Its simpler than what they are making it out to be. Video games tell stories in them. Whether or not the story may be crappy in a particular game does not mean that it is not storytelling, its just a game that has crappy storytelling. The question shouldnt be about whether or not video games can pull off stories, it should be about how good the writers are a telling them and pull them off in a game. Just like in movies, writers can be either good or bad. And depending if you put a strong emphasis on the story. ex MGS or KH, or just the gameplay, this will depend on how good the story is. She then goes on and says "Do they know whether games will one day stand shoulder-to-shoulder with novels, films and plays?" What type of question is that? To people who want to READ, then they will go and pick up a novel, and to people that want a good story but want to play a game, they will pick up a game with a good story . The whole standing "shoulder to shoulder" phrase is dumb. People make good and bad stories in all types of "storytelling medium".

The question"are games an addiction" is a silly one. Too much of anything can become an addiction. What determines how addictive something is is how stimulating and appealing that game is to a certain person An addiction to gaming is a combination of craveness and time. For example, X said that he had an addiction from playing 20 hours a week. Now I know that at least 90% of the gamespot editors play at least 20 hours a week, some even at 30, but they still have a social life, and a job. I have no clue how this guy was able to have an addiction at 20 hours a week, but somehow it mustve became a craving that would get in the way of his neccesities. Other than a new game that you just got within the first week of purchase, these are factors that tell if you are playing too long: Playing more than 7 hours a day (especially if you have a job/school) Being afraid of reality (even if it is a little) Extreme sleep deprivation (who has never lost sleep because of a game? but if you are up until 3 in the morning, its a problem) Achieving THE GLOW (lol just kidding)

Good article, but I disagree that "an addict cannot stop him- or herself from recurrent use". Of course it is very hard to get out of an addiction, but it is many times the people that are in the addiction to take steps to end it. I didnt get the full grasp of the second paragraph. Is it saying that it is not how long you play the game (which I think the top ranked COD or KZ2 players probably play about 7 hours a day,) but its just how you are dependant on the game?