MMOG Addiction Makes Mainstream Media 70
Via Game Politics, a story in the Philedelphia Inquirer about Massively Multiplayer Game addiction. The lengthy article looks at the usual complaints from gamers too wrapped up in WoW or Everquest to deal with their real lives. It's surprisingly even-handed, though, showing both sides of the issue. From the article: "Not everyone into Warcraft, EverQuest and other MMORPGs neglects his or her life. Those most susceptible have preexisting problems, such as depression or anxiety disorders, therapists say. Temple University psychology professor Donald A. Hantula said he believed the medium was not to blame for dysfunctional behavior by its users. 'I know people who spend 40 or 50 hours a week playing golf,' said Hantula, who is executive editor of the Journal of Social Psychology."
Worthless use of time too (Score:1, Troll)
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Re:Worthless use of time too (Score:5, Interesting)
Before WoW my wife and I would most likely spend that time playing single player games (we had just gone through dungeon seige for the umpteenth time when we picked up wow), or watching Law and Order/CSI reruns on TV.
We definately socialize more with eachother while playing WoW then we do when we were watching TV. Infact, our marrage has greatly improved since we started playing (much to my suprise as much as anyone else's!). Although we go out to bars less often. Of course, the two of us at a bar, drinking, shooting pool, etc... will run up a $50+ tab in a night. Not to mention having to get a baby sitter, and dealing with a toddler and a hang over.
I don't know, maybe we're a fluke. But if you can keep your personal life first, it seems like a good inexpensive way to relax and enjoy socializing while gaming.
-Rick
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We socialize more with each other with WoW, and we socialize with more people because of WoW. We've met several other local, down-to-earth couples in the same area, too.
"No ending" is a great thing, in my opinion. When we played single player games (or multiplayer), unless we
Agreed ... and to socialize with remote friends. (Score:2)
Another aspect which is most excellent and hasn't been brought up - my wife and I are transplants, we currently live 1000 miles from where we grew up. But we have a few friends that play the same games we do. It is nice to see them online and be able to chat/interact with them in real time.
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However, I do play DDO a few hours on the weekend primarily to socialize with friends that have moved far away and otherwise would not be able to interact with in a group setting.
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There's two keys to keeping your bar tab low while shooting pool.
1) Get to the club at 9:00 for 2-for-1 drinks.
2) Win on the pool table
-Rick
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1. You are 100% right, it is a waste of time.
2. You should not have been modded troll. (Initiating a discussion with a bias is not always a troll.)
3. Movies, reading fictional books, and watching non instructive television are also complete wastes of time. So is going to the theatre.
I stopped apologizing for enjoying World of Warcraft when I gave up my Sunday of play to go visit my extended family. We didn't visit, everyone - but me - sat around watching and discussing football, and sleepin
Free Addiction (Score:1)
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If your grades went down too much, you lost your internet access, and your ability to mud -- so you had a vested interested in not failing all of your classes.
Then came the September that never ended
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Anyone notice the typo? (Score:3, Interesting)
That's, of course "World of Warcraft," unless Wasrcraft is some kinky sex game I haven't been made aware of (playing in the bedroom, after all...)
An article NOT attackign games? (Score:2)
the quote says it all. Yes, you can spend an unhealthy amount of time doing anything, just because it is electronic/a "game"/SF/F does not make that thing BAD, it just makes you a lazy bum with not self
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*sigh* I guess I better call Sex Addicts consoler... again.
I can't believe... (Score:3, Informative)
Media without bias? (Score:3, Insightful)
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More of a reflection that the mainstream media tends to be rather clueless when reporting on some of the darker aspects of technology. Many mainstream pieces are much more of the "video games are addictive and damaging to society" instead of more balanced pieces.
Anyone else around here old enough to remember murders being blamed on D&D because a few people with a very loose grasp of reality did some really bad things
I watch less TV since quitting WoW too... (Score:1)
MMOGs are fun but
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Driving around in a golf cart and drinking beer.
Sheesh. (dumb ass n00b questions, I tell ya... :o)
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"Hey look, it's the five minute druid! Too late."
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For the Achiever type of player, you are correct: it's all about reaching goals and being the best.
For the other archetype players, it is very different.
Player killers play to ruin someone else's day. Player vs. player (quite different, but still grouped as one type) seek the competition that another human offers. This could be competition in anything: chess, ten
cross addiction? (Score:1)
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My hat is off to them for breaking a destructive addiction, but it is obvious the addictive personality is still there and being dealt with (or not) constantly.
This problem can be tackled technologically too... (Score:2)
Re:This problem can be tackled technologically too (Score:2, Informative)
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> no one should be on for 24 hours straight or 80 hours a week
After my summer law class ended--a four-week gruelling ordeal--I took a week off work to stay home and "recover". I spent much of that time playing MxO. It felt great to be able to indulge in 12, 14 hours straight gaming with no other demands on my time.
Do I do this often? Of course not, almost never. The demands of real life don't allow it, and I do have other hobbies and interests besides. But if the system had logged me off because someo
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If you charge $.10/hr, your casual gamer eats you alive with admin fees, and the hardcore gamer gives you barely enough to get by. If you charge $1/hr, you get the casual users, but the hardcore gamers can't afford your game. Is there a happy medium in there somewhere? I say there's not. You would have to pick hardcore or casual gamer, and pr
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On the other hand, PSU is charging $10 a month and has virtually no content the first month, and they got away with it... So maybe you could charge anything you want and they'd pay anyhow.
Re:This problem can be tackled technologically too (Score:2)
That being said, self-control is what it all comes down to. You can have all the controls in the world but if you choose to ignore them or never use them, what's the point? Like everything in life, self-control.
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Not that I'd ever play for 24 hours straight, but I PAY for 24/7 access to their servers. Putting a limit on time you could be online reduces the value of the service I'm paying for. Even if I don't use the service I've paid for to its fullest, I did pay for it.
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South Park (Score:1)
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This is true (Score:2)
Rob
A story about WoW and MMOGs from New Zealand. (Score:2)
a problem (Score:2)
This is not good.
Nothing new though. (Score:1)
Know people that play 50 hours of gold, huh? (Score:1)
At least people who play that much golf die of causes that we were ment to die of, like skin cancer. People addicted to things like WoW suffer the rest of their short lives with Carpal-tunnel syndrome, poor souls
Important detail (Score:2)
The difference here is that state and federal legislators also play golf, which makes it harder for them to treat golfers (compulsive or otherwise) as "the other."
Maybe if we all got together and started mailing law-makers a DS Lite and a copy of Brain Age...
WoW "addiction" (Score:1)
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Welcome back to reality.
I 'retired' from mudding 5 years ago once I realised how much of a time drain it was. Even playing sinple player PC games has a purpose - you can finish them and feel a sense of satisfaction afterwards. When games go on forever.. you literally have to slog through them to 'keep up' and continue playing.
I logged my main char in after 1 year's idle time.. and died within 15 minutes. I then realised it would take me over an hour to 'restore' my character (you lose spells
WoW = 2nd Job? (Score:1)
...Again. (Score:1)
It saddens me whenever games pop up in the press regarding social issues. Usually, in a negative light.
To put things in perspective, I played EverQuest from Jan. 2002 to Mar. 2005 and World of Warcraft from Dec. 2004 to Sept. 2006. I also "suffer" from depression. By all accounts, I should be an addict. In reality, having stepped away from WoW after 10 months of raiding 3 nights a week (about 4-5 hours a night), I'm not feeling withdrawals or a burning desire to play. I do miss the socializing though.
Al