game addictions?

Question

Why are games so addicting, especially online games like WoW, Everquest, StarCraft and such? I know i am a WoW addict. i realized that today and i know i have a serious problem. I am also trying to deal with it. But thats off topic. What are yalls opinions on this?

Answer 1

The games aren't, in themselves, an addiction. There's something in a person's personality and maybe even their genetic make-up that makes them more prone to be more or less easily addicted.

Games such as WOW use what's called time-sink gaming which is the premise for all RPGs.

You have to realize.. in order to get from one location to another.. you have to walk or fly.. in order to get into a raid.. you have to have the right gear, make the right potions and gadgets, etc. All that takes time. THe time, in itself isn't what causes it to be hard to pull away.. it's the FRUIT of that labor that creates the emotional attachment.

Something you can use to be more efficient at these tasks.

But, for most people the real payoff is the emotional attachment to their characters and the 'power' they represent in the game.

Everyone loves to have someone come up to them in a game and gush over their gear. WOW makes it that much easier with custom decaling (everyone can tell the type of armor you wear) on your character. That, and the fact that you can PVP is another big draw for people.

Generally the draw is to see what the next skill can do for you, how much it'll help. What kind of cool things you can find at the next turn, etc.

So the real issue is.. when does an addiction become harmful and who's to judge?

If you're having fun and not blowing off your real-world obligations. Then you're fine.

If not, then I'd look at maybe turning off the computer for awhile and getting your head back on straight.

Answer 2

A love for video games is not an addiction, at least not in the negative sense. A love for video games can lead to a college carreer in computers, networking, programming, and eventually a job, either play testing, writing, or creating new games. Its a very lucrative industry with the recent release of the next gen systems, and a great time to be both a gamer, and a game designer.