14 DAY TRIAL // There are times when I am watching my colleague Andrei Dobra playing DOTA 2 and I am inclined to get a little closer, ask some information about the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena title from Valve, learn about the hero he is using and the general strategies that he is employing.
I sometimes have the same reaction when I look at my brother at home, who’s not even actually playing the MOBA but only taking a look at videos showing top level players engaged in battle while reading about their exploits at the same time.
There are also moments when my favorite video game experiences become just a little boring and I contemplate the idea of actually taking up DOTA 2 as a long-term hobby, trying to get as competitive as possible, finding a solid group to play with and spending time learning more about the mechanics and the lore of the title.
However, I always pull back right before committing to this plan for one simple reason: the Valve-made MOBA has just too much depth, and becoming truly interested in it would probably mean that I would have no time or energy for the franchises that I already love.
How Deep Can You Go?
There was a period, when the games industry was younger, when the concept of depth was not important to game buyers and to fans.
Players would just pick up a title that looked good, played it until they got bored and then moved on.
But as franchises and long-term loyalties appeared, gamers had to make choices, decide which titles they could safely skim over and which of them demanded their long-term attention and monetary support.
MOBAs, which tend to exist under the free-to-play system and have huge followings, have taken an extra step and basically ask those who want to become proficient to dedicate most of their free time to reading, playing and video watching in order to have a chance to play close to the top level.
The titles might not be asking for any money, but they take more than their fair share of time from those who love them, leaving them with limited opportunities to be exposed to new content and games.
DOTA 2 and Path Dependence
Path dependence, as the name implies, is a concept that shows how humans tend to restrict their modern decisions based on their previous choices, even if the circumstances in which those were made are no longer totally relevant.
I could pick up DOTA 2 right now and have a lot of fun with the MOBA game, and I might actually become a good player as long as I put in the time and the effort.
But the investment is big enough that it will basically encourage me to continue giving more of my time to the title, even if, in the long term, I no longer find it as engaging or fun.
I am sure that Valve has managed to create a solid title that can deliver plenty of enjoyment for those who engage with it. But, even if I love depth in video games, I will continue to focus on titles that, while encouraging long-term devotion, still leave gaps into which new content can sneak in order to surprise me as a player.