Study: One in nine MMOG players addicted

Website · Post by **satman83** » 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.

Smix · Post by **Smix** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:59 pm

i AM addicted to silkroad
i know it my family knows it and my friends know it

Website · Post by **satman83** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 6:22 pm

supermix wrote:i AM addicted to silkroad
i know it my family knows it and my friends know it

and now i know it and they all know it as well.... :shock:

Jon_owns_u · Post by **Jon_owns_u** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:22 pm

If he is saying its unhealthy, ill drop kick him.

Hasbin · Post by **Hasbin** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:28 pm

intresting ...

Ishagmuro · Post by **Ishagmuro** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:31 pm

"Those benefits include increased reaction
times and better hand-eye coordination"

lol ... :roll:

Website · Post by **satman83** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:33 pm

Ishagmuro wrote:"Those benefits include increased reaction
times and better hand-eye coordination"

lol ...

Now that is true...thats why in the late 80's early 90's the US government
started to make game style sysulators to train troops....but its taken
untill now to make then realistic enough.

Ishagmuro · Post by **Ishagmuro** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:40 pm

I don`t have a doubt
But I realize that the benefit is just like make you faster win a gun.

By the way, you mean games like America Army?

Website · Post by **satman83** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:44 pm

No i mean there making real like virtual simulators, but there a few
years away from finishing them.

muhkuh · Post by **muhkuh** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:46 pm

satman83 wrote: One in nine MMOG players addicted...

now i understand the sense of that name "Seven of Nine"..

Priam · Post by **Priam** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:48 pm

Ishagmuro wrote:I don`t have a doubt
But I realize that the benefit is just like make you faster win a gun.

By the way, you mean games like America Army?

America's Army is indeed a very toned down version of the simulated one the army uses.

_Medea_ · Post by **_Medea_** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:29 pm

I'm addicted, but I can admit it

What's the next step after denial? I'm probably on that, or just stuck right after denial.

Lance · Post by **Lance** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:55 pm

am addicted

voltis5 · Post by **voltis5** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 3:08 am

i'm more of a VGA

Manowar · Post by **Manowar** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 3:12 am

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.

Hmmm if u ask me that number seems kinda low. I would think that 12% of the people would NOT show those addiction symptoms.

But im definately addicted.

StealMySoda · Post by **StealMySoda** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 3:19 am

I don't think I would show withdrawal symptoms lol.
But I defo like to play

ShizKnight · Post by **ShizKnight** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 3:23 am

RPGs an addiction? Doubt it. I got addicted to Coke(soda) without realizing it. I could down 5-6 cans in consecutive order if I was thirsty.

narak · Post by **narak** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 3:31 am

im addicted to SRO and next week is EXAM and instead of studying im playing SRO

(i need to control ma self, STUDY NOW then i can PLAY FOR LIKE 1 week+

wtf only 1 week?

)

Draquish · Post by **Draquish** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 12:55 pm

True. Im a gamer, I can also paintball pretty well, and I can snipe baloons that fly really high into the sky with 1 or 2 shots.

Infurnal · Post by **Infurnal** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 1:04 pm

I really like SRO and game I mostly play but I wouldn't say I was addicted to it. I can stop playing and do something else.

Draquish · Post by **Draquish** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 1:07 pm

Infurnal wrote:I really like SRO and game I mostly play but I wouldn't say I was addicted to it. I can stop playing and do something else.

Oh yes, neglect. :roll:

element_45 · Post by **element_45** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 1:48 pm

I'd have to say beyond hand-eye coordination and reaction time, my mathematical skills, reading skills, and logical (cognitive) skills are much better. As a kid I played tons of RPGs on the nintendo and master system, and worked my way up. I wanted to know how many HP i could enter a round with and survive before I would need to heal the next round. Believe it or not, I was being forced to do simple arithmetic in early grade school and hated it, but it was part of the gaming experience and did it without worry.

Odd how you can be doing the same activity in basic form, but jazz it up some and it becomes "fun". Hah.

Sorry I strayed off topic, but it sort of relates to the point.

ziddy1232 · Post by **ziddy1232** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 2:02 pm

IM ADDICTED!

Last night i played 7 hours stright just lvling then went and done another 4 hours hunting.

Same everyday!

I been playing about a month and a half and i have ran up over 310hrs and thats just when i can be arsed to urn my Xfire on

_Raven_ · Post by **_Raven_** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 2:24 pm

ziddy1232 wrote:IM ADDICTED!

Last night i played 7 hours stright just lvling then went and done another 4 hours hunting.

Same everyday!

I been playing about a month and a half and i have ran up over 310hrs and thats just when i can be arsed to urn my Xfire on

wow thats alot of playing .. i only get couple hours a week if lucky.. i dont have enough time or im not in mood to play..

Silkroad is a fun game , but dont let it control your life

PimpC · Post by **PimpC** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 2:25 pm

I quit and i've had no withdrawel symptoms:)

in fact, its pretty easy to quit this game...life is much better than a game with little cheating kids and shitty service

CodeOfSilence · Post by **CodeOfSilence** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 2:56 pm

satman83 wrote: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..

lol that survey is bogus. the the sample is not random, its self-selected. of course people that select themselves to be in a sample will be more into what the survey is about.

A good survey is one where the sample population is random and its not being told about what the survey is about. not like the above survey.

Fantasy · Post by **Fantasy** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 3:03 pm

I used to be addicted to another game then Silkroad, I used to play that MMORPG 60-80 a week. Positive thing was I was one of the best players on the server, and I did have a lot of fun. But there where more negative side then positive.

Now I play Silkroad around 20 hours a week. Alltough I love Silkroad I'm not really addicted to it. Negative point is that now I'm just a lvl 4x noob

Rafter · Post by **Rafter** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 4:10 pm

World of Warcraft, Guild Wars,
and Second Life

It's says nothing about SilkRoad. there for... it is not addictive....
Really... I can stop whenever i want... I just don't want to....

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