Reality Check - Are MMO Games Actually Bad For You?

Whether it's an MMO or a normal game, they can suck your life away.

And the kinda named that issue that always made me distrust the whole genre: if they do better in virtual life, they start to leave real life aside. I know it can be tough, but there's no better satisfaction that working hard to get your things in real life, hint: some of them are my games and GPU.

Hey Cam. I like the idea of both of the suggestions mentioned at the end of the video. Furthermore, I wouldn't exactly be opposed to a video concerning video game addiction as it would likely provide a more "official" type of response to it compared to the various self-reported anecdotes provided by people who struggle with it that are scattered around the Internet.

I liked the video going into the potential effects of playing MMOs, but how about doing a more general examination of how video games could be leveraged for optimal manipulation of the human psyche.

1) What kinds of games have what kinds of effects on people's ideas?
2) How can people affect the elements in these games to create different types of psychological reactions in players?
3) What kinds of practical applications are there for video games to be employed as a method of training / manipulation / directed development of individuals?
(You already kind of addressed the 3rd one in this video when the specialist mentioned the companies training leadership positions using MMO activities)

Hi Cam you may have already done this but you could do an episode on "fanboyism" and such. What makes people act like such jackasses for nothing?

For me its always been the online fees and stuff that keep me away from MMO's. I mean really they're a costly pastime.

I've never played an MMO tbh.

Great episode Cam!

I just dont see the appeal of MMO's to be honest. Far too much time has to be devoted to get the proper experience. I'd much rather try an experience many more shorter games in that time frame. Besides if I want to meet new people I'll go out and get drunk and meet real people that way.

yes they are bad,both for your pocket and your infinite lost time that you will regret at a certain point in your life

Yay! Interviews with researchers again!

I personally always lost interest in MMOs after the novelty wore off. The world must be so big that it must be created according to formulaic quest lines and mechanics. No story can fit such an enormous world (Wheel of Time and LOTR possible exceptions), so it becomes monotonous after the initial adventure wears off. Some people are patient enough and involved enough to keep going though.

EVE Online is the odd man out here because of how little the developers confine the players. It's a double-edged sword. There is still monotony (that's why I stopped), and there is little to take new players by the hand through the initial stages of getting started. Space is cold, and space is big (very big). If you and your fellow pilots can seize the opportunities though, you can build a player empire. That's enticing and can keep the adventure going if you are willing to deal with the necessary monotony of training and resource gathering, but it's not enough to keep me going.

Videogame addiction? Yes! Sounds great. Even more, if you could do a multi-part series on the topic, not only would it be interesting. It could also help a lot of people :)

My Concern is that developers like Bethesda will stop making single player games with the breadth and depth of Skyrim as they are not as profitable as ESO. I beta tested ESO and don't find it compelling enough to purchase, but still go back to Skyrim.

Anything can be bad for you, if you lose control of it over you. I did play WoW for 5 years, it was a LOT of fun, but I had to stop playing it when I realized I was playing it for about 20 hours a week. I just had to stop.

Cam Robinson, the thinking gamers thinking gamer. Good work sir.

PLEASE DO A REALITY CHECK ON "I KNOW KUNG FU" - THE ABILITY TO DOWNLOAD INFORMATION TO YOUR BRAIN!!!!

tbh only people with addictive personalities get affected by mmo's there the only people these negatives actually effect. even if these mmo's ruin your life because you become "online only sociable" it is still much better then other things you could be addicted to, drugs or gambling are far worse outcomes then an mmo addiction.

if you are addicted to mmo's then at least do the smart thing and play something like guild wars 2 or a free to play mmo so you don't waste all the money on just subscriptions, make sure there games that you know you would never need microtransactions to win or to tempt you.

make sure you basically do damage control on yourself if you get into mmo gaming, strict yourself on maximum expenditure drawing a line on what you can spend also include subscriptions into it, so you know that you cannot possible spend a year playing just one mmo, once you hit that limit you go cold turkey no matter what event happens, what level you are or what update thats being implemented.

i cant get into mmo's because they always feel unstructured and broken. also every time i run into ppl who are jerks. if i want to deal with all that drama ill just walk outside and talk to the 12 year old who thinks he's all that.

Really enjoyed this episode. Thanks Cam!

I will never play another MMO. I lost a year of my life to WoW and that is all I did. My guildmates became my friends and it took me a long time to stop logging on.

I love MMOs. Really it's all about balance. Finding a good length of time to play them, but not being too engrossed where you lose sight of everything else. Personal preference and such is what it comes down to. And how someone chooses to interact with people while playing. Still I find them to be enjoyable and whatnot. Other people may not think so.

MMOs can have that negative draw to them. Where a person can be so hard pressed to get to that max level or get that shiny piece of gear solo or with friends to where it makes them neglect basic hygiene. Again, it's all about self control, playing for a bit, take a break, then get back into it. It's not really the MMO itself that is bad, moreover the habit of staying on. People have the will to get off, they just chose not to because they want to keep playing.

So, no discussion of the negative health repercussions of sitting in front of a monitor/TV for hours grinding XP/gear? I know sitting inert for long periods of time isn't unique to MMO's but power-leveling often means not moving for several hours. This is awful for your body and probably the biggest downside to MMOs.

How do you discuss whether an MMO is bad for you and leave the health topic out?

Yes. Ever been in a hardcore raiding guild? It can be toxic to your health.

I'm predisposed to get addicted to this kinda stuff, which is why I've never played an MMO. Deliberately avoided them....

I once thought that I would never play an MMO because of the monthly fee. But after KOTOR 1 & 2 they made SWTOR so I figured I'd give it a try. I started playing WOW with a few friends to get ready for SWTOR, it was a fun game and I got use to the mechanics of an MMO, though a lot of the other players were jerks but I certainly was ready for SWTOR. Ever since early access I have been a SWTOR subscriber. I've made a lot of new friends and love playing the content. When it first came out I admittedly played lots of hours during the week but as I've gotten older and have more responsibilities I simply am only able to play a couple times a week so I never let it control me. I've always been able to walk away but now with a social aspect connected to it I will probably keep on playing it for as long as my friends on there continue to play.

Of course not! Missing school, family, friends, life... because Aunt Peggy needs you to go kill some rats in her basement for 50XP is totally valid. XP doesn't grow on trees you know. Not that they ever go outside to see trees anyway.

Seriously though, let people do what they wanna do. People with an addictive personality will get stuck on something - better WoW than drugs or booze. Or crap mobile games.

I've yet to find an MMO since LOTRO that I can even bear to play, never mind get engrossed in to the point where it has negative effects on my personal life.