Before ESO, I avoided MMORPGS entirely. I was always more of a single-player type of player (and in many ways I still am, I fly solo almost always even in ESO) - I had no interest in World of Warcraft, and past flirtings with Everquest and Ultima Online rarely got me past the character creation.

But because I was heavily invested in the lore and world of The Elder Scrolls Universe, when the announcement came about an MMO in mid 2012, I was a bit intrigued. Skyrim was still fresh, so a new major Elder Scrolls game being announced less than a year after Skyrim was a surprise.

Yet I was initially not really sold on it. I think I needed to see more of the game for myself before I made any kind of decision on it. There was no confirmation of whether there was first-person in the game yet, and I felt that the lack of such would not make it feel like Elder Scrolls.

I think what ultimately sold me on ESO, besides it being Elder Scrolls and the confirmation of first-person mode in a trailer released (I think) around mid 2013, was my experience during the closed betas. I had fun, I even ran a dungeon, I felt the combat style was immersive enough, and first person mode made it feel pretty close to a traditional Elder Scrolls game. Now, I have 2/3rds of an entire YEAR of play-time on just one character, and a few months of in-game time scattered among my alts. It's been my go to when I need to just relax after a long day, or take my mind off of things that are stressing me out. Achieving things in game feels rewarding, like when I finally got Emperor a couple years ago. I'm currently in the final day of the absolute craziest trader week in history (at least for me).

I don't think I'll be stopping any time soon, honestly.