Everyday my roommate spends multiple hours on the computer playing some sort of game, whether it is StarCraft or more commonly, Eve. On some days he will even sacrifice going to class lecture in order to “kill shit”, as he would put it. But as a non-gamer I must ask the question: why? What about Eve is so enticing that he needs to miss class? Is he addicted or are there certain aspects of the game that give him satisfaction in ways life can’t.
If you are unfamiliar with Eve, it is an MMORPSG or a massive multiplayer online role-playing space game. For people like me who don't understand gamer language, that just means the person playing the game is able to control a character within a community or in this case a universe inhabited by many other players. Through this fictional person the gamer is able to kill, trade, fight, and explore; basically everything a “normal” person controlling a ship would do. Eve gives the user the ability team up with other players in order to survive.
Although for some games like Tetris and Robot Unicorn users might become addicted to the challenge, RPGs (role playing games) similar to Eve create an entirely different kind of draw. I might say that my roommate is addicted to Eve, but it is much more than that. RPGs give the user similar satisfactions that they would be getting out of life; the gamers have accomplishments, they control money, and even socialize with other players. I personally don’t believe that you can live your life through a game, but for some people gaming is their life. My roommate has yet to reach that extreme, but he still puts more effort into Eve than he does his own life, and that’s what worries me.
Obviously most people don’t live life through a game, but for those who do, it makes you consider what the long term impact might be on the gamer’s life. Will they ever socialize in public and form relationships with people? Will their need to use role playing games subside or will it grow as technology allows for more realistic gaming environments? Who knows? Just this past week I saw the 2009 motion picture, Gamer (it was pretty graphic so be warned). This movie stars Gerard Butler and takes the viewer through a futuristic world of gaming. Instead of gamers controlling fictional characters in RPG’s, the gamer controls a real life human being. Through the use of “nanites” implanted in the brain, gamers are able to take complete control of a person. Within the film you see people “living” through other people; in some instances old men controlling young women in a game called Society. Now this is an unrealistic scenario of the future (I hope), but it creates an interesting perspective about the way some people utilize gaming. Similar to my roommate or extreme gamers, the characters in the movie use real life role playing games to get some type of satisfaction that they might not otherwise be able to get.
So I guess I would have to say that my roommate is addicted, but more to what the game gives him than the game itself. I just wonder what would happen if he didn’t have RPGs to fall back on. Would he and other extreme gamers be able to cope?
I agree that online gaming addiction is a serious problem, but I think you're being overly harsh to casual gamers. The extreme cases of gaming addicts are dramatized and create a bad reputation for other gamers. Playing video games is often a way for people to get away from the hardships of their own life and relax. Most online games, especially MMOs, require some form of teamwork and in turn require players to socialize with each other in order to get tasks done. Playing online games with friends can also improve relationships.
ReplyDeleteFor those extreme gamers, if they didn't have video games, they probably would have a similar addiction to something else. I believe that gaming addiction stems from people's personalities, not from the games themselves.
The examples you bring up mainly deal with MMORPG's. I definitely agree with this analysis in its addictive "alternative life" nature. However, what about other games such as FPS (first person shooter) or RTS (real time strategy) games? With my experience and observations in these games, I don't see them on the same level of addiction as MMORPG's. Most my friends and I simply sign on to a server, shoot around or play a few rounds, then continue on with our lives. Perhaps it is due to the simple construction of the games? There's usually no room for growth or evolution, which could dramatically cut a player's attachment.
ReplyDelete