aberkok

For the rest, click on the link in the title.

I found this to have some good ideas about gaming, and some of the ideas are scientifically sound (for a change, Cracked). I've long known about games like Diablo II that they were treating me like a rat in a maze, and since I realized this I look for something more in games.

Are you able to play games you know are doing this sort of thing to you (i.e. most of them)?

Do you think this knowledge could help one curb their time spent going after A NEW SHIELDZ!?

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!check out my new blog! http://arkanamusic.wordpress.com

Warden Gentiles: "It? Perfectly innocent. But I can see how, if our roles were reversed, I might have you beaten with a pillowcase full of batteries."

SecretMethod70

This is a big part of why I refuse to play MMOs. They're not about a game, they're about wasting time. If there's no end, it's not the game for me.

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Le temps détruit tout

"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

Baraka_Guru

If you go though this list, the World of Warcraft is a prime example of each item. You also mentioned Diablo II. That said, Blizzard Entertainment is the king of video game addiction. They've built an empire out of it.

Didn't I read somewhere that gaming companies now hire psychologists? Was that you who told me that, aberkok?

Anyway, I've quit WoW. And my gaming is now at a minimum. The drug is no longer in my system. The addiciton is curbed.

For now.

But, yeah, all of this is pretty scary.

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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Hektore

So...uh..I played EQ. Religiously. For 5 years. Then WoW. I didn't realize it until I quit, but the part you quoted is dead on.

The games any more are not about skill or knowledge but time - success is a linear function of time invested. The more you play the 'better' you do. The bitch of it is you aren't doing better - you're just doing more.

The best thing I ever did was quit those bullshit games.

The article is exactly right. But, what's the difference between video games and any other hobby? Take something else, like rock climbing.

It's exactly the same, manufactures spend tons of money on endorsements and advertisements and create this elite-career climbers. They photo them in exotic, beautiful locations. They tell you - you too can do this, if you buy all this gear and training aids and spend countless hours training and travelling. For what? So you can be the first person climb some piece of rock in recorded history? Who cares, you climbed a wall, why the fuck does that matter?

It matters because it's important to you - you pick your goals and you know the work you put in. Your peers recognize this work, people ogle - even if it's only a few people.

It doesn't matter what industry their in, it's all the same. I don't understand why folks just pick on video games.


PS: anyone who has over 500 hours into finding bottles in LoZ sucks at video games. Fuck, I've played the major zelda release on every platform(It's the one game I refuse to give up) And don't have 500 hours into 100%-ing all of them.

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The advantage law is the best law in rugby, because it lets you ignore all the others for the good of the game.

LoganSnake

Exactly. If I don't have a purpose in the world (STORY), then I have no interest in playing the game. Collecting loot, grinding and completing random quests just for the sake of completing them is not fun to me at all.

I dislike MMOs very much. I've tried a few and they just bored me.

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Maturity is knowing you were an idiot in the past. Wisdom is knowing that you'll be an idiot in the future. Common sense is knowing that you should try not to be an idiot now. - J. Jacques

Redlemon

Really, this song is relevant.


It'll start to make sense at the 1:00 mark.

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I can't read your signature. Sorry.

Vaultboy

Er, aren't you one of the blokes pre-ordering Civ5? Your relapse is imminent, my friend.

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"Failing tastes of bile and dog vomit. Pity any man that gets used to that taste."

Nikilidstrom

lets see,

grinding towards a goal

repeating the same activities over and over again regardless of whether its fun or not

reaching a goal just in time to find out what the next goal is,

sounds alot like life

Baraka_Guru

I haven't preordered anything. I might have to wait until a Christmas or a birthday to get it. Otherwise I'll wait until it becomes cheaper on Steam.

Compared to WoW, Civ isn't as addictive. With Civ, there is a beginning, middle, and end, plus you can save your game at anytime, as it stops when you aren't playing it. There are some similarities, but the scale and scope of the problem differ in my case. I admit to having an addictive personality. I'm currently choosing more rewarding activities to spend most of my spare time (i.e. reading and writing). Games, for me, are now a diversion, not a daily habit.

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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

ironpham

This is why I only choose games where I can easily stop and do something else productive. After I quit WoW, I realized how much of my life got wasted on something that no one cares about. Hell, I can hardly play L4D2 anymore since each campaign takes at least an hour (if your teammates are good) despite how fun it is to slay zombies/survivors.

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SIGNATURE.

dippin

Just a correction: experts DON'T agree that video game addiction is a thing. In fact, the last time they voted on it, they decided not to include it on the next DSM.

When people really are obsessive about video games, that is diagnosed along with other obsessive compulsive disorders.

Wes Mantooth

There is a great documentary out about this topic called Second Skin , its a very fascinating look at the world of video game addiction and the fallout that occurs in peoples lives as a result. I would highly recommend it if this topic interests you.

Second Skin (2008)

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Shauk

This is the kind of information WoW players will try to ignore while drowning in denial.

It's one thing to fight this battle on the internet, it's quite another when you're aware of the before/after behavioral patterns of each person who plays wow because you know them IRL.

I can tell you right now, the people who I know who play WoW, did NOT sit their asses down for 4-8 hours at a time playing a game.


I've gone back to the catch & release model of gaming. Games that tell a story, draw you in, deliver the experience, then give you your life back.

WoW tells a story, but expects you to forget that that daily quest dialogue is the exact same as it was yesterday, and the day before, and the month before, and the fucking year before.

Reese

I don't disagree with that article. I just don't care.

I hate to break it to you Shauk. You're still in your skinner box. The only difference is that your box is the real world now. The only thing that changed is that it started offering better rewards than WOW. It says it right there in the article. People come to WOW when it offers reward at a faster pace than the outside world and they leave when the rewards either dry up or the outside world starts offering something better. At least you say you're better off without WOW. By the way you constantly bash the game, I'd say you're the one in denial with your Real world is better than WOW ramblings. I'm sure we'll be seeing you back in the WOW thread soon.

You could say I'm in denial but you'd be wrong. I'm actually NOT playing WOW right now. For one, the rewards dried up and two, the outside world has some pretty tasty rewards atm. The difference is that I know I'm just a rat pulling a lever.



(I apologize, I shouldn't be typing anything right now. I'm grumpy and didn't sleep last night.)

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“It is better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick” - Dave Barry

Hektore

I love that the existence of a psychological disease is decided by majority vote.

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The advantage law is the best law in rugby, because it lets you ignore all the others for the good of the game.

aberkok

You think they wake up in the morning and vote on a whim?

They do studies, and then vote to include it in the DSM. Even then, research continues.

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Warden Gentiles: "It? Perfectly innocent. But I can see how, if our roles were reversed, I might have you beaten with a pillowcase full of batteries."

Gabbyness

Well, the majority kind of decides normalcy, so, why not decide pathology? I'll be here all day, playing the role of Devil's Advocate.

I used to do the 8hr EQ raids, I don't think there's anyone who can say that playing a game from 9pm - 5am routinely doesn't bear some kind of addiction.

Fortunately that's long gone!

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One, two, three, four, fiiiiiiiifth.

Jozrael

*shiver*