Sharing her Wizard101 journey, Zaepha talks about content creation and how
it's evolved over the years and shaped her experience in the game's
community. Zaepha's ever-growing YouTube channel serves as a prime example
of the evolution of content creation in the 101 universe.
What is it about Wizard101 that keeps people coming back fourteen years later? One answer is nostalgia. I discovered Wiz the summer after eighth grade, when it was one of the first games I played on PC, and my first ever MMO. My best friend and I were looking for a game we could play together, and after days of searching without finding anything that interested us, I stumbled upon a magical game called Wizard101 that had launched the year before.
I think for many of us those early days established a deep-rooted love for the
game that is still there to this day. It felt so different from many of the
other early MMOs of its generation. Learning my first few spells with my brand
new pyromancer and then seeing them play out on the battlefield really did
feel magical. I was immediately hooked. I loved the idea of being a new wizard
coming into their powers with the help of a Harry Potter-esque crew of
teachers and mentors in Ravenwood. As for the story, Malistaire felt like the
perfect villain to pursue through the worlds, equal parts tragic and
malevolent. The worlds themselves were so varied and vibrant as well. I
couldn’t wait to see where the next area would bring me. I think many of us
long-term players share a similar history, where we often discovered the game
back in its earliest days as children or teens and have found ourselves drawn
back as young adults and beyond.
While my friends did not end up playing Wiz long-term, I could never stay away
from it for more than a few years. I played it on and off throughout high
school and returned to it my senior year of college when I was feeling
particularly lost and unsure of my future. It was so comforting to go back to
my beloved world of magic and childhood memories, back when things were so
much simpler. I again came back to it a year into my graduate program when I
felt truly frustrated and unsatisfied with both my job and my studies. Again,
Wiz gave me an outlet to relax and relive a bright, happy time from my
childhood, which helped me cope with the difficulty of adult life and the
responsibilities that came with it.
Some of my original wizards before the updated character models |
However, I probably would have left Wiz, if not for another factor coming into
play, one that would send me down a brand-new path that I never considered
before. I always seemed to come back to Wizard101, but I must admit that for
each interval I lingered for less and less time. It felt great to reminisce
about my earlier years with the game, but it got to the point where I would
play for a few days or just buy one month of membership before I got bored
with the game or the nostalgia ran its course, and I would quit again.
I never really connected with the larger community when I was younger. I
played mostly solo, and while I made a few friends here and there, nothing
ever seemed to really stick. While I was aware of the number of community
blogs, websites, and forums back in the day, I never engaged with them in any
meaningful way, though looking back I wish I had, as they really were and
continue to be the backbone of the Wizard101 player base.
No, this time what got me to stick with Wizard101 was the expansion of
community content in recent years, from YouTube videos and livestreams to
social media posts, fan-made art and music, and contests. The original fan
blogs and websites were suddenly bolstered by Discord communities and social
media pages where players could really connect with people outside the game in
ways they couldn’t before. The amount of new YouTubers and livestreamers
pumping out everything from walkthroughs, guides, and PVP highlights, to lore
theories, music videos, and housing tours was so exciting to see. People were
talking in depth about the development of the game and sharing their opinions,
which opened up so many new areas of discussion and engagement.
I also noticed a shift in the way the developers communicated with the
players. Before, much of KingsIsle to me was a faceless company, but now
through Twitter and other social media I knew the developers by name and felt
like my voice held weight when discussing potential changes to the game, even
if I didn’t always get exactly what I wanted. I saw the development team make
a larger effort to nourish and grow relationships with new communities and
creators as well, giving out codes for contests and events or with promotions
in their newsletters and posts.
The May 2020 Wizard Run Event with Around The Spiral |
For the first time, I felt like I was part of the Wizard101 community. I
wasn’t just there to play the game anymore. I wanted to stay because of the
amazing connections I made with everyone else who loved the world as much as I
did. But it went beyond that for me. I wanted to give something back to a game
that had helped me through some of the roughest times in my life. I saw so
many content creators who were just like me, with similar backgrounds and
stories, and something clicked.
I could also be a creator.
It was at the height of the pandemic that I uploaded my first video to
YouTube, a guide on how to craft a Deer Knight jewel. As many of us did during
that time, I was feeling more isolated than ever and in desperate need of
connection, and I think it gave me the kick I needed to put myself out there.
Over a month I taught myself how to edit, how to capture game footage and
audio, and I wrote and re-wrote my first script. When I was done, I had what I
knew was a somewhat clumsily thrown together video, but it was the best I
could do. I was so nervous when I pushed the upload button for the first time.
I thought people would think the video was stupid, or I was stupid for
thinking I could actually create something worthwhile on YouTube, but
something magical happened instead.
People loved it.
I almost cried when I saw the comments flooding it. I knew the Wiz community
was amazing, but I was so overwhelmed by the amount of support and positivity
that came my way overnight. People really enjoyed my videos, and even more
astonishingly, they liked me. I spent hours reading the comments and trying to
reply to them all. The same night I uploaded that first video I knew this was
something I wanted to continue to do for the foreseeable future. A spark was
lit that has never really gone out since. I hit 1,000 subscribers less than a
month after my first upload and made YouTube Partner shortly after. In the
year and a half since I have been blown away by the growth of my channel and
the larger community. Though I work full-time and am only able to upload every
few months, the enthusiasm of my viewers has in no way diminished, for which I
will forever be grateful.
Over time I’ve been a part of a number of different gaming communities, but
never stayed for one reason or another. I can say without a doubt that
Wizard101 has one of the most positive and supportive player bases out there.
I have never felt so welcomed anywhere else. In other content creation
circles, I’ve often seen creators compete against one another for attention or
views and try to drag each other down or start drama. In Wizard101, I have
come to befriend in one form or another so many different creators, and
everyone makes an effort to support one another and cheer each other on. We
celebrate every success and milestone in this community, and I couldn’t think
of a more passionate and friendly group of people.
Wizard101 has changed so much throughout the years, but the most important
thing that has never changed is the enthusiasm of its players. It feels like
there’s truly something for all of us here, from questing and PVP to
gardening, fishing, crafting, castle magic, events like the Deckathalon,
Spiral Showcase, and Beastmoon Hunt, along with the newest addition of guilds
and raids. However, with the expansion of content creation platforms, all
these activities and interests can reach a much wider audience than before.
All of us creators and players owe the developers for creating the game we
love, but it is the players that have kept the magic alive fourteen years
later. People return to the game all the time because of nostalgia, but they
stay because of the community we’ve built here.
My first raid with a bunch of fellow content creators |
Thanks to Zaepha for sharing her experience in this post!
How has your journey changed based on community content and connections?
Thanks for reading and see you in the Spiral!
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