This is a question that I've had for a long time. I've researched it and read some wonderful articles and blog posts on it. However I haven't really considered people's personal perspectives yet. I've heard stories about how people got addicted to games like World of Warcraft and then ruined their lives, but that doesn't really tell me how the game draws you into the game world and makes you want to stay. So, I wanted to ask you guys: 1) Have you even been addicted to an MMORPG before? What happened and did you get out of it? 2) In YOUR opinion, what do YOU think makes these online games so addictive? 3) How can I get rid of the addiction? By the way I'm also kind of addicted to these games also, I play ~2 hours a day.

I don't know. I used to play MMOs a lot but it kind of killed my tolerance for that. I can't stand grinding anymore. The main reason for me is I had nothing else going on, it was fun initially, and I had ties to it (at first from real life friends, then the friends I had made there). I felt like I had a purpose...until I realized there was no point to any of it. Spend 200 hours training to get a cape to show off? That, and other developmental issues that occurred forced me to break away from it and no game has been the same since. I guess that last straw is what really made me think about creating original things, not just using the creations of other. It's all a philosophy thing, mainly.

Quote: Original post by Ntvu
1) Have you even been addicted to an MMORPG before? What happened and did you get out of it?

It was less RPG and more MMOFPS, but I was addicted to Planetside for a while. I played it for about 7 hours straight on several occasions. The concept of an FPS with 300 players fighting in an endless battle was amazing to me. The game was before its time it seemed. I remember my friends and I would play and we'd lead around 30 people in raids on bases dropping from planes. I was addicted because it was fun.

I stopped playing when the game population dropped and the developers gave up supporting it. I probably wouldn't have stopped playing if the population hadn't dropped so severely.

Quote: Original post by Ntvu
2) In YOUR opinion, what do YOU think makes these online games so addictive

Teamwork. Co-op really draws me into games. Also games that are skill based and don't have grind in the gameplay have always interested me.

Quote: Original post by Ntvu
3) How can I get rid of the addiction?

Go cold turkey.

[Edited by - Sirisian on January 12, 2010 5:27:28 PM]

Quote: Original post by Ntvu
By the way I'm also kind of addicted to these games also, I play ~2 hours a day.

Wait.. 2h a day counts as an addiction?
That's hardly four map rotations on a TF2 server...

If you're looking to quit an addictive game, I do agree with Sirisian that cold turkey is the answer. Games are a psychological addiction so it's a simple matter of willpower. Find something else to occupy your time.

Edit: typo

[Edited by - Codeka on January 12, 2010 8:54:49 PM]

1)

Yep I got a little hooked on EQ back in college. It affected my grades pretty badly. One night, I took a final and I knew right away that I had bombed it. So I quickly went home, angrily uninstalled the game, then took the game CD and broke it over my knee so that I couldn't reinstall it. Then I taped the two halves of the CD to my wall as a reminder. Yes it was a little overdramatic but anyway that's when I stopped playing EQ.

2)

I think everyone has a part in their brain which makes them want to achieve things, to climb some sort of ladder. We need to feel the satisfaction of doing work and getting recognition and reward for that work. For people that are addicted to MMOs, I think it's because the game is satisfying that need to achieve things. It's definitely a poor substitute compared to achievements in the real world. But think of the ways that it's more appealing to invest time in a game. All of your successes are recognized and rewarded, and your time investment is immediately visible to everyone- your character is more powerful and looks more awesome. Compare this to the real world, where you can do great work and receive little to no recognition at all. Or maybe there is some reward at the end of the tunnel, but it takes too long to receive.

3)

I guess one strategy is to recognize that the reason for playing the game is to fulfill some need that isn't being filled out in the real world. So maybe keep playing the game, but also pursue other things, like hobbies or sports or something else more wholesome. Then hopefully the urge to play the game will go away. Alternatively, you could break the game CD into two pieces.

1. Addicted to EQ back in the day. The wife came in one day and basically said it's your family or the game, pick one. I gave it one more week to shut things down cleanly then never played again.

2. There's always another goal. Always another reason to go back. The game is never "done".

3. Cold turkey and find something else to do so you don't sit there thinking about it.

1) Nope. Sorry, I don't like MMORPGs...so no.

2) Being able to interact with people and not be seen.

3) Get help from a friend.

1) Have you even been addicted to an MMORPG before? What happened and did you get out of it?

Yes, I woke up one morning and uninstalled. Cold turkey is the way.


2) In YOUR opinion, what do YOU think makes these online games so addictive?

The progress. Having a benefit in playing even when you dont want to play. A game like counter strike might have stats, but playing more wont give you some benefit similar to an MMO. You can play only when you want to.

3) How can I get rid of the addiction?

Learn a second (or third) language. Learn an instrument. Go to social gatherings.

Quote: Original post by Codeka
If you're looking to quit an addictive game, I do agree with Sirisian that cold turkey is the answer. Games are a psychological addiction so it's a simple matter of willpower. Find something else to occupy your time.

Edit: typo

Yes. All my personal research, reading, college courses, etc I've taken seem to suggest that in order to overcome a strong addiction it is necessary to acquire a new one.
That's why you will see ex-smokers turn to chewing sunflower seeds, chewing gum or switching to something else to occupy the newfound free time.
I worked with a girl that switched from food addiction to running for example and lost like 200lbs in the process!
Anyways to answer the original questions:
1) Have you even been addicted to an MMORPG before? What happened and did you get out of it?
No. Played Star Wars universe couple of times does that count? Only other game I really spend any amount of time online with was like CounterStrike when it first came out. There is just something about going around killing strangers that helped release stress at the time I guess. So I also played Quake and other FPS shooters because of that. Never got the whole MMORPG thing guess because it's alot more social that people realize. Even though you are on a computer there seems to be alot of chatting and organizing raids and other interaction necessary with a lot of other folk that just doesn't appeal to me. At least that's what I gathered from my ex-roomate that was an evercrack addict. I'm pretty sure he was an addict since the only time he ever came out of his room was when the internet went down or to eat or go/come to work!

2) In YOUR opinion, what do YOU think makes these online games so addictive?
sense of community, chatting with others, being someone bigger or something bigger you could never achieve in the real world?
"It really lets shy people who have a lot of self-confidence issues put on a personality and learn to overcome that in an environment where it's safe." After all, the whole idea of a role-playing game is to re-create reality, to create a world as immersive and entertaining as life itself, that allows players to live out their fullest fantasies -- to be better version of themselves -- in real time.
3) How can I get rid of the addiction?
Going cold turkey don't necessarily work since my roomate went cold turkey for a year when he was deployed to persian gulf with no internet for a year and the first thing he did when he got back was play evercrack for like a week straight!
Pretty much have to have an epiphany for that to work...

Like I said you pretty much have to find something to replace it or have someone force you to choose something over it i.e. family, stay married, stay employed, get degree or maybe you'll eventually tire of it and move on voluntarily.
Even though MMORPG's don't appeal to me I must've spent countless hours finishing stand alone RPG's games and FPS's like Titan Quest, SWTKOTR, Half-Life, etc...


[Edited by - daviangel on January 13, 2010 3:51:09 AM]