7. Customization Involves Typing In Your Name
With customisation, these days, the possibilities are endless. You have twenty-five thousand polygons to play with, six hundred articles of pre-rendered clothing, and an actual in-game
loom upon which to create unique fabrics. There are countless hairstyles, skeletal frames, pieces of jewellery, battle scarseven the capacity to create a photorealistic version of yourself; or perhaps an alien hominid from the lurid depths of your imagination. Back in your prime, while you waited for the sun to descend, and the contrast of your TV to lend itself to dungeon crawling, entire
afternoons were devoted to avatar design. It was important. It was You in the game, and every choice was a reflection of who you were. That platitude about putting your best foot forward had never proved truer than when you were pointing it at an NPC. But alas, how things have changed: these days, you skip through the design phase like it's a restaurant in Akihabara: Ill take a five two threes and, ah oh, heres ten thousand YenI trust you. And don't try to put a positive spin on it, either. This doesn't reflect what good old Dr. Silberman called a "cathartic alleviation of your narcissistic tendencies." This is apathy, plain and simple. This is a car engine with more lost horses than The Charge of the Light Brigade. You just don't have the energy to take control, project yourself into the game world, impose your authority upon it, and make it yours anymore. "Tramp stamp?" You hear yourself uttering. "Where does
that go?"