slaying dragons. After blindly declaring their love online, they met for the first time (in reality) in October. Four months later Kevin drove halfway across the country on Valentine's Day to move in with Heather. With the backdrop of various married couples who met in MMOs, we follow Heather and Kevin as they translate their virtual world relationship into the real world. Can the two continue their actual relationship with the success of the fantasy-land relationship they've had thus far?  Hi, I'm Dan, and I'm an...
Dan had a thriving business, a home, a car, and good relationship. Then he started playing MMOs for up to sixteen hours a day, and neglect eroded away nearly all the good things in his life. He became extremely depressed and started considering suicide. Not knowing where else to turn, he went to live with Liz Woolley, founder of On-Line Gamers Anonymous. This was just the first step in his long road to recovery. Ultimately Dan must face what drove him to play so much and struggle to remake the life that he nearly lost.  The Gold Farmer
A lifelong member of virtual worlds, Frederick moved to Hainan, China to operate a “gold farm.” A gold farm is typically asweatshop where Chinese workers are paid pennies to play MMOs 20 hours a day, collecting virtual items, which then get sold on eBay. However, Frederick decided to shatter the stereotype, convinced that he could run his business ethically and still turn a substantial profit. His workers are all avid gamers doing what they love- plus they have normal hours, get frequent vacation time, take company field trips, are well paid, and run a sea turtle rehabilitation program on the side. Because Fred has been a diehard MMO gamer since he was old enough to type, he knows the industry inside and out, which translates into running a hugely successful company. With a new penthouse office overlooking the ocean, Frederick is living any gamer's dream- being paid handsomely to do what he loves most.  The Empowered
Andy is confined to a wheelchair, due to Cerebral Palsy. Although he's uable to walk or talk in real life, once he gets online, he's a totally different person. He's able to show the world the real person behind the flesh. As Mienai Kitsune he's been called a true friend, been involved in many guild wars, co-run a graphic shop, and much more on Second Life and Gaia Online. One of the main-stayers of Gaia as well as Second Life, he’s been active for four years.  The Guild Master
Dragons, or Sean, is the guild master to the legendary MMO guild, The Syndicate. The Syndicate is one of online gaming's oldest guilds, an eleven year old behemoth with over 500 loyal members. With a patented trademark, a book written on their history, corporate sponsorship, and an excellent website, The Syndicate consider themselves online gaming's premiere guild. Their motto, “In Friendship We Conquer” speaks to their philosophy- friendship before hardcore gaming. The guild holds monthly dinners and a yearly week-long guild conference for all international members. The Experts
Gordon Walton
Executive Producer of Ultima Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Sims Online Rich Vogel
Executive Producer of Meridian 59, Ultima Online, Star Wars Galaxies Edward Castranova
Associate Professor Indiana University/Author of “Synthetic Worlds” Dr. Kimberly Young
Foremost psychologist studying Internet Addiction Disorder, treating MMO addicts since 1994 Nick Yee
Founder of the Daedalus Project Julian Dibbell
Associate Editor of Wired Magazine/Author of “Play Money”
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