Gameology 2.0
World of WarCraft Addiction
For those of you who have lost friends to vicious "Wow" addiction, you'll find some sympathy below in the form of a YouTube. The news short tries to make a strong analogy between Warcraft addiction and more well-known deadly addictions, such as drugs and alcohol. We even get an "addict's mum" breaking down into tears, bewailing the tragedy of losing her son to WoW.
For those of us who actually know something about the game, this is either hilarious or frightening (in the sense that stuff like this tends to whip the parents and legislators into a bit of coercive frenzy). After all, we've been dealing with these accusations since the days of Pong...Sigh. When will people stop blaming the medium instead of looking at the true cause of these "addict's" problems? I think a good place to start in this case, for instance, isn't WoW, but rather this kid's oddball relationship with his mom!
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Responsibility
Man... is it too hard for people to take responsibility for themselves? There's food addictions, sex addictions, video game addictions. People want to blame everyone but themselves. *sigh*
There must be a fine line
There must be a fine line between addiction and hobby... ;)
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There must be a fine line
There must be a fine line between addiction and hobby... ;)
--Check out my blog--
The Worst Blog
--Check out my podcasts-- Video Game Music: The Super Koopa Troopa Show Video Game Reviews: Played to Death
There must be a fine line
There must be a fine line between addiction and hobby... ;)
--Check out my blog--
The Worst Blog
--Check out my podcasts-- Video Game Music: The Super Koopa Troopa Show Video Game Reviews: Played to Death
true...
Ah, well as a person who has recently quit the game it is a serious addiction and even real drugs were much easier to resist than WoW. Even when the game is bad and boring the hell out of you for some reason the player still HAS to play it and has to farm to achieve the fun in the game, so the quest is never ending. I used to be one of thos people who would just argue that its all their own responsibility, and it is, but with this game some people who really don't want to play might need some help, as funny as it may seem, lol.
In reply to the article
"For those of us who actually know something about the game, this is either hilarious or frightening (in the sense that stuff like this tends to whip the parents and legislators into a bit of coercive frenzy). After all, we've been dealing with these accusations since the days of Pong...Sigh. When will people stop blaming the medium instead of looking at the true cause of these "addict's" problems? I think a good place to start in this case, for instance, isn't WoW, but rather this kid's oddball relationship with his mom!"
Heh, all I can really say is more WoW players than not will agree with the news crew, but still continue to play, and the ones who don't are in a deep state of self pity and denial. All people do are blame video games about the worlds problems because they fail at blaming other sources, but WoW is probably the only game that would make me agree with them. All of my RL friends, including myself have a serious addiction to the game and ours along with many people from WoW play a lot more than this kid, sadly.
This is also a game that is currently forcing psychiatrists to conduct a study to see if video game addiction is a mental illness. This game also has rehab clinics.
Now if I was in a game right now all I would have to say is "gg" lol
WoW Addiction
But this mythical "fun" of which you speak, hypothetically awaiting after long (countless?) hours of tedious - boring! - "work", is not a given. Playing a bunch of "alts" from level 1 to 25 and never reaching level 70 is perfectly alright if one so feels, as is not raiding, not being part of a guild, not doing battlegrounds, etc. I am surely not going to run in circles farming Eternium or Khorium in hopes of raising Blacksmithing to 375, or running a few instances dozens of times waiting for a "good drop". Or at least if I do, it'll be because I'll have felt like doing it. Yes, the game's system is geared towards rewarding long and intensive playing sessions, but I wonder how many of these "addiction cases" are the sole result of the game and not rather of the common player pressure and general conceptions people are bringing along when they start playing this game ("you have to rise up in level and get the best possible equipment").
Please Read!!!!!!
I would just like to point out a few things to all of you people out there who are watching this and feeling so sorry for this whole family. First off, it is mostly the mother's fault for allowing her son so much time on the game. There comes a time when parents need to step in and say that enough is enough and to go outside or do something with your real friends. I can say that from playing this game that it is addictive, but you also have control over your addiction. Please parents do not believe that this is true for everyone who plays this game. To often are the advantages of this game overlooked, and too often do people assume that it is that same for everyone. I have kids who play this game and they were becoming too addicted so i took them off for a few months. After that time they realized that they were becoming addicted, and that they needed to spend more time off the game. They have been playing now for almost a year, and i have had no further problems with them. Please think rationally and from your child's point of view on this. There are many positive aspects of this game, for it builds social skills, and helps people become more focused. It allows people to become more aware of hoe they need to budget time to include things that they want with things that they have to do. Also, it is a great stress reliever. Please, parents, read this and understand that not all children are like this, and that if do not let your children become too addicted, then tey will not have a problem like this one.
What's the difference of real life to Wow?
I tried out WoW a few days and it was the first game that sucked me in since 10 years or so.
What I find interesting is that WOW so much resembles our so-called “real” life.
In WoW as well as in our real life, we work really hard to get money, a good reputation, and new items. If it’s a brand new mercedes or if it’s a big powerful sword, and to show off.. where’s the difference?
Many people argue that all your effort for WOW in the end is for nothing.. So again, where’s the difference to “real” life?
I would not devalue WOW instantly just out of a reflex to think that virtual worlds are a bad thing. You can have great experiences there which are not much worse than “real” life experiences.
But still after two weeks I decided to quit. Similar to drugs, the game limits your senses and possibilities you have in real life and at the same time makes you feel like you could do more. For now when I’m young and fit, I want to enjoy real life, but if there’s a time my physical and social possibilities are gone, I will be really thankful to have a game like WOW.
Similar to Drugs??
Anyone who thinks wow is similar to drugs is not speaking from experience of drugs. Wow is an interesting game, and noteworthy social phenomenon but no great books, poems, songs or art have been made under the influence of it that have become regarded as cannonical literature.
And I'm guessing there probably won't be, because when you are 'high' on wow you are playing it, you aren't doing anything else.
There alot of room for yeah but what about machiname kind of remarks. While I don't want to disparage this fun, innovative and interesting practice... we do have to accept that its a process of remediation and bricolage... one that tries to restore storytelling and the author to a medium that is about actions.
In short machinimas relation to games is not one like arts relation to drugs, art done on drugs often tries to convey and evoke the transformative and hallicanaroty experience of being 'high' e.g. Coleridge in xanadu did kubla khan etc.
Machinima is however pretty divorced from game play, although it might be about gameplay... it doesn't try to evoke or recreate that experience... it tries to tell a story.
Re: Similar to Drugs??
And I'm guessing there probably won't be, because when you are 'high' on wow you are playing it, you aren't doing anything else.
That's certainly an interesting take on the issue. Then again, I can't think of many modern drugs (at least any that came out after the 60s) that could be said to inspire literary creation. I think all the modern drugs do is make you lose your teeth and get all hostile.
Besides that, I'd bet smoking pot or tripping acid while WoWing would have disastrous effects on your character. Then again, if we see a WoW character spouting Coleridge, we'll have to rethink that.
Irinve Welsh perhaps? Maybe
Irinve Welsh perhaps? Maybe in the contemporary era cinema is a better option.
Speed maybe could work well in terms of playing for longer periods of time, or E. Caffiene definitely... my formative years with PSOne involved a lot of Marijuana as a part of the ritual of play especially with Cool Boarders...
There is one academic article i read a while back where the mushrooms in mario bros are cited as an explicit reference to drugs (and 60s counterculture)
In WoW as well as in our
Many people argue that all your effort for WOW in the end is for nothing.. So again, where’s the difference to “real” life?
Right you are, tobi. Eric Hayot and Edward Wesp argued that EverQuest "echoes an idealized vision of American, and more broadly capitalist, culture.” I think this works for WoW as well - everyone starts at level one, with the same basic equipment and the same chances to get wealth and status. The rhetoric of equal opportunity actually holds true. All for nothing? Hardly.
I think you guys are
Thats really something to think about.
I think you guys are bringing up a very interesting point. I never really thought of it that way, though I may not agree I think its something that warrants discussion.
Please Read!!!!!!!!!
I would just like to point out a few things to all of you people out there who are watching this and feeling so sorry for this whole family. First off, it is mostly the mother's fault for allowing her son so much time on the game. There comes a time when parents need to step in and say that enough is enough and to go outside or do something with your real friends. I can say that from playing this game that it is addictive, but you also have control over your addiction. Please parents do not believe that this is true for everyone who plays this game. To often are the advantages of this game overlooked, and too often do people assume that it is that same for everyone. I have kids who play this game and they were becoming too addicted so i took them off for a few months. After that time they realized that they were becoming addicted, and that they needed to spend more time off the game. They have been playing now for almost a year, and i have had no further problems with them. Please think rationally and from your child's point of view on this. There are many positive aspects of this game, for it builds social skills, and helps people become more focused. It allows people to become more aware of hoe they need to budget time to include things that they want with things that they have to do. Also, it is a great stress reliever. Please, parents, read this and understand that not all children are like this, and that if do not let your children become too addicted, then tey will not have a problem like this one.
Parents Responsibility For Sure
Ok, I have 2 teenage sons that love this game, they have played for 2 years plus and if they have nothing else to do, it is definitely their choice of activity.
However, they both play Football in winter, Cricket in summer and Tennis all year round. As parents, we like to make sure they are also getting thier homework done (hard thing to do with a teen WoW or no WoW) so have made the rule that there is no midweek WoW. During the week, they have to live a real life and then on weekends they can play as much as they like (outside of their sports commitments). Yes, I would say they are addicted, but they also have plenty of other stuff to do so WoW does not get priority. Isn't it the job of the parent to make sure the kids grow up with a balanced sense of perspective?
One thing that people seem to be NOT mentioning here is that if your kids are not playing on the PC, be it games or just surfing the web, then what is it you want them to do instead??? Most parents are happy to have their kids drooling passively in front of the TV all night, every night. Talk about a no brainer. At least if they or doing something on a PC it is active and not passive, they are reading, thinking, being involved and learning to touch type at 60+ words per minute.
Watching TV every night has many bad points as well, it is just that all the scared internet parents grew up with it and is something they understand, so it is acceptable... unlike the PC. Move on old timers, the world is changing around you!
(FYI - I just turned 42. My sons are 16 & 14)