Character Names, Confusion and Aggravation

I just finished downloading Path of Exile, I've heard good things about it and what I've seen is very interesting. I would very much like to get into the game and try it out. There's just one problem (so far), I can't seem to name my character.

Everything I put in and every variation thereof is already taken. Given the number of players in the game, I wasn't expecting to come in with a totally new name for my character. I'm not terribly picky, I just don't want something completely stupid, but it's starting to look like I can't avoid some sort of name similar to a gamertag or some odd phrase simply so that I can get into the game proper.

Why do games like Path of Exile do this? Many different games have no problem with what you name your character provided they don't contain profanity of some sort. Is it because making a character is like making an account? Why would that be the case? I've already got my account, that's how I'm posting this, but there has to be a good reason as to why I can't choose a coherent name that someone else has chosen before, right?

Whatever the reason may be, it was disappointing. When I logged into the game and went to create my character, I was happy to see the bits of information about the characters, read off by their voice actors, but immediately, I was unimmersed when I saw the message telling me that the name I put in was already taken.

Other RPGs did not do this. Diablo 2 did not do this, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 2 didn't do this, various MMOs like Champions Online didn't do this, so why is this something that keeps cropping up in these games? I simply don't understand.

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Xavderion написал:

I feel like a beautiful and unique snowflake when I come up with a name that isn't taken :)

Lol, me too, its awesome how many decent to awesome names are not even taken yet.

Well, I wanted to make a witch, so I was going into all sorts of folklore for vaguely witch-related names as well as names that just sounded good to me. Every game that's done this with me, I end up making a weird name so it's not taken, then just sigh every time I see it because it's so stupid.

@Jimicui: Are you saying that I can make up some random BS name, then contact the game's support to get it changed to something somebody already took?

Thanks for the suggestions Cryptic. I do have my own go-to name generators, but I'll give these a look over.

The issue I have is that I still don't know why this name exclusivity is necessary. I really would like to be able to put in a name that I thought of and not have that be a problem, but that's not the case here and I just don't understand why that is. I can be picky because video games are not a rare commodity. I am completely within my own power to just go to a different game I've played before, I just wanted to give this one a chance, see something new that isn't Diablo 3 and maybe put some money towards it (considering I sunk $60 into that disappointment).

Seriously, can anyone tell me why Path of Exile (and GGG) does this?