The Lure of Heroinware

blankmange writes "news.com reports: When games stop being fun; where the line between reality and fantasy blurs. Another story about games and the adults who can't stop playing them. It seems that we can't be held responsible for our actions -- it must be the 'heroinware' that game companies are producing...." Mmmm, Evercrack. T. pops in: Don't worry, games aren't addictive, but here's the announcement of a 24-hour gaming TV network for those unexplained late-night cravings. (Thanks to joestump98.)

Comments

Planetside

[Skidge]

Here's an interesting quote from Planetside's FAQ, another game by Verant, the creaters of Everquest:

What is the goal of the game?
To be more addictive than any substance known to man.

Probably said with tongue in cheek, but still, they recognize what their cames can become to some people.

Re:Planetside

[Chasing Amy]

Anything that provides the opportunity for escape or is mood-altering can become addictive. In that respect I don't think the immersive video games are much different from other things people can become addicted to--drugs, alcohol, pr0n, traditional paper-and-dice roleplaying, etc. There's a good reason that even huge fans of the game jokingly agree with the term "Evercrack." But it's important to note that people can become addicted to just about anything--watching those 24-hr. cable news stations, posting to Slashdot; anything which alters the mood, takes the mind off real life or personal life, or makes someone feel special or important.

That's not to say that it's inherently dangerous or addictive--most people can drink or smoke pot or watch pr0n or play Everquest or D&D without becoming addicted. It's a very small percentage with personalities susceptible to addictions who develop real problems, while almost everyone else can successfully have a few drinks or play a few games without it interfering with the rest of their lives.

So, it's the addictive personalities which are the real problem, not alcohol or games or pr0n or drugs or cable news or whatever one's addiction is. When I read the following paragraph, I had an intersting thought:

> While such cases are rare, mental-health professionals say the fantasy worlds
> offered by computer and video games can become the stuff of very real addictions that
> destroy marriages and careers.

The thought was--what is it about these people's real lives that's so boring or bad that they want to escape into the make-believe world of power or pleasure offered by a computer game or a syringe of heroin? That's what we need to blame and address, not the games or the pr0n or the alcohol or drugs. All of those things can and are used in moderation by most people, to bring them additional pleasure; some people have no or insufficient real-life joys, and rtreat into their favorite "opiate." These deficiencie in their lives, which enhance susceptibility to escapism, are what need to be addressed and improved.

Think of the teenage Everquest addict's likely profile--a smart geek with a lot of ability but no respect in real life. Our society--particularly our highschool society--accords brainless people with athleticism limitless respect, and people with tremendous minds but not so impressive bodies almost none. It's therefore understandable if one falls into the lure of finding that respect in a make-believe world, since the real one refuses to provide it.

It's like with Columbine, how not a single step was made to teach kids to be more egalitarian and accepting, and instead the pressure was turned up and people who didn't fit in perfectly into the social machine were shunned and harassed even more. No one wants to see underlying problems--they want to blame the game or the substance instead of the deficiencies in our society. It's sad and alarming, and is getting us nowhere. We need to see the problems in our society and work our best to fix them--not blame that which brings the problems to light.

Re:Planetside

[198348726583297634]

Think of the teenage Everquest addict's likely profile--a smart geek with a lot of ability but no respect in real life. Our society--particularly our highschool society--accords brainless people with athleticism limitless respect, and people with tremendous minds but not so impressive bodies almost none.

That's a nice way to get modded up, but probably not so accurate. Try: Our society--particularly our highschool society--accords outgoing and friendly people (who tend to move toward social activities like sports and dating) limitless respect, and people with tremendous egos because they unlocked the secrets of programming instead of flirting almost none.

As for Columbine- the world does not exist to be fair and to cater to unbalanced individuals. Fairness is nice, and something we should probably strive for, but being unfair never ever ever justifies that kind response. It is sad and alarming that people could read anything into the Columbine incident but the tragedy that two very sick youths took out their rage on their classmates and peers.

(Mod etc blah blah blah)

Re:Planetside

[ArcSecond]

I think you are close to the point here, but this is my take on it:

Addiction is a behaviour. You learn to become addicted. You can also unlearn it to a certain extent... but (as all the psych people out there probably already know), a behaviour can never be completely extinguished once learned. Hence the "once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic" mantra of AA has a real foundation.

Behaviours are like memes: they compete with each other. To the extent that you exibit one behaviour more than others, it defines you. Getting locked into a certain pattern of behaviour(s) makes you boring, IMNSHO. Thus, addiction may be a response to boredom, but it in turn makes you boring. Got to love the irony.

Of course people who feel inadequate, unsatisfied, and ignored in "real life" (whatever that is) will try to find a way to experience the thrill of power, exultation, and adulation. The fact that they are "only acting" has nothing to do with the reality of their experience. Other people may choose to devote their lives to, say, show biz for the exact same reasons. You could argue that acting in a play and playing in an online game are equivalent, except you are more likely to be paid for the former. Keep in mind that this may change.

So really, when someone retreats into addiction, they are seeking well-being and belonging. The fact that people identify more easily with their game alter-egos than with their equally-artificial social persona is not only a matter of mental health, but an indicator that our culture (the ones in which these games flourish, that is) itself is sick.

Why are people so ready to give up the world of wage slavery, voter apathy, anti-intellectualism for worlds like EverQuest? I think the answer is obvious: it's more rewarding than involving themselves in the game of "real life". They want to live the life of a hero (or villian) in the true sense: they want to take on the role of the archetype, to accept the hero's challenge to conquer his own weaknesses and transcend The World itself.

We all are, really. Some of us have kids to keep our name/genes alive. Some try to make their mark on history. Others may work in their community to improve things for the next generation. All are seeking a "place" in the world--not the world of time and space, but the world of stories, lore, and cultural memory. Looked at from this point of view, what the EQ addicts are doing isn't so strange. They are trying to do what we all do, just in a different medium.

The problem here is that no game can deliver on the promise of the hero's quest. The closest they will come to this experience is not to "beat the game" from within the game, but to beat it from the outside, BY PUTTING THE GAME BEHIND THEM. They can then move on to the real challenge: finding a way through life that reinforces their spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being.

Our Western lives have been organized around things that seem custom-made to make us feel bad about ourselves, which drives us to find comfort in one addiction or another. We spend our lives trying to make up for the guilt and regrets of what we "had" to do. Basically, through the long process of dividing people into halves (private/public, personal/professional) we have created a world for ourselves where everyone walks around fighting with themselves and each other. Why is it so strange that we would want to escape from this?

WTF??!!

[mosch]

"The game almost ruined my life"

Just when you think you've hit the nadir, you discover there's still a huge fucking crevasse. People need to take resposibility for their actions, and shut the fuck up. Right now.

The game had nothing to do with his problems, nor any of the other problems described in this article, and likening video games to heroin is just rediculous.

These are just incontinent people. They understand that neglecting family, work, friends and what not is wrong, but they freely choose to do so. There's no physical addiction, their hair won't hurt when they stop playing, they can stop if they want to.

Yeah, I know somebody is going to say 'but they have an addictive personality.' Here's four words for people with addictive personalities, "sucks to be you." I'd try to feel bad for you, but everything can be addicting at some level, and a true addictive personality has to take extra care to make sure that they're getting hooked on good things, like exercise, family, laughter, and prostitutes, and stop blaming the rest of the world for making things you like.

Re:WTF??!!

[mosch]

No, I meant incontinent. Aristotle described four categories of people.

1. virtuous -- they do what is right, and like it.
2. continent -- they do what is right, but they'd rather not.
3. incontinent -- they do what is wrong, but they know it's wrong and feel a little bad about it.
4. vicious -- they do what is wrong and have no qualms.

So...

[CleverNickName]

So does this mean we're going to see the Bush administration launch a War On Video Games(tm)?

30 hours?

[moronga]

From the article:

Angie said her live-in boyfriend spends at least 30 hours a week playing "EverQuest" as a female elf...

This is supposed to be an example of compulsive behavior? 30 hours a week?! What a fucking lightweight.

When I was a kid, we used to play 30 hours a day. And we didn't have no live-in girlfriend either.

:)

my story...

[cowtamer]

You guys are making light of the situation, but it is not so funny for those of us who have been through it...

It started in middle school with the Apple][. Addiction to BASIC kept me from the smell of sweet, sweet glue...

Back in the early 90's, I had to forego many high school drinking parties to play Civilization...

In college, I never went to a rave because I was too busy MUDding--never got to taste Ecstasy

And now that I am gainfully employed, I spend all my spare cash on broadband internet connections and online games--my drug dealer is getting really upset with me!!!

Good Ol' Everquest

[draed]

I've spent the better part of the last 3 years playing everquest and I've seen many people waste away.

The players who make up the high level game spend MASSIVE amounts of time in game. I know many people who have over 300+ DAYS of time logged into the game...

Players often quit, only to return a few months later usually with an excuse like *RL is boring* or something similar. Sounds more and more like drug addiction doesn't it?

The thing that worries me the most though is that most of these people are kids who are either in high school or just got out. They have no ambition or desire to do anything but play everquest. When I was their age I was spending all my time programming, reading books, and learning skills necessary to succeed in life. If everquest were around back then, I would probably be working fast food making $6 a hour now.

Almost every game company out there now is making a MMORPG like everquest. Worlds of warcraft, shadowbane, neverwinter nights, final fantasy XI, Everquest for the console, star wars galaxies, daoc, anarchy online, and many more. The market is going to be completely saturated with heroinware in the next fear years.

The current generation of kids growing up is going to be nothing but a bunch of computer crazed, game addicted losers who spend all their time in some virtual world slaying some pixel dragon.

Oh well, I'm glad I quit (again).

Re:What about Work?

[Glytch]

Name two big industries that refer to their customers as "users".

Re:What about Work?

[Moonshadow]

What are you suggesting be the new term?

Slashadics?

Ouch, no thank you!