Expert: 40 Percent of World of Warcraft Players Addicted - Page 3

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You took the letters right out of my fingertips. Well put

better to be at home with the family than out at a bar getting drunk.

btw,

Actors, rock stars, hell even Doctors have a high divorce rate and disfunctional families. They are addicted to work. Why don't they check in to a psychiatric hospital!

i would just like to say that Blizzard does not design the game to be addictive. I've seen them respond to things like this, and they talk about how the fact that you can log off for a long time and come back "rested" where you get more experience and level faster - encouraging breaks from the game.
I'm also suprised that ancient lady has ever even used a computer.

I'm addicted to WoW.

Wow....it amazes me what mental health professionals will glom on to which provides a crutch to people who won't accept responsibility for their own actions.

This reminds me of some article I read in the paper regarding a new disorder in which people are lazy, don't like to have to answer to a boss, etc. Normally people call that being irresponsible...mental health thinks its a real disorder.

As to gaming as an addiction...it is unfortunate that there are some people out there who have some serious issues with grasping the difference between reality and fantasy. Having acted as online customer support in two MMPORGs, I've seen a number of people in game who act absolutely idiotic over their characters and the game. People who quite literally threaten physical and legal action due to a level lost (by their own actions), items lost (the majority by their own actions), a monster being highjacked by someone else....it's quite idiotic actually.

And yet these people are quite happy to blame everyone else and accept no responsibility for any actions that they may do.

I don't agree that this is a legitimate disorder. Are there personalities that tend towards addiction...yes...but focus on the root cause...not a symptom thereof.

Wow... I think a more effective "Computer Addiction Services" program would have Triple H come over to your house with a sledge hammer and demolish your computer....

These 40% are not victims... they're just retarded...

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go form my own "disease" entitled Chik-Fil-A addiction. They are purposefully making those chicken sandwiches in a manner such that I keep coming back for more. This is a travesty!!!

First of all, I just want to say that we do in fact sympathize with your situation. Please don't take our debate as a sign that we're insensitive of your circumstances because it does sound like you're going through trying times.

However, it seems most of the time we lose sight of cause and result. Many of these so-called problems are not so much as the cause, but the result of some other intrinsic issue. Another way of putting it, is they could be the catalyst that brings out a negative aspect of an individual. I'm not trying to insinuate anything about your husband, as obviously I know nothing about either of you, but sometimes you may just have to reevaluate his personality based on how he's behaving now in the face of the game.

Take credit cards for instance; the issuers make them fairly easy to attain, offer you all kinds of things to encourage their use and to keep you spending, but at the end of the day, you are the one in charge of your own finances, and they won't hesitate to send off a bad report to the credit bureau. One could say this is akin to what Blizzard is doing...encouraging everyone to play their game, and remain in their game, but it is up to the players to limit themselves. In both situations, some people are not able to control themselves, while the majority are. You don't see anyone calling shopping an addiction (I'm talking a serious medical condition, not just in jest), so I personally don't think MMORPGs should be classified as one. Just because responsibility is required and some individuals fail to exercise it, does not make it a fault of that particular activity.

I honestly hope that didn't sound condescending towards anyone who may know someone who's facing this very problem, because it was not meant to be, however everybody behaves differently, and we all have different tolerances and priorities. It just seems like this so-called expert is pinning the blame on something she is unfamiliar with.

What sort of warning did it provide? Don't throw at peoples heads?

That's factually wrong. People do suffer from gambling addiction, and last time I checked, touching slot machines, dice and chips had no addictive properties in and of themselves.

For that matter, people do become addicted to Pot, and there's nothing chemically addictive about Marijuana. From what I've read, even with things that are physically addictove, the people become addicted to so the substances, long before they're physically addicted.

it depends on the person. For some it's the nicotine, for others it has more to do witht he social aspect and/or using their hands/mouth.

If it was really just physical, quitting would be easy, since the physical dependency to nicotine disapears fairly quickly. It's the mental aspect that makes it hard to quit for many, if not most people.

Are you sure that, for example, Seratonin doesn't get released from playing these games, or perhaps dopamine?

And if what you say is true, then why do people who have Gastric bypass surgery (to end their addiction to food) have an abnormally high rate of alcoholism after the surgery? Most were not heavy drinkers, much less alcoholics, before that.

Why do people do drugs, drink alcohol and so on? To escape. Explain how it's different?


I don't think games need warnings, any more than food does, but your argument that chemical dependency is needed for addiction is known to be false.

Thats the most retarded thing I've ever heard. Anything can be potentially harmful, lets stick warning labels on everything.

I agree. Should we label computers? Food? TVs?

SOrry, just felt I had to put in my $.02 -

This quote at the end says it all. When she compaired the gaming to Gambling, she was correct. Compairing it to a disease-causing, death-dealing drug such as nicotine is WAY off the deep end and actually bears NO resemblance to the addiction of gaming.

Can games be addictive? Yes. Go look up the definition of the term "addiction" if you believe otherwise. However, most everyone is correct here, in that it is only addictive to those who have a proclivity to BECOMING addicted. This does not apply to probably 85% of the gaming population.

And to the idiots who gave the interview, 40% of 6 million people is closer to 2.4 million. Oh wait, no, that is it EXACTLY. I somehow doubt that 2.4 million people will die over WoW in the coming years. But you know who will? Smokers and Alcoholics. How about we focus on the real issues here? Anyone up for a reality check?

let me start be saying that I am medical doctor and i do know a good deal about addiction.

First, i would say that her article is not objective in some of the examples she made and her analysis of World of warcraft!!!

We have individuals who are addicted to their work (workaholics), others addicted to shopping (shopaholics) others addicted to colas (colaholics ) does this mean we should put warning labels on all work desks, shops and pepsi?? i guess it will look somehting like this " The federal minstery of health informs you that working too hard is dangerous to your health "

Similarly, Blizzard are in no way to blame if anyone spends more time than they should playing the game as it is completely the individual concerneds own reponsibility.

I’m a recovering drug addict / alcoholic. I’ve spent time successfully in treatment centers (for drugs not games) . Lets just say I have a very additive personality and I admit I can be addicted to anything.

I’ve been playing games since pong, and I have to say mud’s and mmorgp’s have a special addictive quality that sets them way apart from other kinds of games.

I agree with this doctor completely. One of the major reasons that makes mmorpg’s more additive than other games, is they have no end. There is always another level or item to be acquired. I can say I don’t find the game fun, I find it very boring and yet at one point I was playing over 8 hours a day.

Yes I think people addicted need to take reasonability for their actions and no I don’t think the games should be pulled or anything, but I think game players and makers should discus and learn about the situation.

Addiction defined: persistent behavior of a person which is physically, psychologically, or socially harmful or detrimental (broad definition).

By Orzack's standard most people in the U.S. are addicts. Her standard is so low that people who are "addicted" to food suffer from the same persistent harmful beharior. You may have heard pronouncements in the last year about the "epidemic" of obesity in the U.S. Certain medical people want some foods banned.

Addiction is difficult to discuss intelligently in generalities. Addiction should be considered on a case by case basis.

I have played multi player online role playing games going back to Ultima Online. I played WoW intensely. When I quit I had 5 level 60 characters. I quit because I was at the point in the game where I could not do anything unless I had a good group of 20 or 40 players to do the "end-game" instances. WoW came to mean "World of Waiting". I miss the fun of doing things in-game with players I came to know in my guild and a few in other guilds; but the total waste of time (usually hours) waiting for groups to form, or having a group fall apart part way through an instance, or having some idiot ignore the agreement about class preference on loot and steal an item that should have been yours, became a burden I was unwilling to bear. I had 5 bad experiences like these in the last week that I played.

If the designers of WoW created a path for groups of 5 and solo players to get the equipment that the 40 man groups might eventually get; then I would still be playing.

This person calls herself a DR? "I'd say that 40 percent of the players are addicted." Estimating or inflating the percentage of addicted players is extremely unprofessional and loses all of her credibility in the article. Without any data how can she say it's 40%.

Lets look at the symptons:

Negecting work, studies, family members and friends...I've had all of those symptoms since having my first child. I guess I have an addiction.

I would hope twitch guru would screen thier articles a little better than to give this supposed doctor a forum to make up data.

Technically your child is considered family.

But yeah, exactly, this lady is off the mark. Wiping out video games completely from all existance wouldn't change the number of people with problematic addictive personalities.

Here's what I find humorous about this. A doctor that's saying 40% of WoW players are addicted has opened up a clinic to treat video game addiction.

Her livelihood now depends on video game addiction and it being considered an epidemic. OF COURSE she's not going to say that people with a real addiction are statiscally insignificant. The more people she classifies as an addict the more potential customers she has.

It's not much different than the scare tactic crap they use on people in college regarding alcoholism. Idiotic stuff like the following:

#If you have more than 3 drinks in a night you're an alcoholic, come to our meetings.
#If you drink regularly (I.E. every weekend regardless of amount) you're an alcoholic, come to our meetings.
#If you get drunk you're an alcoholic, come to our meetings.

I couldn't look around my campus and see ANYONE that didn't meet at least one of those criteria. Now I'm not trying to trivialize alcoholism, it is a real problem. However the industry that's sprung up around treating it likes to paint with as broad a brush as possible in order to stay in business. That's the nature of these 'service' industries.

Speaking for personal experience I'm going to have to disagree with you. I have an extremely addictive personality and I'm an avid gamer. And her point is that mmorpg’s have a greater chance of being addictive because of their design. (And I would include mud's as well) And again from experience I completely agree with her.

I change my opinion, slightly, after reading some of the last comments. Blizzard might not have done this intentionally, which will be hard to prove one way or another, but MMORPG are games that must be played for hours on end to get even in the top 50%. MMORPGs games are inclined to be more addicting, like how gambling is addicting. I think we can all agree on the fact that an addiction to gambling is similar to an addicting to video games. But I wonder, why do we not hear so much about other types of games being as addicting? You usually don't see people playing Far Cry for days on end. Sure, maybe the first few days, but not for weeks/months/years. MMORPG are more inclined to be addicting to the gamer because they are more immersive and almost more life-like. Not in graphics (look at HL2, Crysis, Far Cry. MMORPGs can't touch them on graphics), but because they resemble life so much more and they are an escape that is like a dream. You can do whatever you want. Who wouldn't want that?

F.E.A.R. can be extremely immersive with its deep blacks and extensive use of shaders, but it is still along a story line which is not of your choosing. Don't get me wrong, it is a damn good story line, but it is not your story. FPS games and the like are much more linear, meaning they have one common goal, than any MMORPG. Again, MMORPG are more inclined to be addicting to the gamer because they provide a near life-like dream world. There are millions of players you can interact with, you can have a fight with a warlock (?), you can live in a dream world where no one can tell you what to do.

It is not our place and never can be our place to force game makers to put labels on or make games less addicting; it goes against the very roots of American freedom! The question is, I think: Are we allowed to force a corporation in a free-enterprise econmic system not to produce a product which can be potentially addicting, yet provide enormus levels of fun?

Excessive game play in games like WoW is an escape to a different world, a dream world. Can you tell a person not to dream?

~Ibrahim~

Anyone see this topic in Games -> PC Gaming

How to quit WoW

...maybe she should be concentrating on forum users... specifically those of which have 30,000 or so posts



But in all seriousness I have a friend who was ruining his like with drugs... kicked out of his house... no friends... dropped out of school.. etc. etc. etc.

all to do drugs.

Now he has quit drugs... and is addicted to WOW.

I THINK this is better?

What do you guys think? (he still doesnt have a job or go to school or socialize or anything, he just plays WOW)

It is very clear to me that people don't really understand addictions as well as they think. Most people believe if you are not the "social" norm then there is something wrong with you. If you don't have a job, family, and spend all your time loving those things then there is something wrong?

Every "addiction" stems from not having a specific need met in your life. This "expert" wants us to believe her clients would still be addicted even if everything was going fine. If you hate your job then you might drink after work so that you can forget about the job. You might even play computer games, or go to the clubs. If you found a job you loved then you might be satisfied not to do those things after work. I like her to show me one person that has a perfect life, but is addicted to computer games.

Here is the interesting part of all this. She said game addictions are the same as gambling addictions. However there is a clear picture in gambling of who is addicted. If you gamble x amount of money per month and loose then you are considered addicted, but if you gamble that same amount of money and win then you are not addicted. Double standard hu?

Other

Exactly, WoW never really ends. You can never say that you've beaten the game, really.
The other part is the sense of accomplishment. It's way easier to click a mouse and say that you've learned to make leather armor than to actually learn leatherworking. It makes these really hard and time consuming things as easy as clicking a mouse.
I teach a class of 12yr olds at my church and they talk non-stop about WoW and runescape. Guess how much strength my guy has? Guess how much gold I have? Well, the reality is that these kids are neither strong nor rich, but these games let them be. Nothing wrong with that, really, just don't spend more time on it than you really want to. Set a limit before you sit down. Say I'm going to play until nine, then quit at nine. That's it.

You make a good point. Maybe everyone should try not playing WoW for a week to see how they feel. You'd probably be happier.
Not that anyone here will actually do it. You'll just keep saying that you're now addicted and railing against anyone who says otherwise.

Speaking for personal experience I'm going to have to disagree with you. I have an extremely addictive personality and I'm an avid gamer. And her point is that mmorpg’s have a greater chance of being addictive because of their design. (And I would include mud's as well) And again from experience I completely agree with her.

You see, her point isn't really valid. Why? Just what is it she's comparing MMORPGs with? Tetris? If so, she's stating the obvious. More enjoyable activities have a greater risk of psychological dependence. However, when she starts dragging it down to the point of being a specific medical condition that's where you question her claims. There are two types of addictions; physiological and psychological. One is caused by a chemical imbalance as a result of intaking the drug, and the other is considered a psychological dependence on the drug. This particular kind is a psychological kind, but it is not caused by the game or the industry in particular; it can be caused by just about anything. This has been the point many have been trying to make over and over, this form of addiction is not caused, but merely accelerated by games or other activities. Her going off on a crusade over video games, would be like someone going off against milk for causing cancer, since it was proven a couple months back that milk increases the risk of prostate cancer because of the way hormones are injected into cows; completely ignoring the fact that there are hundreds of other more severe methods to contract cancer.

Essentially this doctor is being a businessperson. She is attempting to gain fame in her own niche, trying to be one of the pioneers of a fledgling "medical condition" by trumping it up and making it sound disasterous.

Now that is funny!

Thats the most retarded thing I've ever heard. Anything can be potentially harmful, lets stick warning labels on everything.

Quite. I heard of a case where a person became addicted to carrot juice.

Should vegetables be sold with a warning label? Should my greengrocer set up a support group?