Online worlds, and /or game addiction: Post your stories here.

[Thryon]

Hi all, I am writting a few papers for my university course. My topics are on virtual worlds, and on game addiction. I know that both overlap, but there will be two seperate papers. What I am looking for is your stories on either or both of these subjects.

Examples of topics can include: Do you or some you know play online games. What do you like about these games. What keeps you coming back. Do you think about these games when not playing. Do you associate more with virtual worlds than the real world.

I will post the first message.

I have been playing games for most of my life. I am a gaming addict, but not addicted to any specific game. I just like gaming. I few years ago, before I was married, I used to have a roommate. We both started playing MMORPGs. He started playing Everquest, while I started playing Asheron's Call. I got bored after a few weeks and ended my caracters life in dramatic style, by discarding all my stuff, and jumping off a cliff. He on the other hand continued to play Everquest. After a few months, he was so hooked, he quit his job, then started playing 20 hours a day, only stopping to sleep a little. After a few more months, he started to call his brother over to play for him, while he slept.

He never bathed anymore, or cleaned his room (or any other room). His room was a trash heap of discarded fast food boxes and empty bags of chips. He was so bad, that he used to pee in a bottle, even thou the washroom was only 10 feet away, for fear of missing any action. I moved out and got my own place, as I could not share the same appartment with him anymore. I do not know what became of him.

Or does your story have a more positive tone. I do know of another couple that are now married, having meet in Everquest also.

If you story relates to online gaming, virtual worlds, positive or negative, post em here.

PS/ While they will be used for my study paper, no names will be used.

[max2663]

well i think what attracts many to stuff like world of warcraft is the escape from reality and the point that they can have a (as the game is called) 2nd lfe so even if their personal lfe is deeply problematic they have a way out. but what draws me to gaming is just that i can blow shit up or drive wrecklessly (sometimes good aswell) and have a good time with my mates.

hope this has been of some use to you.

[TRIGGER M4N]

I was seriously addicted to Halo 2, I was worrying. 36 hours straight I played it once and I've racked up a serious insane amount of games on this and my old account, about 3,500-4,000 games of Halo 2.

After some reasearch on the new Bungie.net, I have since discovered I have played nearly 10,000 matches of Halo 2.

Jesus Christ.

[Thryon]

well i think what attracts many to stuff like world of warcraft is the escape from reality .... but what draws me to gaming is just that i can blow shit up or drive wrecklessly (sometimes good aswell).. .


Would that not also be an escape from reality. You cannot drive wrecklessly and blow shit it in real life without some serious consequences. But in a game, you can. We all want to escape reality...but why? there is the real question.

Thanks for your comment...it is stuff like this I do need.

After some reasearch on the new Bungie.net, I have since discovered I have played nearly 10,000 matches of Halo 2.
Jesus Christ.

What kept you coming back?

[TRIGGER M4N]

Don't know if this will help, but it's a mint game.

[max2663]

i know what he means just with gears

[Fanappy]

For me its the clan we always have a laugh i dont get any achievements playing gears but just the social interaction and not having to leave the house ;) there is a lot of banter and i get to release alot of aggression i am a youth worker so i can just get stuff out which i cannot when im at "work" in some way a fairly healthy outlet

[SneakySnake]

Oh man. I could go on forever on this subject, and I probably will since some of you may have noticed by now that I'm a rambler. So if that happens I apologize in advance. Anyways, I don't really know where to begin… I guess I'll just start from my gamer begininings....


As far as being a gamer goes, I've just been one for practically my whole life. I started when I was four with a SNES that I got for Christmas. I religiously played the biggest titles from Mario, Donkey Kong, and everything really. I never was what you'd call an "early adopter." I never had an allowance really, my parents would just give me some money when I needed it for small stuff, but I never had anything I could save up towards a system and all that jazz. This meant that I spent a lot of time at friend's houses over the years, in part so that I could play the latest stuff (and my parents both worked full time also.) It was also usually more mature stuff, that my parents were a little stricter on when I was young. One exception to this was I did however get a Gameboy Color from my aunt pretty close to their launch because Pokemon was all the rage and my older, very nerdy cousin suggested it. The fact that I got it so quickly after it came out was huge (more so in those days) because I could play the hottest games, most importantly Pokemon, right when everyone else was playing it. It meant I was included when everyone was playing at the lunch table, the library table or sleepovers. It provided us a common connection and something to talk and argue about.

That remains a critical pillar of gaming today; a pillar that is continuing to grow. Video Games - platforms, games and the industry as whole - remain a huge part, if not the only thing, that I talk about with quite a few of my friends. I think that when I was young being current was a bigger deal because you didn't really have the internet to find out about stuff or to debate things. Nowadays, even if everyone I knew in real life hated video games, I could still find millions of people online who love them. This is especially true in MMO-type games, because not only are playing a game, but you can talk with people inside that very game about that game, or whatever. MMO's are especially attractive to many people because they tend to magnetize like-minded people to it, people that have similar interests, and not just with the game, but with all sorts of things. That seems to be becoming the pattern in pretty much all online games these days. That certain people are attracted to particular games because that game attracts similar people, who are guaranteed to at least have one common interest - the game.

So as far as your paper goes, I think a huge part of video games is that it provides an easy common ground for people, something to relate on, many times it's an easy icebreaker, but it definitely goes beyond that. Often times it's the core of a relationship. Without it you wouldn't have much to talk about. When something provides an easier way to get to know someone who will listen to you, most likely become your friend, it's huge for anyone. It's acceptance. Gaming provides this in spades, especially over the internet, and especially in MMO's.

The anonymity means that you can be whoever you want to be, and people aren't judging you by anything physical, and they also have no idea of what your reputation or history is in real life. It's a second chance for many. A chance to be something else, and right away you already have a common interest. Rarely though, do I think that this is a conscious intent. I think that many people are drawn into it by their real life friend who plays or they've heard it's a good game. It's not until after they've been questing or whatnot for a few hours with some people that are being nice to them, that they really become "addicted" because of the attention. People pay attention to you in the MMO because they need you to progress and they know you will do a good job. They also are also probably finding you to be a nice guy, and the feeling reciprocates. A feeling that someone relies on you, that someone needs you, someone besides your family, is something that everyone needs.

Like Max said, I think that the ability to do things you can not ordinarily do is a big part of it too. I think it feeds a desire for power that humans have. It's an adrenaline rush to think of shooting fireballs, driving fast, or decapitating baddies. In MMO's I think people get so into their characters that they feel like they are really that character. Sort of like a feeling of disillusionment you get when you are watching a really good film or reading a really good book. People relate to their character. I think they see an opportunity to be important somehow, an opportunity that can only be achieved by doing the most damage possible, healing the most, or having the coolest gear. It's a desire to seize this opportunity to stand out, something they probably couldn't/weren't do in real life, which causes many to be come "addicted." Also, when you become so strongly attached to your character, and you get so into a game, you can disassociate yourself with your real body and become a part of the game. This means that your brain forgets about whatever is bothering you in real life, whether it be problems with family, school, work, friends, etc. or your lack there of with any of those. You are only focused on the task of gaining another level, getting a new piece of armor, or completing that impossible quest.

Yet another facet that is specific to MMO's is that you feel like you have to keep up. You partied with those guys who you liked so much and who seemed to like you, and rely on you, that you become online friends with them, maybe even start a guild. Almost always it seems that those people have a lot of time that you don't have, and so they will inevitably leave you behind if you don't make time and play with them. I mean you've got to keep up with your new cool friends - right? Right! So you cut class, skip work, stay up late - whatever it takes to stay with your friends or your guild. People are depending on you, you like being depended on, you like helping out people who acknowledge your existence. When you think about it, why would someone really want to go to place, say work or class, where no one talks to them, people think your weird, and you'd have nothing to talk about even if they wanted to; when you could just stay in the comfort of your own home and spend all day with people who are exactly the opposite?

Also, I don't want to paint the idea that it's only loner, nerdy kids who play these games. In fact I know that at my friend's school, a bunch of the most popular jock kids started playing WoW for quite awhile, and would talk about it at school and do all the typical things that nerds are supposed to do. I'm someone who’s in the middle I guess. I dabble in everything. I'm friends, or associated with, every different kind of group, but I think that everyone, especially younger people, are constantly doubting themselves and their social status, and so for the above reasons they too get into those type of games. Not to mention that are indeed well-made games, and overall are fun I'd say. Though beyond the huge social appeal I don't know how they actually would last to be. If say you were just playing in a computerized world, and there wasn't any competition to be the best, or rush to stay up with others, I don't know if killing 100 boars would really be as fun just to get a new chest piece.

I suppose this brings up a game like Oblivion, which is an M, but without the additional MO. It is massive and thus immersive, but Bethesda had to do a lot of work to get it that way beyond what Blizzard probably had to do with WoW, because they didn't have the benefit of real people creating a sense of a more realistic environment, with more authentic interaction. I guess this probably accounts the popularity of WoW in comparison to Oblivion, as well as providing a contrast by which you can identify why WoW had 7 million customers at one point, playing it daily for hours on end, for years, and they were continually paying 15 bucks a month (beyond the retail price of the game) just to do so. Oblivion is certainly a well-made game, if not better than WoW, in terms of detail and effort, but when contrasted with WoW, the noticeable difference is the level of human to human interaction.

I think the recent application of voice to numerous games, either in game or through third-party means (namely TeamSpeak and Ventrilo) have really moved towards further humanizing the experience for many. The ease of communication that it affords means that even more interaction takes place and it can be even more personal and sincere. You can hear inflection, sarcasm, gender (usually...), emotion! The fact that with third party programs you don't even have to be in the game to talk means you can do other stuff and still stay connected.

Anecdote Time:
I played with a stay-at-home mom who started out just playing the game at night when her kids were asleep, so she could spend some time with her husband, who played after work. She told me one time (over Ventrilo aka Vent) that also she wanted to be able to talk about something with her husband besides the kids. (See my point about easy common ground. Even in a marriage it's true.) Anyways, she was clearly lonely. She loved her kids, but you can't really relate to your kids on a completely adequate and adult level. She got so into the game, and so attached to her friends. That she began to play as much as she could get away with during the day, but when she couldn't play she would talk on Vent with people, sometimes me. She went out and bought a really nice, long-range, wireless headset, so that she could communicate in Vent all around her house, away from her computer.

Back from Anecdote time:
Most people can probably visualize an image of the stereotypical housewife, on the phone with her sister, while she cleans up her kid's messes or cooks dinner. Gossiping about celebrities and friends and chit-chatting away about the kids and plans for the weekend. Now, just replace that phone with a wireless headset connected to a computer. Replace that one sister with multiple WoW friends. Replace that gossiping about celebrities and friends with gossiping about guildmates and the next patch and replace that chit-chatting about the kids and weekend plans with discussion about politics, philosophy, science, or as they say "life, universe and everything else." Some people are probably thinking "how strange!" When you think about it though... she, like so many others, was just lonely being at home all day. She just wanted people to talk to about something important to her and also something to talk about with her husband. Is that really any different than the person who starts taking a yoga class for whatever reason, and finds that there are many similarly-minded, nice people to get to know? Or even one who socializes with them outside the class? How do you really meet anyone or establish a solid relationship with someone if you don't have common interests? How do you live a life that makes you feel alive and feel like you matter if you don't allow yourself to get into, or to talk to others about, things that interest you? I may be getting a bit overly dramatic or misstating the main reason that many people play MMO's for, but I think this the crux of the matter for many people, although it is subconscious, or they may not be willing to admit to this kind of inner-need. Even if it's not the main reason for many others, I think it definitely adds to the attraction to some degree.

Throw into that mix the fact, that a lot of people play with the same people, for a significant chunk of their every day, for a few years in some cases, across multiple games for some, and you can see that real relationships can truly be developed. People begin to actually care about people they've never physically met. This is weird to a lot of people, but it's important to realize that for many people like that, they have probably been more open to each other than to anyone else in their life practically. That factor of anonymity emboldens people to interact and share in ways they never would in real life because of fear of social rejection. Beyond anonymity, they've also been given the chance at a lasting friendship, something many may have never tried, or been "allowed" to do because of social stigma or personal shyness. Having played those games, I can tell you that I have had some of the deepest, most intellectual conversations about life and all sorts of other stuff, completely outside of gaming, with a few game friends or guildmates, often at 2 in the morning, doing the most random things in game. Conversations that would never come up in real life often times because, even though most people probably think those deep thoughts, everyone else doesn't know that and is afraid to bring it up in case they might be wrong, or it creates awkward tension.

It grows to become something beyond just the game. People get to know about each other's lives sometimes. People will often pitch their personal problem to a group of in-game friends for advice. Like the military to some degree, there also an element of intense teamwork and overcoming obstacles together that helps bond people together. There is a sense of comradery, sometimes even brotherhood that forms, especially when that relationship is sustained over multiple obstacles and for a long time. People come to trust each other. This is significant because a lot of people who play WoW probably have difficulty trusting others on a real life basis.

Again, I think I'm probably painting a picture of an extremely depressed, cynical person. I suppose in some ways this is true, I've found many people who play a lot MMO(s), and video games in general, to have some issues. I guess when you think about it though, we all have issues though. To use a famous metaphor, we all have our "demons" whether we accept their existence or not, let alone, choose to face them or not. Even the most seemingly normal, perhaps "perfect," individual have their own. If you look at the most successful novels, films, and most pertinently video games - they are almost always ones in which the creator crafts such a vivid world that you feel like you're in it sometimes. Think about your favorite works of fiction (that includes books, films, video games,) I bet you'll find that a large part of what makes those works so memorable was that beloved world you got to know while experiencing that work in some form. It seems that often times those works become huge franchises because people so desperately crave another chance to slip into that world. Look at Harry Potter in literature and film, Heroes in TV, practically every comic book series, Final Fantasy, The Chrono Chronicles, Gears of War, Halo, Metal Gear Solid... the list for every category could go on forever. The point is that all of those created an endearing, vivid, alternate world that made you dream of being able to do things not possible in the confines of our own world. For a time they transport you into an alternate reality. An existence where you matter because you can be powerful, important, and most of all - successful at what you want to achieve; and a reality where the purpose of that existence is so simple and so clear, but most importantly, a reality where you can finally fight those demons, or continue to run because in the end, it's pretty much the same thing and it won't really matter anyways.

In that light, who can really blame a video game junkie? Are they any worse than a TV junkie, a romantic novel junkie, a film junkie, a drug junkie, or even a white collar or blue collar working stiff? In the end we are all trying to provide ourselves with a better life, a life that is important to us and where we are important to others? Does it really matter then, whether it's done in this world or another? I don't know entirely, but to my cursory glance it would appear that it doesn't.

- - - - -

God damn it… I told you I’m a rambler – sorry. Having looked back over this I should probably note that I played WoW for over two years. I had 5 level 60’s. I quit before the Burning Crusade for a few reasons. One, I didn’t really want to pay roughly 15 bucks a month, nor could I afford it really. Two, I found that I was becoming more interested in other things, although the game was an interest and thus was making me happy, I found that to maintain my status in my guild and keep up with some of my in-game friends I had to play an amount that was drastically cutting into my pursuit of other interests that were making me happier than WoW was. I would consider it an addiction definitely, as I cut out other parts of my life to play the amount that I did, but it was stuff that wasn’t making me happy, or wasn’t making me as happy. It was conscious addiction, one started deliberately. I think we’re all addicted to something, whether consciously or not. We’re all addicted to something that causes us to cut out other parts of your life. Often times its things that we don’t choose, things that generally don’t make us happy, or as happy as we could be, that cut out those other parts. I suppose that my opinion is that I, and so many others, are just preventing that undecided separation, by consciously choosing our addiction, choosing something that makes us content. Just do what you’re interested in and what makes you happy. Hell if its drugs I think you should be entitled to go for it. Just don’t impede others interests and their pursuit of happiness while your doing it. So sorry, I’m not going to justify someone’s addiction to murder, rape, etc. My philosophy isn’t quite that liberal.

Anyways, hopefully that helps. I guess if you use some stuff from here or whatnot and if this is like a big paper or something then a little credit wouldn’t hurt (PM me if need be.) Haha! Then again this could be pretty crappy, or a lot of people think I’m wrong. Like I said I ramble, by the time I’m done I don’t even know half of what I just said. Some ideas I probably brought out of nowhere or I over-explored them, and other ideas I probably setup and then forgot about or didn’t explore enough. Let me know if you want me to expand, condense something if it helps you. Also, for my own curiosity I’d love to hear others think about what I said in relation to OP’s original prompt, or I’d definitely just like to see other’s opinions irregardless of mine, and obviously I’m sure the OP would too, as that was the whole point. Here I go rambling again - this was just supposed to be like a quick footnote paragraph about my to state the extent of my MMO experience and to wrap things up, but alas… succinctness is not my forte… that’s for damn sure!

[BruNasty]

Wow, that surpasses a ramble, I don't have time to read it now, but I am going on vacation soon, that should give me two weeks to peruse your post:+
Ontopic:
I think Thyron should be thanking you, he can just cut and paste that for his paper and be done. or does it have to be less than 10,000 words?

[nofear360]

Wow, this is so well-written I'm speechless.

[Thryon]

WOW...simply WOW. I will not cut and paste, but this stuff is gold. You can research all you want from books, but nothing replaces someones real experience.

PS/ The papers are 5000 Words each, and I have 3 to write in all (all related to the two posted topics.)

[AugustusBot]

My addiction to World of Warcraft lies 100% w/ my guild, and has nothing to do with the gameplay. 360 games are a ton more entertaining / skill based / detailed.

But the guild. I'm a part of something. As a 20 something, single guy, that's awesome. It's like a baseball team, or a soccer team, it's a team i'm a part of, a team i help succeed. It's a group of people who want me there each day, a group of friends who happy to see me when i arrive home from work, etc. It's a network. With a lot of my college friends having moved home / to new cities for new horizons, it's nice to have this team of friends to come home to each day.

With that said, it definitely does have an impact on social life at times. I'm starting to date this girl, and i'll never push her aside for the game, but as far as roomates and coworkers in the past? "Hey man, want to see a movie tonight?" ... "Sorry, big raid tonight, i'm the OT (offtank) for 25 people, the second most important person. They need me there! I don't wanna let 24 of my friends down!" It has definitely affected my social life in that regard. But. Honestly. Is it really a negative thing? I compare my team, my guild, to a softball team frequently. If your friends were seeing a movie, but instead you had a softball game, isn't that a very reasonable excuse? You can't jut skip a weekly game at will. Your team relies on you, and you enjoy being on that team.

[Ivan Joidherpus]

MMO = bad
pizza = good

hope that helps!:P

anyways......

A have a friend, "Hopeless" lets call him.....
Hopeless decided to drop out of university after one semester because it "was too hard".
Hopeless decided to stop working full time because it was to time intensive.
Hopeless doesn't leave his house anymore. Seldom does Hopeless leave his room. While I doubt he peed in bottles like your friend Tyron, I certainly wouldn't be surprised if this was secretly the case.
Hopeless feels life is easier becase he's a level 60 in a stupid game. He feels he can command respect in a digital enviornment because he has something retarded like 215 ACTUAL FULL DAYS ALIVE AS THIS CHARACTER.
Hopeless has become a shell of a person because all he can think about it that next piece of armour.

Why? The great question.....

Who knows. Maybe he feels that by raiding a cave he can feel a bit of success. Success he couldn't find from school. Maybe he feels challenged when its time for a big fight. A challenge he couldn't find at work. How this makes any sense is beyond me because (and correct me if I'm wrong but I don't know jack about WoW's interface) you can just set an 'auto-cast' feature for your spells.

Whatever, adiction to games, MMOs specifically, are problems. These may not be accepted forms of addiction (yet...) but I think this is a phenomenom we will see more of in the years to come.

Life is easy when its digital. If you fuck up, just re-load your last save. Maybe its just that simple?

.......It has definitely affected my social life in that regard. But. Honestly. Is it really a negative thing? I compare my team, my guild, to a softball team frequently. If your friends were seeing a movie, but instead you had a softball game, isn't that a very reasonable excuse? You can't jut skip a weekly game at will. Your team relies on you, and you enjoy being on that team.

A sport/game/hobby that requires you to be physically involved (more than typing/moving a mouse) can also affect a social life if one were to play it 20+ hours a day. I can't see how many people would argue that 20 hours straight of golf was a good thing.

A guild is a collection of people working towards a goal that is always on the distant horizon. As soon as you get there, you have to look to the next horizon. There is no satisfaction in getting that new sword, when you see that by playing for another 200 hours you'll get an even better one!
By comparison, at the end of a softball game, one team wins, the other loses, beers are drunk, next game played and eventually, the season is over and you are free to fil your time with other hobbies. A defined goal/season length gives a sense of closure. You can't get that in a game with no end.

As for the last underlined point, you can take a game off if there is someone there to play your position. You never make a team with the minimum number of player right? Someone could take your spot if you had a dentist appt or some shit, right? Same goes for a raid. Someone else could act as the #2 guy. Main difference is that if you're not there and your softball team wins, you still show a win in the W column of the standings. If you're not there for the raid you don't get your exp points/new item and THAT is what makes it harder to miss for the addicts.


damn, you know this is a good thread when people start writting essays for their posts.

[AugustusBot]

As for the last underlined point, you can take a game off if there is someone there to play your position. You never make a team with the minimum number of player right? Someone could take your spot if you had a dentist appt or some shit, right? Same goes for a raid. Someone else could act as the #2 guy. Main difference is that if you're not there and your softball team wins, you still show a win in the W column of the standings. If you're not there for the raid you don't get your exp points/new item and THAT is what makes it harder to miss for the addicts.

for the record: i work 40 hours a week at a software company, and i graduated college while playing MMO's.

Ok umm.. Yea, we have more than 25 members, we definitely have backups, and you're wrong (with our system at least) about the not getting a W. We are a team, and we definitely communicate. I already have a post up saying i have a date saturday and will be unable to tank a raid, to plan accordingly. Now, with that situation, i won't get a W when they raid. But say i log on, and hteres 26 of us, and enough people to cover my position. I can volunteer to sit out of the raid, lounge around my house, and have ventrilo open (i go into a channel by myself and turn the volume up, awaiting a yell). I'm basically 'on call', but don't have to raid, and i get full points as if i did raid.

[max2663]

ha thyron hit a goldmine of resources

[Ivan Joidherpus]

for the record: i work 40 hours a week at a software company, and i graduated college while playing MMO's.

Ok umm.. Yea, we have more than 25 members, we definitely have backups, and you're wrong (with our system at least) about the not getting a W. We are a team, and we definitely communicate. I already have a post up saying i have a date saturday and will be unable to tank a raid, to plan accordingly. Now, with that situation, i won't get a W when they raid. But say i log on, and hteres 26 of us, and enough people to cover my position. I can volunteer to sit out of the raid, lounge around my house, and have ventrilo open (i go into a channel by myself and turn the volume up, awaiting a yell). I'm basically 'on call', but don't have to raid, and i get full points as if i did raid.

dude, I think you took my post the wrong way.
I'm not saying that you can't have a life and play games. Far from it. What I'm saying is that some people that are 'hooked' on MMOs are no different than many alcoholics/rabid gamblers/druggies or any other group with addictions. I know someone that finished university with a cap-a-day crystal meth addiction.

As for still being part of a raid, just not active during it, well, you re-enforced my point. If youre not there (physically) for a softball game, you'll still be credited with a win/lose. If you're not there (digital character, physically, erm....kind of....)for a raid it won't count. Being in the party but not active in the battle is the same thing as sitting on the bench. Your not doing anything, but your results will be the same as the people who are at the front line. Bottom line is that MMO players will ensure (as youve pointed out above) to have their character in the party (even if they themselves are busy) to gain those EXP points/new items/whatever. Addicts, like my friend "Hopeless" seldom make the same arrangements for other facets of their lives.


ASIDE:
Once Huxley drops I think we'll see this far more often. Thankfully, I have more than enough current vices that I really don't have time for more.

[max2663]

huxley looks great

[nofear360]

I have yet to get addicted to a game (hopefully never though). Once you're in, it's hard to get out :(.

[AugustusBot]

As for still being part of a raid, just not active during it, well, you re-enforced my point. If youre not there (physically) for a softball game, you'll still be credited with a win/lose. If you're not there (digital character, physically, erm....kind of....)for a raid it won't count. Being in the party but not active in the battle is the same thing as sitting on the bench. Your not doing anything, but your results will be the same as the people who are at the front line. Bottom line is that MMO players will ensure (as youve pointed out above) to have their character in the party (even if they themselves are busy) to gain those EXP points/new items/whatever. Addicts, like my friend "Hopeless" seldom make the same arrangements for other facets of their lives.


I see and feel a huge difference between the following two scenarios:

1. I'm logged into Ventrilo + Warcraft, even though i'm tired and LOST is on, raiding because I have to in order to gain RP.

2. I'm logged into Ventrilo in a channel by myself with my computer volume loud enough to hear if someone comes into my channel and yells at me. I'm down in my living room watching LOST in HD w/ my roomates, collecting RP because i'm available to help out the team if they absolutely need me in order to succeed.

I work Mon-Fri, I'm not going out on weeknights anyways :P.

[Ivan Joidherpus]

I see and feel a huge difference between the following two scenarios:

1. I'm logged into Ventrilo + Warcraft, even though i'm tired and LOST is on, raiding because I have to in order to gain RP.

:?
And therein lies the question.
WHY do you feel the need to gain this RP? If you can be totally entertained watching tv/hanging out with room mates and doing other things do you still feel the NEED to earn RP?

This is akin to someone lying about how much they drink. Almost like you're trying to cover up the fact that you NEED to gain RP. Otherwise, why not leave the computer off? I'm sure the other 25 could pick up the slack?

Please don't get me wrong dude, I'm not saying stop playing. do what you want. We're just trying to figure out WHY people choose to immerse themselves in a fantasy world. Open discussion is great. Don't take this as me saying you're a loser/addict/lost cause.O-)

[AugustusBot]

:?
And therein lies the question.
WHY do you feel the need to gain this RP? If you can be totally entertained watching tv/hanging out with room mates and doing other things do you still feel the NEED to earn RP?

This is akin to someone lying about how much they drink. Almost like you're trying to cover up the fact that you NEED to gain RP. Otherwise, why not leave the computer off? I'm sure the other 25 could pick up the slack?

Please don't get me wrong dude, I'm not saying stop playing. do what you want. We're just trying to figure out WHY people choose to immerse themselves in a fantasy world. Open discussion is great. Don't take this as me saying you're a loser/addict/lost cause.O-)


i duno. you lost me. i was merely pointing out that not every system in these games forces people to play the game in order to get a "W" by their name. simply being available to help the team progress is enough.

[Sc0tty2h0tty17]

I gotta say that I agree with Mass. Video game addiction is a bad thing (for some people) Others can handle it quite fine. I'm not an addict by any means. I work 40 hrs a week as an engineer and if I can fit in even an hour a night I am happy. I do have to say however that HALO 2 destroyed my brothers college experience. He was insane with it (prob on the lines of Trigger). His addiction of 6 hour binges playing from 2-8am caused his roommates to soon ignore him because he wouldnt socialize outside of a VIDEO GAME. He lost many friends, as well as a hot girlfriend. He dropped off the wrestling team and now moved home. He is now currently entering his 6th year of education trying to obtain a physical education degree. (im not knockin on phys ed, just saying it doesnt take 6 years)

If it makes you happy then I have no problem with doing it as much as you want. My brother however is unhappy because of what it did to him. He didnt know it at the time because it made him happy while he played. It was the end result of him losing friends, and more importantly a great college experience that makes him unhappy. I am currently fearing Halo3 because I know that it will happen all over again. 8)7

[Ivan Joidherpus]

Smartest thing I've read on these (OR ANY!!!!) forums.

I gotta say that I agree with Mass.

You and me both dude.......
I am currently fearing Halo3 because I know that it will happen all over again. 8)7

At the end of the day, if you think there might be a problem with how much you play/day then there probably IS a problem.

What that old saying?
"Everything in moderation, including moderation."8)7

EDIT: Tyron, I full hope you cite the forum page of xboxic on your "works cited" page of the essay. lol ;)

[AugustusBot]

Perhaps it's because I knew and worked with Heroine junkies and crack addicts...
Perhaps it's because I could drop video games completely on a dime and my only regret would be leaving my friends in my guild...


but uh... i think it's pretty hilarious that you're honestly, sincerely comparing video game addiction to drug addiction.

i highly doubt an ex video gamer entering a room where a nintendo resides is going to go through anywhere near the same stress as an ex junkie entering a room with heroine. behavioral conditioning, relapses, etc. none of thats going to occur w/ a video game like it's going to occur with a drug that affects your brain chemistry.

[Chris]

but uh... i think it's pretty hilarious that you're honestly, sincerely comparing video game addiction to drug addiction.

..but that's exactly what he's saying. None of us are actually addicted to video games, so we can't really say what it would be like.

[AugustusBot]

..but that's exactly what he's saying. None of us are actually addicted to video games, so we can't really say what it would be like.

I can tell you what it won't be like: it won't be like crack, where your body is used to daily, and is now shoutnig to you with aches and pains to GO SMOKE CRACK YOU NEED IT.

It's not going to give you a headache when you don't play.
Your stomach won't hurt.
You won't feel physically sick.
etc.

If you want to compare 'video game addiction' to a similar type of addiction, consult robert palmer:

Your lights are on, but youre not home
Your mind is not your own
Your heart sweats, your body shakes
Another game is what it takes

You cant sleep, you cant eat
Theres no doubt, youre in deep
Your throat is tight, you cant breathe
Another kill is all you need

Whoa, you like to think that youre immune to the stuff, oh
Yeah

Its closer to the truth to say you cant get enough, you
Know youre

Gonna have to face it, youre addicted to games

[Chris]

my teeth itch.

[Ivan Joidherpus]

but uh... i think it's pretty hilarious that you're honestly, sincerely comparing video game addiction to drug addiction.

Then you've never seen anyone losing their job and life for WoW. Its not funny when you see an otherwise bright and talented individual lose all interest in outside activities.

I've seen meth-heads, coke-heads, alcoholics and yes, even video game addicts, lose friends, family and even their lives.

Trust me, there is nothing funny about it.

Here (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=31536)
Here (http://home.hiwaay.net/~lkseitz/cvg/death.html)
and Here (http://www.networkliquidators.com/article-world-of-warcraft-could-it-be-killing-our-teens.asp)

Hang on, I can hear the flame throwers revving up......here they come....

[JasonA]

I was addicted to harvest moon for quite awhile...all you had to do was grow vegetables

[AugustusBot]

my apologies to those i may offend by saying so, but it is my honest opinion that there is no such thing as 'video game addiction'

those people losing jobs and wives over it are idiots, not addicts. Idiots.

[Ivan Joidherpus]

those people losing jobs and wives over it are idiots, not addicts. Idiots.


you say tomatoe,
I say tomatow.

I could say the same for every alcoholic/gambler/druggie.

[AugustusBot]

you say tomatoe,
I say tomatow.

I could say the same for every alcoholic/gambler/druggie.

i'm on the edge of saying the same about you. gamblers are idiots too. Alcoholics / Druggies go through phyical withdrawal symptoms, and are highly susceptible to relapses by seeing behavioral triggers that remind them of when they used to use.

Video Game Addicts will have neither of those problems, and are merely idiots for valuing their in game progression over their SEX AND MONEY!!

[nofear360]

Oh c'mon, just tell the damn name of the game :P.

[Thryon]

my apologies to those i may offend by saying so, but it is my honest opinion that there is no such thing as 'video game addiction'

those people losing jobs and wives over it are idiots, not addicts. Idiots.

ad·dic·tion.
n.
1. a.Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance: a drug used in the treatment of heroin addiction.
b. An instance of this: a person with multiple chemical addictions.

2 a.The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something.
b. An instance of this: had an addiction for fast cars.


Not convinced?

Addiction
Definition
Addiction is a dependence on a behavior or sub-stance that a person is powerless to stop. The term has been partially replaced by the word dependence for substance abuse. Addiction has been extended, however, to include mood-altering behaviors or activities. Some researchers speak of two types of addictions: substance addictions (for example, alcoholism, drug abuse, and smoking); and process addictions (for example, gambling, spending, shopping, eating, and sexual activity).

We can easily add gaming to that list.

Addictions to behaviors can and do alter lives everyday as much so as dependence to substances.

I can tell you first hand, that my old roomate personality did change when playing games.

People do tend to think like you do and that "gamers" annot become addicted to games. This is a misconception. That is why I am writting my paper on the subject.

[Ivan Joidherpus]

i'm on the edge of saying the same about you.

:X :X :X :X :X :X
dont get started with personal attacks buddy. Lets not forget whos the one stuck playing WoW.

Now here's what I don't understand, as you seem to be contradicting yourself. Keep in mind that I couldn't give a hairy shit what you do or don't do, but don't start calling people names when you're making these kinds of retarded comments:

Video Game Addicts will have neither of those problems, and are merely idiots for valuing their in game progression over their SEX AND MONEY!!

After saying something as straight forward as this:


as far as roomates and coworkers in the past? "Hey man, want to see a movie tonight?" ... "Sorry, big raid tonight, i'm the OT (offtank) for 25 people, the second most important person. They need me there! I don't wanna let 24 of my friends down!" It has definitely affected my social life in that regard.

Don't be dumb and try to say that because there are no cold sweats that it cannot be an addiction. 20+ hours of anything in a given day is not healthy. Not games, not drinking, not drugs, not eating, not anything. That is all I'm trying to say.

Justify it by saying that your character is there but you're off doing something else if it makes you feel better. Call me names too. I don't care. The only thing I want to know is why not leave your comp turned off while watching tv? Why is there a NEED to go on raids even when you're tired and/or busy?

........ and process addictions (for example, gambling, spending, shopping, eating, and sexual activity).

We can easily add gaming to that list.

Addictions to behaviors can and do alter lives everyday as much so as dependence to substances.

I can tell you first hand, that my old roomate personality did change when playing games.


BOOM! Headshot.
Thryon FTW!!!!

[AugustusBot]

The only thing I want to know is why not leave your comp turned off while watching tv? Why is there a NEED to go on raids even when you're tired and/or busy?

maybe you didn't rea my posts after all?

Because i have 25 friends trying to accomplish something, and if it turns out they can't succeed without my amazing presence, then I'd be more than happy to donate a small portion of my evening to helping my friends out.

[Ivan Joidherpus]

maybe you didn't rea my posts after all?

Because i have 25 friends trying to accomplish something, and if it turns out they can't succeed without my amazing presence, then I'd be more than happy to donate a small portion of my evening to helping my friends out.

Oh I read your posts. Theres just not much substance. Seems more like someone trying to justify a problem they don't even believe exists. Dude, I'm not trying to convince you of anything. Perhaps you can turn it off and walk away whenever you want. What I am saying is that there are a fair deal more people that cannot. Thats all.

[JasonA]

my apologies to those i may offend by saying so, but it is my honest opinion that there is no such thing as 'video game addiction'

those people losing jobs and wives over it are idiots, not addicts. Idiots.

You can be addicted to anything...it's only some part of the brain reacting to how it makes you feel...hence drugs, chocolate, sex and video games.

Oh c'mon, just tell the damn name of the game :P.

Harvest Moon on GameBoy Color...

[Thryon]

I do have to admit getting a lot of good material here. The arguments about gaming addiction, real or not, is very beneficial. It is very good to hear both sides of the argument, as I will need to present both sides.

Thanks a lot for all your great comments...and keep them coming.

[Zerodisorder]

Harvest Moon on GameBoy Color...
I have heard it was quite an addicting game. Nothing to be shamed of.

On the addiction side of things; I do believe one can be addicted to video games. The reason drugs are addicting is because the substance stimulates the mind, and if video games didn't stimulate the mind than there wouldn't be much point to playing them, granted they are a different form of how they stimulate.

Some people just don't have a very addictive personality and can brush a game off very easily. To me World of Warcraft isn't very addicting at all. I quit after a month or so of playing, but Rainbow Six 3 was very addicting to me. I'm sure there's games that addict people more than other games.

[max2663]

i used to sit at night thinking how i could to the sniper quicker constantly thinking of ways!!!

[TRIGGER M4N]

That's nothing.

After playing Halo 1 all day with my mate, while I was walking hime I wondered where my aiming reticle had gone!

And after a whole day of Burnout,I was looking at walls and cars and determining if I could "take 'em down."

I must add, this is seriously true.

[max2663]

yeh ive had those problems they are rather sad at the time of my gears addiction i had a gf she really got worried because she rang me up and i said ide rather play gears that relationship did not last long

[nofear360]

yeh ive had those problems they are rather sad at the time of my gears addiction i had a gf she really got worried because she rang me up and i said ide rather play gears that relationship did not last long

:D :D :D cute

[Thryon]

Trips to the mall have never been the same again after playing Dead Rising for 2 weeks.

recently I have been looking at buildings in a whole different perspective because of Crackdown.

That leads to another interesting questions. While game do influence our outlook of everyday things and events, what causes some folks to loose hold of reality and confuse game and virtual worlds with the real world.

While way may think about how better to snipe a person, we do not do it. I may want to jump from building to building, but I would never attempt it. What could cause someone to go over the edge?

I am not only talking about the ones you hear on TV that killed X number of people b ut also the ones who decide to race their cars like it they where playing Need for Speed. Is it because games are more realistic than ever?

[JasonA]

I think it boils down to a persons mentality....some people are just more stupid than others...

[Thryon]

I think it boils down to a persons mentality....some people are just more stupid than others...

Very interesting. I wonder if there is any correlation between actual intelligence and susceptibility to going bonkers

sorry if I am analyzing everything...but my comments in this thread are by the university student, and not the gamer.

[max2663]

maybe you could incorporate pythagora's theorum into this all!!! nah maybe a person would rather be master chief or marcus fenix than jason or todd smith or nino de vries !!!

[JasonA]

.

[TRIGGER M4N]

How he knows my full name is what I'm more concerned about.

[Cage]

How he knows my full name is what I'm more concerned about.
That would be my fault :o
I mentioned it once on IRC. Got it from something you posted or your DNS name which is always visible when you login to a IRC channel..
sorry.. O-)

[JasonA]

How he knows my full name is what I'm more concerned about.

He's got an older brother, they share the same gamertag and forums.

[Fanappy]

Very interesting. I wonder if there is any correlation between actual intelligence and susceptibility to going bonkers

sorry if I am analyzing everything...but my comments in this thread are by the university student, and not the gamer.

Well there is a fine line between a Hardcore gamer and an addict also personality has a massive effect on that two, some people have an addictive personality as you probably know!!! I quit smoking in a week I had been smoking everyday for 3 yrs; but I wasn't addicted, (incidently it took me slightly longer to get off Weed but only by about a month) what i mean is some ppl are predisposed to addictive behaviour and will become addictive it doesn't matter what it is, drugs, sex, gaming etc. I would say i am hardcore not addictive i have spent over 130 hours on Oblivion, but i also watched the 1st 2 season of 24 one at midnight then slept till 6 and watched the 2nd series from 7am, but i can go several days without playing a game.

Intelligence plays a part no doubt but there are a lot of clever ppl who suffer from diagnosiable problems as there are lots of stupid people too, i know this kid suffers from a form of aspergers and she will give her fill attention to something for ages so if u left her with a game she would play it to death and then stop and move on to the next game or thing. But lots of people find solice with online worlds because they can be someone they are unloved and rejected in the real world. I'm sure people are fairly different from who they are online to who they are as regular joe bloggs at the office or w/e.

What I think is fairly interesting is i just played someone who has 10000 odd gamerscore but when i compared games they we all -- against my 100(gp) why would u pay or cheat to get a gamerscore ???

[JasonA]

the -- is privacy settings isnt it where you can choose not to allow ppl to see your games or gamerscore for each individual game?

Yeah Im different online to offline...

[Ivan Joidherpus]

erm.....I think I may be addicted to forum threads about video game addiction. WTF is wrong with me?:? 8)7 :? 8)7 :P

JK

ASIDE: At least its still better than an addiction to World of WarCrack:P

[AugustusBot]

erm.....I think I may be addicted to forum threads about video game addiction. WTF is wrong with me?:? 8)7 :? 8)7 :P

JK

ASIDE: At least its still better than an addiction to World of WarCrack:P

your hatred is hilarious. did you perhaps lose a girlfriend to the online sensation that's rockin all nations?

[Ivan Joidherpus]

your hatred is hilarious. did you perhaps lose a girlfriend to the online sensation that's rockin all nations?

Says the guy who stays home at night with a dedicated chat channel "just in case" my raiding party needs me........:X


Dude, grow up.
There is no hatred in my posts. Just a complete lack of understanding as to WHY (some) people dedicate the majority of their time towards building relationships and increasing your experience in an online world, which has no bearing on the absolute and physical world in which we actually live/breathe/work and play in.
A lack of understanding as to why someone feels the need to make themselves available as "back up" or w/e instead of just hanging out with REAL LIFE friends. A lack of understanding as to how some people can go days without bathing or eating all out of the fear of "missing out" on a raid or some other stupid shit.

Perhaps you can turn it off and walk away. Good for you. You're my hero. Many others cannot do that. Hence, an addiction is born. As has been stated in previous posts by myself and others, an addiction does not come in the forms of drugs or booze EXCLUSIVELY. From food to sex to games to booze, addictions run the gauntlet of a great many vices.

Don't be so daft.

[AugustusBot]

There is no hatred in my posts. Just a complete lack of understanding as to WHY (some) people dedicate the majority of their time towards building relationships and increasing your experience in an online world, which has no bearing on the absolute and physical world in which we actually live/breathe/work and play in.

So you're telling me when I logon ventrilo, hop into my game, and begin discussing with my 'online pals' the afternoon / the current events / ask about someones girlfriend / joke w/ personalities i'm intimate with... that that has no bearing on the absolute and physical world in which i actually live/breathe/work and play in? Because I myself value those relationships, online or no. They are as real as my roomate, a room away. They are as real as my old college roomates, now moved away to new cities. In fact they're even more real than some of those. But by your opinions, my old roomate who lives in Alaska who i talk on the phone with about once a month and will see maybe once a year, if then, is a more valuable relationship than my friends in my Warcraft guild.


A lack of understanding as to why someone feels the need to make themselves available as "back up" or w/e instead of just hanging out with REAL LIFE friends. A lack of understanding as to how some people can go days without bathing or eating all out of the fear of "missing out" on a raid or some other stupid shit.
REAL LIFE. Hah. I am living 'real life', conversing with 'really, alive!' people, about their real lives. You're twisting my words, also. You said you can't miss a raid like you can a softball game and still get a 'W'. I said look: you can. And i make myself available as a 'back up' because: they are my friends.


Consider this: you and your intellectual real life buddies, conversing at a coffee house over the world's latest politics or scientific advancements.
What do you accomplish? What do you solve? You think you're better because you're discussing "real" shit?

Me and my "real live" buddies, thru technological advancements on the internet, converse in live action voice chat!!, about our lives, and i will admit: a large amount of our discussion is indeed about World of Warcraft. but so what? We're having some fun. And i tell you this, whether it's "virtual" or not, we accomplish something each day. Did you fix Iraq for us w/ your buddies at the coffee shop? Cure cancer? No? Wow. You're such a loser.

[Ivan Joidherpus]

lol, ok, sure thing champ.
I'm the loser for asking relevant questions whereas you're the winner for such fabulous accomplishments such as.....er....um...such as.....oh yeah, a new piece of armour. righttt........

Congrats Augustus, you've re-enforced what many people felt they thought (and now know) about WoW players. You are a sad bunch. Social malcontents, which a penchant for insulting others and a very flimsy grasp on what a REAL relationship is. Strap on your headset, turn the volume up, justify it however you want. I think it boils down to the fact that you may have a problem and don't want to even admit it.

Thyron, I think you've found a subject to write about.

[AugustusBot]

lol, ok, sure thing champ.
I'm the loser for asking relevant questions whereas you're the winner for such fabulous accomplishments such as.....er....um...such as.....oh yeah, a new piece of armour. righttt.......

I never claimed my in game accomplishments were obtaining a new item. You did. Common misperception.

Accomplishments in game? Struggling with the same peers for a week as we learn, strategize together, relearn, then overcome a new obstacle.

you're such a winner for asking relevant questions to people who don't matter.


Oh and for the record, to whoever mentioned earlier 'you get an item for your hard work then 6 months later a new item replaces it'... How long do you keep .. a tshirt.. a cd.. a video game... any 'item' you get in the nonvirtual world? They get replaced too. I'd be lucky if i could find any clothes in my wardrobe from over 2 years ago.

[Thryon]

I have this friend (no names here). He is the nicest person you can meet. Father of 1 child, church going christian....till he get's online. Then he becomes the biggest jerk you will ever encounter.

He used to play Asheron's Call, then moved on to World of Warcraft and various other games. His whole purpose to playing was just for PvP. But he did not PvP with honour. He would pick on some poor noob, and kill him over and over and over again. He would set his entire clan on this player and they would keep killing the same guy. If he tried to create a new character, they would find out and start the slaughter again. Their greatest player was to get other players to quit the game. But even that was no enough. He joked to me that now he likes to make em cry. If they target a player and that player quits playing the game, they would start hounding him on message boards, personal pages (facebook, myspace...etc).

This friend (and his clan) actually got banned from several games.

How can someone so nice in real life, be such an ass online?

[Ivan Joidherpus]

you're such a winner for asking relevant questions to people who don't matter.


You are correct augustus.
You don't matter.


How can someone so nice in real life, be such an ass online?

Ask Augutus. He seems to feel that insults are the best method of answering a proper question.

[AugustusBot]

lol. enjoy, peace, i'm done w/ the likes of you.

[Ivan Joidherpus]

lol. enjoy, peace, i'm done w/ the likes of you.

Here, you seem to need this. (http://www.wowdetox.com/)

Try to go back to the top donkey. Read what I wrote. Try to think about it. There were no insults until you started tossing shit my way pal. Grow up.

[Chris]

-spamming to be Uber elite-

[max2663]

He's got an older brother, they share the same gamertag and forums. It's just it took me a little while to work out which one is which, but they do write very differently. It's just spotting the difference.

He's Max Grabne

get my name right!!! i do not have an older brother i have a younger one!!!

[SneakySnake]

A sport/game/hobby that requires you to be physically involved (more than typing/moving a mouse) can also affect a social life if one were to play it 20+ hours a day. I can't see how many people would argue that 20 hours straight of golf was a good thing.

Yes, but you don't see people who spend 20+ hours at work a day getting criticized. There being a team player - helping their company. You also don't see someone whose a top athlete like Tiger Woods getting any flak because he spends his every waking hour playing golf. Maybe it's because he makes 50 million a year, but is it money that should dictate whether or not someone can spend their time devoted to their passion? I think some people just have a problem with video games being a the foremost passion of many people. Look at anyone who is extremely involved in their work or hobby. Artists, Musicians, Businessman, Politicians, Doctors - hopefully these people are doing it because it's what they love. People do what they love because it does something for them on a deeper level. It fills a need they have. For many MMO's provide something that fills that need in about 7 million people. This is not just some small fry issue. Obviously there is something that needs to be addressed. It may in fact not be right. It may be clearly harmful. Something that causes you to pee in a bottle and sit in one place for 20+ hours to take in part in, clearly shows that these games are providing something in a big way for a lot of people. Whether that's right or wrong - I don't know. In the US, we are dealing with an issue of whether or not to give young girls a vaccination for HPV (a virus that can lead to vaginal cancer.) Studies show that because almost 100% of women in the country will have the virus, and that about 2%, roughly 50,000 women if I remember, actually get cancer from that virus, that it's certainly enough to require a full-scale, nationwide vaccination. Now, we're looking at an issue that covers at least 7 million people, and that's just with WoW, not to mention other MMO's, much less video games as a whole. Does that mean there's something wrong with at least 7 million people. I'd wager maybe 10 million maybe if you include all video gamers, and take those that would be considered to be playing excessive amounts. If you take that idea, and you read my above piece and you take that general idea of a person that plays video games in "extreme" amounts - it makes you wonder whether it's really a problem with video games or a problem with society? Maybe video games are the answer to many people's problems. Maybe they're the vehicle by which many get to a happier life. It doesn't seem too much different to me than the person who takes medication to deal with depression and any other personal issues they might have. I don't know really, I go back and forth. I'm just cogitating this whole thing out loud. Sorry....

That's nothing.

After playing Halo 1 all day with my mate, while I was walking hime I wondered where my aiming reticle had gone!

And after a whole day of Burnout,I was looking at walls and cars and determining if I could "take 'em down."

I must add, this is seriously true.


Games transposing themselves into real life (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0001F172-55DA-1C75-9B81809EC588EF21)

I found this while I was reading someone's blog entry about being addicted to Tetris. They were saying that that anytime they saw cubes they thought of Tetris. Waterfalls - Tetris. Patterns of squares - Tetris. They would actually transpose images of the game over what they were seeing in real life. I found the blog because it was happening to me after I played Tetris for long periods everyday for a month or so (I picked it up for my DS as a time a killer and I became enthralled.) Anyways, the article is more about dreaming, which I suppose may or may not be surprising that things that are prominent to you recently in real life will show up in your dreams in some form. This certainly happened to me with WoW. I would get done playing for a long time and I would see the game in my head in the dark as I was going to sleep. I would contemplate materials I needed for items. Things guildmates had said to me, or funny conversations that had transpired that evening. A list of things I wanted to do tomorrow in the game, and the most efficient way of doing them. I would dream of the game too. Either playing it or even in it. I would have whole dreams where I was my character in the world.

Now I certainly think that shows signs of addiction and rightly so. I was definitely addicted. I think video game addiction is definitely real. But my stipulation is that I that I don't necessarily think there's anything wrong with that. If you're doing what makes you happy and it's not interrupting other people's happiness, than why does it matter? We all die sometime and soon after not many will remember us, so why not do what's filling a need for you? Why not do what's making you happy? I have a rather pessimistic view of life though. I have mixed feelings on video games. It's a really complicated subject, but that's because I think it serves as a microcosm for numerous greater issues we need address in society. Addiction is just one of them. Violence and aggression are two others.

I'd like to hear people's thoughts on specifically the virtual world. The fantasy aspect, and how you think that plays into people's love of video games.

Also, something important to discuss that I had forgotten about was the RP system that many guilds use. The guild dependence for raids and the point system that works. If you want me to explain it I will. Many people refer to it as DKP. I think that plays a huge part for a lot of people. Personally though, that system is one of the biggest factors that started to deter me from WoW. It became too much of a system. Too cold and impersonal. People were so concerned about getting their DKP they would stab you in the back to get it. I think what I just said is interesting to note, in that I think there certainly is and addiction, but it's not always for the same reasons. Some people feel like they have to because they will fail their guild expectations. For me when it came to guild expectations like that I said "Fuck 'em!" I wanted people to hang out with and do things with but not people who were dictating both my real life and my in-game life. Anyways, I feel a ramble coming on... must stop!

Just a complete lack of understanding as to WHY (some) people dedicate the majority of their time towards building relationships and increasing your experience in an online world, which has no bearing on the absolute and physical world in which we actually live/breathe/work and play in.
A lack of understanding as to why someone feels the need to make themselves available as "back up" or w/e instead of just hanging out with REAL LIFE friends.

Perhaps because it's better for them. They are more comfortable there. They can be an alter ego and no one questions it. They can be powerful and people rely on them- not a pimply faced kid who would be the last person the world would go to when they needed, whether he could help or not. In that world he matters and everyday that world needs you to fight another battle. Your existence matters and people praise you at the end of the day for a job well done. Many times your reap a reward from that effort, that time spent. A reward that further proclaims your status, that heightens that world's dependence upon you. Every 8 hour raid, every quest completed, every monster that dies and every point of XP gained is another step, small or large, towards making you more important in that world than where you stood before. The time it takes to accomplish something so monumental like that is much easier than it is in the real world. To validate your existence is much easier in a virtual world than in our own. With that simple truth, it's somewhat easy to see how so many people can be addicted.

[TRIGGER M4N]

I'm not going to beat around the bush, to put it bluntly, I do not think it's addiction, I think I do it because I'm sad, as in - I have nothing better to do with my life at the minute.

[JasonA]

I'm not going to beat around the bush, to put it bluntly, I do not think it's addiction, I think I do it because I'm sad, as in - I have nothing better to do with my life at the minute.

Yeah he does type on a bit. Gaming in all honesty for most people is classed as a hobby...sad is stamp collecting, train spotting, knitting things for the top of toilet rolls, sitting for 8hrs + in a chat room instead of going out. Gaming for me takes my mind off of more important things I should be doing. It's a break away from having to think about other things.

[SportsJunx]

Certain people are definately predisposed to imersing themselves into a game. I knew a family who just woke up, played Everquest, then slept. It was crazy. They even ate at the computer. They were so fat and shit that it made me wonder, you know. For some people its just a way to socialize and hang out and have fun. Some people like going to the bar, some like MMO's.

Good luck on your paper buddy!

----SportsJunx

Lead Moderator - www.xboxuncensored.com
Senior Member - www.xbox360forum.com

[Thryon]

...For some people its just a way to socialize and hang out and have fun. Some people like going to the bar, some like MMO's.

I agree completly. What I am looking at now, is why do some people feel more confident at the keyboard, than real interaction. I did notice that most that prefer MMOs are introverts, as opposed to the bar scene extroverts.

I may post my papers here when completed, so you may all enjoy my findings. The first should be completed by next week.

Thanks all for sharing your comments/stories.