Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
SHould MMO developers do something ?
Mavi
Member Posts: 8
I am a game designer student and I am doing a paper for school. Can u help me?Please answer this poll for me. If you think MMORPG addiction is a real issue... Do you think that game developers should do something about it? A warning? A timer for long periods online? Tell me your thoughts.
Thanks a lot in advance. 
Kiss
Comments
Yes, the addiction is real. There are people that quit jobs (and more) for these kind of games. If you do that, the game definitely effected your rational thinking.
The problem is that a lot of devs seem to aim for the addiction factor. The long grinding for an ingame reward system actually seems build for it. Too me, CoH/CoV is not nearly as addictive as other games because it isn't nearly as reward focussed. It actually makes the game more fun when I play it as well.
IMO games are designed with the average person in mind. (Most) devs dont make games to ruin people's lives, they make games to entertain.
The real question is is entertianment addictive? And to some it is, but to the majority, I'd (hope) think not.
Having said that, my kid won't be playing any MMORPG games until I can be certain he gets his own butt outta bed in the morning, and can be somewhat responsible for himself. Ignorant parents can indeed contribute to internet gaming addiction in teens (IMO).
OMG BLAME THE DRUG DEALER OR THE DRUGS NOT THE USER!!!
.......
Addiction is the fault of the end user, not the dev's, not the game. If you make the choice to let a game interfere with your school/work/relationships that is YOUR choice. The game didn't make that choice for you. The developers developed a game to MAKE MONEY, they didn't develope a game that FORCES anyone to play it.
Addiction is real, but the responsibility is on the player. If you quit your job to play an MMO all day you have bigger issues than video games. I speak from experience.
When people will pay others to play a game for them it might be a sign the game isn't all that fun.
Your poll isnt too accurate, it is too vague. I would say that the addiction is there and the developers created the game to be this way. It is there in the form of time sinks, making it harder and longer to get what you want or reach the ultimate goal. It is there in the form of PvP, always need to be on top of the rankings and spending hours/days/weeks/months getting there. I can go on... Basically you just keep unlocking new content and keep opening up new gameplay or new items etc etc. You can see this in the form of Achievements on the Xbox 360 live. Even though they dont get you anything but a reputation in the community, it is fun to do everything or attempt to.
In the future, when games become more immersive/realistic/enticing... They may need to put a timer like at the corner showing how much time the player have played... Then like after 2 hours, the "2 HOURS" pop up on screen in red and every hour after " (# of hours) HOURS"... This would ruin immersion and that's the point, because it might help the irresponsible...
If that's not enough... In the further future... They need a guy's voice screaming " OMG, OMG, 2 HOURS. GO OUTSIDE And PLAY, PLAY, PLAY!!!! "... And then it flash images of 600-2000 lbs guys... Then " Step away from the computer... I repeat, step away from the computer... ... ... Failure to comply... Activate Detonation in 5 mins.... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." ...(Power supply cut off)... *Silence*... ... ... ( Okay, I got carried away... )
The problem here is that people are acting like MMO addiction is this big thing like drug addiction or alcohol addiction. It isn't. Those addictions are based around chemical influences.
Yes people can get 'addicted' to MMOs, in the same way that people can get addicted to any emontionally influencing thing. Gambling, sex, bungee jumping. People can get addicted to things they enjoy, but it's totally different from chemical dependancy. The fact is that the number of people who get 'addicted' to MMOs are almost insignifigant compared to the number of people that play them. The addiction is the cause of a pre-existing problem or disposition towards addiction. In other words, these people could be addicted to anything that makes them feel good. It has nothing to do with the nature of the MMO genre. Yes the style of MMOs makes them very time consuming, but carving wood figurines is just as time consuming and nobody's worried about people being addicted to that. People just freak out because there's alot of 'demonification' of video games in todays society. (Which I believe just stems from parents who want something else to blame when they screw up)
Anyways, my point is that I feel 'addiction' to an MMO isn't really an addiction in the way of drugs or alcohol. The MMO has not caused this addiction, and the amount of people who are 'addicted' are numerically insignifigant compared to the number of people who play MMOs.
We all see the big headlines on all the big news sources when a child dies because a parent was too busy playing a video game. How often do they make such a big deal of a child dying because a parent was too busy smoking crack? Which do you think happens more?
It's just about sensationalising news stories and demonising video games.
"Because it's easier to nitpick something than to be constructive." -roach5000
I still think the developers can do something about it. Take a look at the honor system of wow for example. The only way to reach the top is to play 16+ hours a day for a few months. From what I've heard, most the people that get to the final rank take a long break or completely quit the game, because they hated doing it.
Whats the use of content like this? It just lives on people being addicted, and it doesn't even entertain them after a while. Sure, its the fault of the player mainly, but that doesn't mean that content like this should exist. Or does everyone here that says that its the players fault want all drugs to be legal? I mean, its the users fault if they get addicted to it anyway.
MYSPACE ACCOUNT
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=80721225
Which FF Character Are You?
Addiction is a real phenomenon, though its existence is usually overrated or mistook for mild obsessions. But I can't see why game developers should be held responsible.
An optional timer that users could use to track their time online may be a useful tool, but using such means to enforce a restriction in access would not help the patient. It would only cause a more frequent occurence of the addiction deprivation symptoms. It's primarily to the will of the patient to fight an addiction.
An article that may help your paper: http://www.nickyee.com/hub/addiction/mapping.html.
Currently playing:
* City of Heroes: Deggial, Assault Rifle/Devices Blaster. Server: Defiant.
* City of Villains: Snakeroot, Plant/Thorns Dominator. Server: Defiant.
I play mmorpgs for fun and entertainment as do countless of hundreds of thousands. If you substitute your time for something you should be doing, i.e. work, school, etc with playing a mmorpg then I believe you are starting to cross in to addictive behaviour, though not necessarily addicted at this point. When you start to substitute sleep/food/etc then you got serious problems. I think some games do have a timer, I seem to remember EQ2 having a timer. That certainly helps; maybe mmorpgs should come with health warnings.
There hasn't really been any intense research in to MMO addiction. There are a few research papers on the Internet, but the samples are really too small imo. It has to be remembered that MMO are designed to continue forever, that in itself causes its own problem. There are no rolling credits for "completing" a MMORPG. It's the equivalent of building a brewery next door to an alcoholic, which is open 24/7. Some games are actually designed with consultation from psychologists and anthropologists etc, to MAKE them as addictive as possible. It's certainly a unique addiction, it's tough to compare it to say gambling or smoking, but there are definite similarities.
I actually think too few developers care and as I said would prefer to have an addictive game then not. Part of the problem is you don't see the effects. You hear stories about how so and so lost their jobs/wifes etc, but it's mostly anecdotal. Trust me, developers have got far more pressing issues then whether little (or indeed big) Johnny gets addicted to their game. It is a real problem and no doubt it will grow, but nothing on the scale of, say crack, and so it will largely be ignored for some time.
In principle you are right and conservative members of the medical community would support your claim. However, although not a true physiological addiction, MMO addiction is certainly a psychological addiction for some.
This is a complex issue to debate partly because even the professionals don't have a consensus as to how to define this area and its ramifications. In any case, eventhough MMO or any other online addiction isn't a "true" medical addiction because people aren't using an external stimuli such as alcohol or drugs, many still experience the ups and downs as if they had been. Endorphines, adrenalin and dopamin are some of the chemicals and amino acids that run through the body of for example a MMO addict.
The player needing his minimum 8 hours playing his all time favourite MMO becomes very agitated and impatient and experiences even physiological reactions if he is deprived.
So to come back to your statement about " ...it's totally different from chemical dependancy".
- Yes in principle because the player isn't using an external source of stimuli ( other than the game itself), but his/hers brain is acting as if it had received an external source of stimuli nonetheless. Btw, the release of endorphines ( which you can trigger by yourself if you run for more than approx. 20 min. ) have been measured to be EIGHT times higher in some MMO/online addicts than if that same person would sniff a line of coke ( many compare endorphines and the coke rush because they give a deep sense of satisfaction/joy)
I know some of my claims here aren't source substantiated and I'll try and get some links to this thread. In the meanwhile, check out these sites:
http://http://www.easg.org/
http://www.youthgambling.com
http://www.hms.harvard.edu/doa
Welcome to the MMOGRPG forums Mavi!
The MMOG addiction is real and MMOG developers are doing something about it...their trying to increasing it!
If the industry can't/won't police itself then politicians will do it for them. The best thing would be for developers/publishers to get out in front of the issue and establish safeguards so that children under the age of 18 can't spend inordinate amounts of time in the MMOG world. Hell, maybe they could just ban anyone under the age of 18! OMFG! A dream come true!
As for me, I'm a full grown man with enough commonsense and selfcontrol to know when it's time to quit playing and do my chores.
I'm not trying to be a snob, but addiction is a biochemical disease of the brain. In order to form an addiction you have to introduce a chemical into your body like chocolate, caffiene, heroine, alcohol etc. Your brain then reacts to those chemicals and changes its actual physical makeup. Your changed brain alters the way you perceive reality. Addiction is also hereditary. Only about 15% of the population suffers from addiction. About two years ago, they actually located the parts of our DNA that decide this.
MMOs are habit forming, but if a person allows a game to negativly affect his life then his troubles aren't the game.
I wouldn't be so picky about this except for two reasons:
1) you said you were writing a paper for school, and people are gonna believe it if you researched it. If it's academic it needs to be true.
2) people use the word "addiction" as an excuse for irresponsibilty. Real addiction is no joke.
Which FF Character Are You?
Quoted for truth.
When I was "addicted" to MMOs I was in the grip of major chronic depression. My problem had nothing to do with the game. That is just where I escaped.
When people will pay others to play a game for them it might be a sign the game isn't all that fun.
MMORPGs are designed to have the player play as long as possible before quitting. The games are based on a monthly subscription rather than a concrete box price so it makes a big difference if a player stays for 2 months vs. 2 years.
It is up to the user, however, to make use of his/her time wisely. The developer doesn't need to do anything because in making a game less addictive, he/she is also making the game less profitable.
Absolutely, take a stroll over to the Star Wars Galaxies forum. You'll find a large collection of players still obsessing over a game they've long since left.
Ico
Oh, cruel fate, to be thusly boned. Ask not for whom the bone bones. It bones for thee.
You can be addicted to virtually everything. The big deal is whether its a psychological or physiological addiction.
I believe although with MMOG's or just games in general the problem lies in the user. They made the choice, and they continue to make the choice.
The thing is this addiction is not a physical one. Its a psychological addiction when talking about MMOG's and a psychological addiction can form with any rewarding behavior. But they are more likely to form in someone who already has a social, emotional, or psychological dysfunction.
Hmm i choose yes and no because their is a key part of this poll missing as an earlier post noted.
You didnt include the option
Or is this the users problem.
Addiction comes the lack of will and that is a basic fact unless you are born with a certain disposition to that addiction. Just like you choose to buy the Big Mac at McDonalds instead of an apple and 2 oranges at your local grocery store. Human nature for the most part tends to lean towards what ever is the easiest thing for us.
Faranthil Tanathalos
EverQuest 1 - Ranger
Star Wars Galaxies - Master Ranger
Everquest2 - Ranger WarhammerOnline - Shadow Warrior
WOW - Hunter
That's right I like bows and arrows.
No. It's not an addiction. It's a symptom.
I don't think we're drawn to the games. I think we are pushed to them. Because society is a big load of crap right now and everyone is fed up with it. Fed up to the point that they are looking for an escape.
People don't feel like their life is worth anything more than earning a paycheck. It's just one of the many ways people are screaming for help, change, and purpose. What else am I going to do with the whole hour of free time I have after 9+ hours at work, 2 hours of commuting, and time spent to take care of everything in between?
When will we finally snap and give up on the empty promises? I sure hope I earned my company a lot of money. So they can compete. compete. compete. compete. compete. compete.
=============================
It all seems so stupid
It makes me want to give up
But why should I give up
When it all seems so stupid
Tell your teacher to stop eating so much, she will get fat and die from clogged arteries.
Or
Tell your teacher to stop smoking.
Or
Tell your teacher to stop having affairs out of wedlock, she can get aids, sex addiction is a mean disease.
Or
Tell your teacher to stop drinking alcohol.
Or
Tell your teacher to stop hiking, rescue helecopters cost taxpayers allot of money
Or
.
.
Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia tried to stamp human nature out of humans, it never worked, it never will.
My point is, that the Skinner effect (rewarding system) could be used as well to reward gamers that play regularly but not obsessively. Taking into consideration that most MMO are based in a monthly fee, the amount of time spent continously on line is irrelevant.
I disagree, based on the fact that both physical and psychological addictions lead to the same deprivation symptoms (such as depression). Furthermore, from what I've read in relevant studies, it appears that psychological addictions result in neurological changes. Quoting from: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro02/web2/mschlimme.html
"A recent study utilized positron emission tomography in order to show that levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine increased while playing video games. Dopamine is believed to mediate several behaviors, one of which is the experience of pleasure. For example, dopamine levels increase in emaciated rats when the rats are presented with food, and similar effects are found when water deprived rats are presented with water. Despite the positive effects of dopamine, high levels of the neurotransmitter have also been associated with addictions to drugs and substances. Because increased levels of dopamine have been found in people who are playing video games and because these effects are similar to the increased levels of dopamine in drug addicts, some researchers have hypothesized that higher levels of dopamine can produce a dangerous cycle leading to addiction of video games."
I do agree with some comments further in your post, though. Suchs forms of addictions are caused by a pre-existing dispotition towards addiction, as you said. Financial or family trouble or lack of ability to form healthy social relationships may lead to an addiction, which is a stage quite more advanced than a simple need for a few hours of escapism.
Currently playing:
* City of Heroes: Deggial, Assault Rifle/Devices Blaster. Server: Defiant.
* City of Villains: Snakeroot, Plant/Thorns Dominator. Server: Defiant.