Study: One in nine MMOG players addicted
Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:40 pm
Heres the article for you to read and a link to it
Study: One in nine MMOG players addicted
Article
Massively multiplayer online games such as World of Warcraft, Guild Wars,
and Second Life are becoming increasingly popular. All have celebrated
milestones in their user numbers recently, with WOW announcing it has
7.5 million subscribers, Guild Wars selling 2 million copies (including
expansions), and Second Life hitting 1 million users--many of whom spend real
money in the game.
But games like World of Warcraft are hard to switch off and walk away from,
says Professor Mark Griffiths, director of the International Gaming
Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. That's because they
have no end, and there's always someone online somewhere
in the world.
A Nottingham Trent research study of 7,000 online gamers showed that 12
percent exhibit at least three of the diagnostic criteria of addiction
as outlined by the World Health Organisation. These include: craving, withdrawal
symptoms, loss of control, and neglect of other activities.
The survey was filled in by a self-selected sample composed mainly of males
with an average age of 21 and was concerned principally with the
potential for addiction to online gaming. Griffiths said, "I'm sure if we'd done
this survey looking at non-online players, looking at gamers that
play on stand-alone systems, my guess is that the prevalence of addiction-like
symptoms would have been much less prevalent."
According to Griffiths, the problem with online games is that there will never be a
point where the player has battled the final boss, tied up the story,
and can turn the computer off with a feeling of satisfaction.
"Of course the game never switches off; you can't even pause the game," he told
GameSpot. "So if you are really into the gameplay, I can see why a small proportion
of people do get hooked and feel like they don't want to leave."
Griffiths was also quick to point out that there are many positive aspects to playing
games and that those who play frequently can boast a number of advantages
over the nongaming population. Those benefits include increased reaction
times and better hand-eye coordination.
The professor also told GameSpot that games had many useful applications, including
acting as "distracter tasks" for those in chemotherapy, physiotherapy, and
other painful treatment courses and acting as a tool for people learning to drive and
those in the military.
Study: One in nine MMOG players addicted
Article
Massively multiplayer online games such as World of Warcraft, Guild Wars,
and Second Life are becoming increasingly popular. All have celebrated
milestones in their user numbers recently, with WOW announcing it has
7.5 million subscribers, Guild Wars selling 2 million copies (including
expansions), and Second Life hitting 1 million users--many of whom spend real
money in the game.
But games like World of Warcraft are hard to switch off and walk away from,
says Professor Mark Griffiths, director of the International Gaming
Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. That's because they
have no end, and there's always someone online somewhere
in the world.
A Nottingham Trent research study of 7,000 online gamers showed that 12
percent exhibit at least three of the diagnostic criteria of addiction
as outlined by the World Health Organisation. These include: craving, withdrawal
symptoms, loss of control, and neglect of other activities.
The survey was filled in by a self-selected sample composed mainly of males
with an average age of 21 and was concerned principally with the
potential for addiction to online gaming. Griffiths said, "I'm sure if we'd done
this survey looking at non-online players, looking at gamers that
play on stand-alone systems, my guess is that the prevalence of addiction-like
symptoms would have been much less prevalent."
According to Griffiths, the problem with online games is that there will never be a
point where the player has battled the final boss, tied up the story,
and can turn the computer off with a feeling of satisfaction.
"Of course the game never switches off; you can't even pause the game," he told
GameSpot. "So if you are really into the gameplay, I can see why a small proportion
of people do get hooked and feel like they don't want to leave."
Griffiths was also quick to point out that there are many positive aspects to playing
games and that those who play frequently can boast a number of advantages
over the nongaming population. Those benefits include increased reaction
times and better hand-eye coordination.
The professor also told GameSpot that games had many useful applications, including
acting as "distracter tasks" for those in chemotherapy, physiotherapy, and
other painful treatment courses and acting as a tool for people learning to drive and
those in the military.
