addiction
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Virtual Worlds Help In Addiction Therapy
Virtual worlds are all too often spoken of as something you're in danger of becoming addicted to. We've all heard the stories of inertia, bloat, pallor and unemptied cat trays. But Professor Patrick Bordnick, associate of the University of Houston, is using VR to help treat addictions in the course of therapy. As Professor Bordnick points out, imagination alone isn't a particularly powerful tool to recreate the situations in which a recovering addict learns to say 'no': 'As a therapist, I can tell you to pretend my office is a bar, and I can ask you to close your eyes and imagine the environment, but you'll know that it's not real'. Rather than ask the patient to visualise a bar stocked with alcohol or a party where cigarettes are on offer, Bordnick uses a VR helmet along with other components such as olfactory stimulation and actor participation to create a highly plausible and immersive environment. Although the patient consciously knows he is taking part in a VR simulation, the immersion has proven sufficient to build intense cravings, just as if the focus of the addiction had really been present.By supplying an enviroment that is realistic enough to stimulate cravings but remains controlled and safe, Bordnick can gradually train patients in the use of coping skills. As those skills will have been developed in the face of a close analogue of the real thing, the patient is much better equipped to contend with the challenge of the real-world situation.
What makes games addictive?
(Hint: It's not the taste!) Video game addiction is a topic that tends to occupy the attention of the mainstream media any time there's a slow news day, and even sometimes (like yesterday, for instance) when it's not. Videogames; how they're making junkies of your kids, news at 11! It's an issue that we here at Massively are quite sensitive to, and we've written about it it again and again and again.So imagine our delight when MSNBC, being the paragons of gaming wisdom that they are, took a crack at the subject, trying to to discern what combination of elven temptresses and subliminal messages will get people hooked on games, and MMOs in particular. Their answer, not surprisingly, is that MMOs offer an extremely gratifying system of toil and reward that keep players coming back for that next achievement. And when people are bereft of strong social ties in their work-a-day lives, they're susceptible to becoming addicted. Excuse us if we don't recoil in shock and surprise.
Anti-Aliased: What are we doing?
Click. 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 5, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 5, 1, 1, 3, 4, 1. /cheerSitting next to my friend in his room littered with Diet Mountain Dew cans, reports past due, and his girlfriend passed out on the bed, I slowly came to a very scary realization. Some of our best loved MMOs can be boiled down to not just pressing different buttons, but pressing the same button repeatedly. What really drove this home was me and a bunch of his friends were in the other room adjacent to his room, yet he was neglecting to join our roleplaying session and hang out. He'd rather sit in his small, cluttered room and farm a raid he's done at least 20 times, somehow finding enjoyment from pressing the button "1" repeatedly.So... what are we doing? Are we drinking the proverbial Windex because someone said it was a good idea?
Tanya Byron addresses addiction, walks a fine line on TV
Some members of the gaming community were offended by the content of a BBC TV special written by psychologist Tanya Byron. The special spent a fair amount of time addressing the issue of game addiction. Among other things, it suggested that World of Warcraft addicts have some things in common with heroin or cocaine junkies, and even called WoW "a childish fantasy game."Gaming addiction is a real problem that needs to be addressed, but it's difficult not to cringe when comparisons like that are made in a society still rampant with misconceptions and prejudices about the medium. That said, don't start demonizing Tanya Byron just yet.
Show and Tell: Trading Pokemon for smokes
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/health/Gamer_uses_Pokemon_to_quit_smoking'; This week, we're getting away from our usual Show and Tell format. We're not sharing pictures of cute crafts or decorated DSes. Instead, we sat down with one of our readers to discuss a pretty serious subject: smoking. Or, more specifically, quitting smoking. More specifically still? Quitting smoking by playing Pokémon. Reader Dan is doing just that, and we sat down with him to discuss his unusual decision.Next week, we'll be back to our usual format, but remember -- if you have something to show off, be it a collection, a craft, or yes, even a story (like Dan's), take some pictures or write it up and sent the lot to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest.
WoW Rookie: Safe, Sane, and Balanced
WoW Rookie is brought to our readers to help our newest players get acclimated to the game. Make sure you send a note to WoW Insider if you have suggestions for what new players need to know. Over the years, World of Warcraft has gotten some bad press from people who invest too much time into the game. Some people have had trouble with work, school, and relationships as a result of spending too much time in the virtual world and losing touch with the real world. One woman cited WoW as the reason for her divorce request; her husband dedicated all of his off time to playing, while neglecting his other responsibilities. In perhaps the most sobering case of game addiction, a young lady died of exhaustion as a result of a marathon WoW session. As much as we may complain about Blizzard, there is no doubt that they have made a fantastically engaging role playing game. True, from a psychological standpoint they have mastered reinforcement schedules and give goals that compel you to keep going. It's an excellent game, but along with its MMORPG predecessors, it can become all-consuming and soul-sapping. Just remember that it is your job to make sure your WoW time is safe, sane, and balanced. Welcome to World of Warcraft. WoW Insider offers information and tips for players of all skill levels. Covering everything from character creation to account security, WoW Rookie is specifically formulated to help new players be the very best that they can be.
Doctor clarifies MMO addiction study
We've all heard the warnings before: If you keep playing those MMOs, you'll become addicted, or WoW players live in their parents' basement, never to see the light of day, or you'll shoot your eye out, or you'll grow hair on your palms. Many people proclaim to know what's best for everyone else, but recently a study by Dr. John Carlton of England's University of Bolton declared a similarity between MMO players (playing Asheron's Call) and traits common among people with Asperger's syndrome. In many media interpretations of this research, Dr Carlton's true findings were misconstrued.So in a recent article at GameSpot, Dr. Carlton set the record straight. He explained that there are different levels of gaming "interest". There's a fine line though between the highly engaged and the addicted gamer. He goes on to clarify certain issues that were overlooked in previous news stories on this topic, including the fact that of the 391 people tested for this study, none were actually classified as having Asperger's syndrome. It seems the bottom line in his clarification is that more research would be needed to specifically say one way or another if MMOs actually cause addiction.
WoW blamed for bad parenting
Here's a recent news item from the Contra Costa Times, about a kid who played way too much World of Warcraft: "[World of Warcraft had become] the one place he was joining the world. Bringing him back to the real world took months of therapy, a wilderness camp and boarding school." Months of therapy, a wilderness camp and boarding school -- could the cure be worse than the disease? The article describes him as a "tween" -- between the ages of ten and twelve. So let's break it down. A middle schooler was allowed by his parents to spend as much unsupervised time playing World of Warcraft as he liked, such that it was the only thing he did. A game the parents would have had to pay with their credit card each month, along with the initial cost of the game. The parents didn't notice their son had become withdrawn for such a long time that months of therapy, a wilderness camp and boarding school became the only options. Who was really to blame?Blizzard knows that their game is addictive; they've even gone so far as to create parental controls for the game. Parenting support groups urge children to be restricted to just a couple of hours a week on the game. Given there is so much concern about children playing computer games of any sort to excess... how is it Blizzard takes the blame? Before World of Warcraft, it was EverQuest. Before EverQuest, it was Dungeons & Dragons. It can be hard for parents to keep tabs on their children; their natural desire is to give their children space to mature and learn how to take care of things on their own. But any sort of parents should be able to tell when a game, or depression, a fight with a friend or any of the thousand things that get too serious has gone beyond what a child can handle. Waiting until a problem has become so severe that boarding school and months of therapy are the only solutions are not Blizzard's fault. It's the parent's.
Research: Game addicts show traits of autism
Researchers at the British Psychological Society's Annual Conference in Dublin presented a study showing that video game addicts have similar personality traits to those with Aspergers (a high funcutioning form of autism). The study of 391 gamers (86% male) found that players who showed signs of "addiction" had three personality traits that are typically linked with Aspergers: neuroticism, lack of extraversion and agreeableness.The scientists don't believe these people have Aspergers, but "share some of the same characteristics because they find it easier to empathize with computer systems than other people." They say professions like engineers, mathematicians and computer scientists are closer to the non-empathizing end of the spectrum, but Aspergers is much farther along that line. Their main point is their research supports the idea that those heavily involved in game playing may be nearer to the autistic spectrum disorders than those who don't play at all -- and here we thought it just meant they were nearer to nerd spectrum disorders.
Compulsive e-mailing, texting could be classified as bona fide illness
Considering the plethora of facilities that have opened just in the past few years to deal solely with individuals that have become undoubtedly addicted to video games, the internet and all things Hello Kitty (we jest, we jest), we're not surprised one iota to hear that uncontrollably texting / e-mailing could soon become "classified as an official brain illness." According to a writeup in the latest American Journal of Psychiatry, internet addiction is a common ailment "that should be added to psychiatry's official guidebook of mental disorders." More specifically, Dr. Jerald Block, a psychiatrist at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, even goes so far as to argue that said phenomenon (neglecting basic drives to spend more time online) be "included in the [next edition of] Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, psychiatry's official dictionary of mental illnesses." Until then, we wish you the best of luck convincing that creature living in your basement with a dedicated T1 line that he / she isn't alright. [Via textually]
Should MMO developers try not to get us hooked?
There have been debates and discussions since the days of EverQuest (or EverCrack) about the addictive nature of MMOs. Here at Massively we've repeatedly discussed the nature of addiction. Whether it's commentary from Dr. Phil, gender-based addiction studies, China's schizophrenic attitude towards online games, crazy gaming spouses, or out-and-out comparisons between MMOs and drugs ... we've talked about it.Whether MMO addiction is all perception or has some basis in reality, it's a topic of discussion that just won't die. I think this stems, at its base, from some basic components of MMO game design. Massive games are designed, simply by their very nature, to be played for long periods of time. The speed of going from 20-60 in World of Warcraft may have been increased, but it still takes a fantastically long time. Compare 'beating' WoW by hitting 70 with finishing the story in a game like BioShock or Half-Life 2. What many argue is the best game of last year, Portal, takes about as long to complete as some guilds use just to get organized for one raid.Should designers try to make these long play sessions unappealing? Cameron Sorden over at Random Battle wonders aloud about this, and I'm forced to wonder along with him. Read on for my thoughts.
As the Worlds Turn: Get your fix
My therapist keeps telling me video games are addicting. She says they provide brain stimulation very similar to narcotics or a very productive afternoon of watching the home shopping network. They will grab hold of your very soul and whisper vile thoughts straight to your subconscious telling you things like 'Forget the garbage, it can take itself out' or 'Shower? Who needs a shower?' I'm just kidding. I don't have a therapist. I do wonder, however, about this draw, this interest that turns to desire. With so many games out there, presenting different worlds, different rules, different ways to play, what is it that grabs hold of players and, for some, doesn't let go? One thing is certain: it grabs hold of both male and female gamers. The big question we hear often today is "Are video games addicting?" We're probably not going to definitively answer this question but we'll have fun laughing at doctors and crazy politicians along the way!
CNN on WoW addiction
Last week CNN ran an editorial story about online game addictions. Its the typical story about how bad online games can be, and how this addiction can destroy a person's life. The article itself has some good examples of this, from both Final Fantasy and World of Warcraft. In particular, a specialist at the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery at Proctor Hospital, talks about a young man in his twenties. This poor fellow has lost numerous jobs, his girlfriend, and is quite the recluse since he became addicted to World of Warcraft. It's quite the unfortunate tale, and I'm sure we're all sympathetic to his plight.Many of us have someone in our family, or otherwise know someone who has dealt with an addiction. They can be a difficult period in everyone's life to deal with. Addictions to WoW and other games in the genera can be no less serious than an addiction to gambling. The results are all the same: people loose their jobs, their families, and can become severely depressed. When that happens disastrous things take place, such as the young man that lost his life in South Korea last year.The article on CNN doesn't go into any great detail about what you can do if you think you or a loved one has an addiction to WoW. It does give some tips to family members, but CNN is hardly the place to go to for medical advice. Instead, don't bother with anything else then going right to your doctor. Any doctor, at any clinic, anywhere, can at least point you in the right direction.I'm sure a few of our readers out there have dealt with this in the past, either directly or indirectly. What have you done? What stories do you have to tell?
Rumor: Peggle taps Nintendo DS vein [update]
PopCap co-founder John Vechey tells PocketGamer that crack-cocaine derivative Peggle will be available over-the-counter for DS sometime in the future. This follows the announcement in early January that Xbox 360 owners would be able to play the pachinko-style ball bouncer in glorious HD. Considering it's in line with PopCap's strategy, expect Peggle to eventually exist on every appropriate format possible – the article also alludes to a mobile version being in the works.Vechey says Peggle has now outsold Bejeweled with over ten million downloads. He explains that the game's sales weren't doing well on many casual portals when it first released, but that PopCap kept promoting it on its website and the designer drug took off. We're just waiting for the day a PA (Peggle Anonymous) group pops up on our local community center's bulletin board.Update: File this away as rumor for now. PopCap has issued a statement denying Peggle has been green lighted for DS. More here.
Science says: Men's brains get more 'reward' from gaming
Developers and executives that are struggling to develop games that appeal to women now have a new excuse to fall back on if and when they fail. According to a study by Stanford University's Alan Reiss, men are hard wired to feel more "rewarded" playing games than women.The study, which looked at 11 men and 11 women, asked participants to play a simple territorial point-and-click game while hooked up to an fMRI machine. The men in the study showed much great activity in the brain's "mesocorticolimbic center," which is associated with reward and addiction.Interestingly, the amount of activity for men went up as they did better at the game, while the amount of activity for women stayed roughly constant, regardless of achievement. "The females 'got' the game... they appeared motivated to succeed at the game," Reiss said. "The males were just a lot more motivated to succeed." Yeah, yeah ... tell it to the Frag Dolls.
'Xbox is crack for kids,' declares Times columnist
Is anybody else feeling dizzy? It must be due to the constant eye rolling prompted by the mainstream press' recent vendetta against informed opinion and logical argument, the results of which have yielded a particularly mystifying (and entirely non-existent) version of Mass Effect. Though the attention paid to every sensational sentence is undeserved, watching someone go off the rails and take their keyboard with them is, at the very least, an excellent source of entertainment. Today's performer is The Times columnist, Janice Turner, who doesn't waste a single punctuation mark before declaring, "Xbox is crack for kids."The greatest thing about Turner's meandering piece is its ability to convince you that it's a somewhat reasonable defense of children's exposure to television and the "unfathomable black magic" of technology. There's even some evidence of parental influence (!) in the suggestion to monitor kids' total "screen time." But like a skilled magician, Turner saves the real reveal for the last few paragraphs, dramatically pulling hypocrisy out of a hat when you least expect it. How'd she do that?Turner proudly declares that "unlike the TV-hating parents," she simply bars game consoles -- otherwise known as "Satan's Sudoku" and "crack cocaine for the brain" -- from her home. In a single sentence, she manages to give television far too much credit and gaming nothing more than a scornful, ill-informed glance. "Even the crappiest cartoon or lamest soap teaches a child about character, plot, drama, humour, life," insists Turner. With these qualities clearly lacking in any games ever made, children have no choice but to become "mentally imprisoned, wired into their evil creators' brains." Books and television are given a free pass, but as soon as the media becomes interactive it warrants the label of "addiction," one applied so aloofly when the subject matter is alien and obviously unfamiliar. While the final judgment urges kids to "get an inner life," we feel we have better advice to offer: Write sensationalist drivel to bring in the hits! Just remember, darling. They'll come to your credibility too.
China cracks down on MMOs, claiming they're "spiritual opium"
In a curious bit of international news, Reuters is reporting that China has issued a crackdown aimed at diminishing what the communist government believes to be the undesirable side effects of online games' explosive growth in popularity on the mainland. Most of the online gaming that takes place within China happens in popular "net bars," which are packed to the gills with PCs. The government watches over the proprietors of these net bars with a close eye, making sure they enforce recent laws passed that both ban children from playing altogether, and restrict the number of hours adult players can stay in one net bar.The establishments on which the government brought down their hammer were operated illegally and didn't abide by the gameplay restrictions mandated by the government. In one southern border city alone, officials shut down over 500 illegal gaming cafes. They cited one case where there was as many as 30 computers packed into a 40 square meter room. If you're more an english standard kind of person, that would be a room about 16 feet by 26 feet. You have to hope they had a good air conditioning unit!What I found interesting was one official's comment that, "Although China's online gaming industry had been hot in recent years, online games are regarded by many as a sort of spiritual opium and the whole industry is marginalized by mainstream society." While their description of these net cafes does conjure up an image not entirely unlike that of an opium den, you have to wonder whether they see the real problem underlying China's addiction to MMOs. If players are so desperate to escape the hopelessness of their everyday lives that they'll literally sit and play a game at a computer until they die, shouldn't it be the conditions they live in that are changed, and not their opiate of choice, whether real or in a fantasy?
Student newspaper raises concerns about WoW addiction
A boy skipped his senior prom because he was busy playing WoW. A woman divorced her husband because he was more interested in WoW than in her. We've heard these kinds of stories many times before; the media runs them all the time. And while it's frustrating that the games we play are often seen only in that light by the public at large, there's no denying that some people have a problem with unhealthy addiction to WoW and games like it.The student newspaper of Northeastern University ran yet another piece lamenting the negative effects of World of Warcraft on some people. At this point, all these addiction articles are becoming white noise to me, but this one had a couple notable contributions to the discussion.An expert was quoted within, saying that video game addiction is mostly a problem for young males of high school or college age. Imagine that! Also, the article featured a not-new quote from Liz Woolley (founder of On-Line Gamers Anonymous and the mother of that boy who committed suicide while playing EverQuest way back when); she said that MMO developers know that players can become addicted, and that those devs are therefore "no better than drug pushers." I think that's a bit harsh, but it's understandable that she'd come to that, given what she's gone through. You can still achieve many of your in-game goals on limited playtime. Our weekly WoW, Casually column has the hints, tips and tricks for those with 2 hours or less to play.
Games Radar lists five things MMOs are doing wrong
The following slipped through the cracks a few days ago, but like Lewis Black we're going back to it because it's worth a look. Games Radar ran a feature called "Saying no to the MMO," listing five evils embedded in the genre's culture and design that have really got to go.Read it for yourself, of course, but the five things include gold farming, elitist endgame content, unhealthy addiction, drab action-bar-and-auto-attack-based combat, and the continual bleeding of players' pockets via monthly fees and microtransactions.The genre needs an infusion of fresh ideas to progress, but Games Radar's list is controversial. For example, a lot of people like the elitist endgame content. But maybe raiding games don't need to go away; maybe there should be new (or old) types of MMOs with different philosophies, and maybe those MMOs could co-exist with the EverQuestian standards. It's food for thought.
DS Daily: A week without
The awesome Leigh Alexander, who writes for pretty much everyone (including herself) thinks she has a problem. She has figured out that between playing games, making game-related crafts, and doing other game-related things (like writing about games), she may be a little unhealthily addicted. After all, as shocking as it may be, there is an entire world out there without games (we know, it hurts us to think of it, too!) So what's a girl to do?Clearly, attempt to go an entire week without playing games of any kind. Nothing. None. Not even, as she says, Minesweeper. Having just restarted Puzzle Quest (again), this blogger feels the burn of potential obsession as well, but a whole week? Without any games? That's daunting. Could you do it?
