World of Warcraft... a virtual drug. Yes, I will get flamed.

games arnt addictive, people have addictive personalities.

Not sure why you think you'd get flamed. Many people addicted to WoW get to the point where you were at, or even worse. It's a serious addiction problem, and it does not just apply to video games. You have gamblers, workaholics, etc. The type of people who do one thin all the time to a point where it's a serious problem. You're lucky enough to finally figure out what the problem was and correct it. I never touched WoW myself because I simply refuse to pay a subscription to a game. That, and I don't have time to deal with idiots that the Internet brings to the table.

Of course, even if someone does not play WoW, they can still be too addicted to other games they find just as entertaining, but probably not in excess as WoW potentially can (at least in what the media portrays). Personally, the addiction stems heavily from the individual. Something like WoW is just the catalyst. I guess I can admit that I can have some issues playing games all the time, but I certainly don't do it to a point of neglecting the important things in life (like makin a living, especially). But I do have quite the introverted personality (long before I really got into games), so I have a hard time reasoning to myself that I'd be able to be more social if I stepped away from games.

Hmm at least you are getting your life back into shape now

I played the 10 day free trial of WoW and i honestly never got addicted like that so i guess i am lucky.

I hear ya, i was once addicted to it for over 2 years and just recently quit after i bought WotLK. I had many of the same problems as you with my social life and such but im glad to say it all behind me now.

I actually feel kind of dirty and slightly sick to my stomache when i even consider renewing my account.

Love the avatar btw!

"Let me guess one was wearing thick glasses, one was extra stupid and one was wearing a sexy black t-shirt" - Jim Lahey

One of the greatest shows ever created and its all Canadian!

You won't get flamed, because it's true. WoW has recently been given the title of "the most dangerous computer game" by psychologists, no less. The game itself isn't addictive, it's the circumstances of the game that are. The game itself is boring and monotonous.

I would say that it's the game that's the problem, but the person playing it (no offense). I like to compare it to people being addicted to shopping. Shopping itself is not addictive, it's people with addictive personalities who get addicted to it for whatever reason. Blaming the game for your addiction is really the same as blaming violent games for incidents like Columbine -- you can't.

i know another really dramatic story.there was a couple with one baby,which was about 1 month old.The father was given World Of Warcraft in his work by a colleage and he installed it.When he played he showed it to his wife.The couple was playing for about all day long when they realised they had a baby to take care of(well good parents aren't they?).But the baby was dead,it was left without care and just died.This is just dramatic.Do not ever try to play world of warcraft,not even try it if you haven't played it yet.It may ruin your entire life.When i played wow for the first time i found it one of the worst games i have ever seen.I can't even understand why people are addicted to this game.

i know another really dramatic story.there was a couple with one baby,which was about 1 month old.The father was given World Of Warcraft in his work by a colleage and he installed it.When he played he showed it to his wife.The couple was playing for about all day long when they realised they had a baby to take care of(well good parents aren't they?).But the baby was dead,it was left without care and just died.This is just dramatic.Do not ever try to play world of warcraft,not even try it if you haven't played it yet.It may ruin your entire life.When i played wow for the first time i found it one of the worst games i have ever seen.I can't even understand why people are addicted to this game.

Soadforever1

Okay, that honestly sounds like a load of BS to me. I don't think even a one month old baby would die in a day. Also, if the baby did die in a day, it could've been because of SIDS, which can't always be prevented. I'm sorry, but I don't see how that could be true.

It's amazing how powerful some games have become. Particularly WoW. The truth is that they work on these games with psychologists, working out exactly what degree of reward is required to create the most addictive experience possible. Just like many gambling machines... Congrats for beating your addiction mate. Conquering any personal hurdle is a genuine accomplishment.RaZoR_RaiN

I totally agree with you on the psychologists perspective. I was addicted to WoW as stated in my original post but one console game i think was heavily influenced from a psychological pov is CoD4. From the sounds of ranking up to the constant upgrades you get inbetween ranks. It just seems a bit suspicious imo.

Although the gameplay is fantastic in CoD4, when i play online for a length of time all i find myself doing is looking in the barracks to see what challanges im close to completing, go into a match and finish them. It comes to the point where im not playing the game to have fun but to gain ranks/attachments and to here that heavy guitar riff, rinse and repeat.

Yeah, I almost lost myself twice with the game. I managed to catch myself twice, once during early BC and sold my account (After raiding pre-BC). Then I went back with a new account, leveled a Mage, and raided BC. I left for WAR (And still here!), then went back to WoW for WOTLK. Hit 80, raided everything, and actually got bored. I actually completely played the game out and got burned out.

What I also noticed is that with each expansion, the end-game is the same as the previous except easier. WOTLK end-game is so stupidly easy that it actually becomes boring. I still think the game was at its prime in pre-BC.

Now I have a GF that plays WoW. Not good for me considering my experience, 2,814 hours of playtime according to Xfire. That's over a course of three years. I don't want to go back, and she's trying to pull me back.

With WAR, I'm in control of my playtime, since the game is not completely balanced on gear, and the game starts at level 1, not at 40. And not only that, but it's the most enjoyable MMO I've ever played.

Anything entertaining is addictive.

What it comes down to is your willpower.

I know for a fact that they do. I have a bachelor of Psychology. While I was at Uni in 2000, we discussed to some extent the involvement of psychologists in the development of casino machines, and their growing presence in the development of video games.

Not everything is a conspiracy theory buddy. A great deal of the decisions we make in our lives are influenced by people we've never met. You don't think they employ psychologists in marketing? You don't think they employ psychologists in the military? Why is this so hard for you to believe?

I know for a fact that they do. I have a bachelor of Psychology. While I was at Uni in 2000, we discussed to some extent the involvement of psychologists in the development of casino machines, and their growing presence in the development of video games.

Not everything is a conspiracy theory buddy. A great deal of the decisions we make in our lives are influenced by people we've never met. You don't think they employ psychologists in marketing? You don't think they employ psychologists in the military? Why is this so hard for you to believe?

RaZoR_RaiN

This was written in reply to AbBaNdOn's message doubting the involvement of psychological contribution to modern games development. I still haven't figured out the 'quote' and 'reply' functions yet. lol

Yeah, I almost lost myself twice with the game. I managed to catch myself twice, once during early BC and sold my account (After raiding pre-BC). Then I went back with a new account, leveled a Mage, and raided BC. I left for WAR (And still here!), then went back to WoW for WOTLK. Hit 80, raided everything, and actually got bored. I actually completely played the game out and got burned out.

What I also noticed is that with each expansion, the end-game is the same as the previous except easier. WOTLK end-game is so stupidly easy that it actually becomes boring. I still think the game was at its prime in pre-BC.

Now I have a GF that plays WoW. Not good for me considering my experience, 2,814 hours of playtime according to Xfire. That's over a course of three years. I don't want to go back, and she's trying to pull me back.

With WAR, I'm in control of my playtime, since the game is not completely balanced on gear, and the game starts at level 1, not at 40. And not only that, but it's the most enjoyable MMO I've ever played.

PunishedOne

I know for a fact that they do.

RaZoR_RaiN

[QUOTE="RaZoR_RaiN"]

I know for a fact that they do.

Skylock00

No, you're right mate. They just got lucky. Why would any game developer research ways to increase game sales and profit margins? What sort of crazed maniac would seek the advice of other professionals to improve business? It's inconceivale. Yawn.

Like myself and many other gamers we don't put a game down tell we have finished it,thats where the addiction kicks in.

If there was a meaning for Grind you would see WoW right behind it.Btw god speed who ever lvls 1-80....god speed and prepare for the most boring grind ever.

Well done, I wish the junkies were I live would get off drugs and alcohol in the same way you've managed to get off WoW.

I've been curious about the game, mostly since I like RPG's, but the install time online, the price and that it does look pretty boring turned me off. I tried two other online RPG's and found them boring and pointless, uninstalled them and haven't looked back. I don't mind Second Life, I'm in a Star Trek group there -United Federation Starfleet - and help out as often as I can there while doing other things once in a while. But my real life always comes first, the usual never ending bills mostly.

I would prefer more single player RPG's that are worth buying than any more of these boring online RPG's, at least with those if you feel you might get hooked, you can have an alarm clock nearby or your body will tell you that enough is enough.

R/T

I believe that there are certain addictions which are out of the individual's control, like crack or heroin. However, these addictions are chemically based and thus nearly impossible to fight against. Your body begins to "tell you" that you need the substance to live, and without it you experience withdrawals.

However, video games are nothing like that. I completely agree with the idea that it depends on the person in this case. I've never become "addicted" to a game, with the closest thing being the time I played through FFX in one sitting (taking bathroom breaks and such, of course). But, with all of the games I've ever played, MMOs included, none have sucked me in, or even come close to sucking me in, the way some people have been.

i played it for like 4 months i quit in6 mins thats how long it took to exit game uninstall break disk in tiny parts shread box and all papers and trow it away i was cured.

i don't think you need evidence of any intent on the part of blizzard for putting some blame their way for the way they designed WoW. look at its actual effects. this guy's story is one of countless examples. no offence to the original poster, but it doesn't matter if it's made up or real (ie: low post count), there's enough real-life examples out there to conclude that there is something inherent about the way that MMOs are designed that maybe shouldn't be in video games, or should at least be taken more seriously.

yeah, everybody made a choice to start WoW, but nobody had any notice of any of its potential harmful effects. when you smoke, there's warning labels staring you right in the face. when you drink, there's enough social awareness to know what the limits of reasonable behaviour are. when you do illegal drugs, the criminal prohibitions speak for themselves. but when you start a WoW, you're expecting a great game, and it is before a small portion of gamers realize they've literally had the life sucked out of them.

i don't think MMOs should be illegal or anything like that...that's ridiculous. but there should be some more awareness among the general public (not hardcore gamers...they already know the potential effects) about what the possible harms are when starting a MMO. perhaps warning labels might be a start. reviewers that end a review stating that so-and-so game wil suck away 2 months of your life maybe should mention the potential flipside of this. and maybe there should be more advertising in the public around the idea that being sucked into a game is great, but being sucked away from your life isn't.

He's right it's a virtual drug.

It's not an addictive personality, it is a system of rewards that triggers receptors in the brain that give you good feelings, like hitting that level, or getting new piece of gear or what not. MMOs are not that good of games to be honest, but people keep coming back, and people are addicted to them with physiological reasons.

I took a game design class with a designer at Blizzard and felt a bit unnerved with the amount of time we focused on addiction and addictive properties in the class.

World of Warcraft is addictive, but it is a persons fault for letting themselves/others getting addicted to it

But WoW is a drug, that is why it has received the nickname "World of Warcrack"

that just right. a perfect way to describe WOW. a virtual drug.. LOL

Thing about WoW is it is like smoking. The first few levels are boring because you don't feel any real progression, but once you start hitting the high numbers, then it kicks in. That's why at first glance it is hard to see why people get into it. I have a Warcraft account 2 level 80's and working on my third (a DK), but I haven't logged in in about a week. I guess I don't have an addictive personality, although I have to admit the first few weeks after WoTLK got released that is all I did, however I play games in general so WoTLK could be replaced by any big name title and I would play it for long periods of time until completion. Im not going to go as far as to say WoW is addictive by design, Blizzard do not work with physiologists to get the exact reward / work ratio, that is just pure crap and completely ridiculous. Games like WoW are conceptually addictive, the basic principles that ground the game are the building blocks of addiction. In fact any game where you have continuous progression is, ever wonder why CoD4 was so awesome and why people love 360 gamerscore? Continuous reward for effort, couple that with the competitive nature of online play and boom people will suck it up.

[No, you're right mate. They just got lucky. Why would any game developer research ways to increase game sales and profit margins? What sort of crazed maniac would seek the advice of other professionals to improve business? It's inconceivale. Yawn.

RaZoR_RaiN

BTW out of curiosity. What did you do with your account?

[QUOTE="RaZoR_RaiN"]

[No, you're right mate. They just got lucky. Why would any game developer research ways to increase game sales and profit margins? What sort of crazed maniac would seek the advice of other professionals to improve business? It's inconceivale. Yawn.

Skylock00

requiring proof is kind of a red herring, isn't it? of course the average person isn't going to have any proof. that's why anything that's going on is an internal business practice. if every consumer needed proof of a company's shady practices before making allegations, nothing would ever get uncovered because that kind of proof is impossible to get without a pretty thorough investigation.

about the topic, which is why WoW is like a virtual drug...i think the addictiveness is more inherent in the game design than in anything specifically that blizzard does. but i don't think that lets blizzard off the hook without any blame. they know damn well what they're doing, and there's enough third person knowledge from people that know blizzard developers to confirm that. the bad effects have gone beyond just a few isolated incidents. i don't think there's anything that can be done about the addictiveness other than educating the general public better, but the idea of blizzard as this innocent developer getting punished in the media for making a great game is pretty naive. they profited big time from WoW, and in my opinion that makes them more than deserved of sharing in the blame for some of the horror stories out there. i'm not buying the whole "blame the addict" mentality when there's a company out there making money off them.

requiring proof is kind of a red herring, isn't it? of course the average person isn't going to have any proof. that's why anything that's going on is an internal business practice. if every consumer needed proof of a company's shady practices before making allegations, nothing would ever get uncovered because that kind of proof is impossible to get without a pretty thorough investigation.

WindedSailor

[QUOTE="WindedSailor"]

requiring proof is kind of a red herring, isn't it? of course the average person isn't going to have any proof. that's why anything that's going on is an internal business practice. if every consumer needed proof of a company's shady practices before making allegations, nothing would ever get uncovered because that kind of proof is impossible to get without a pretty thorough investigation.

Skylock00

i don't think they're using psychologists either. i wasn't supporting people saying that. but the less bold claim is that a game developer doesn't need a psychologist to know what addictive qualities are needed to make games. and if people are speculating about what goes on behind the scenes at companies, then yeah, requiring proof is an impossible standard. just talking about why people think blizzard is making games as addictive as possible i don't think requires every poster to go searching for evidence that isn't out there anyways. all that can be done is look at everything - the game, the developer, the allegations, the negative effects - and make a conclusion.

LMAO!!!!! you seriously think the developers of WoW work with psychologists to maximize its addictiveness?? _AbBaNdOn

yes... lol