A reason to stop playing World of Warcraft
Here is an interesting post on a blog called Soul Kerfuffle. It was written by a former officer for a top World of Warcraft raiding guild. The post describes why he stopped playing.
I just left WoW permanently. I was a leader in one of the largest and most respected guilds in the world, a well-equipped and well-versed mage, and considered myself to have many close friends in my guild. Why did I leave? Simple: Blizzard has created an alternate universe where we don’t have to be ourselves when we don’t want to be. From my vantage point as a guild decision maker, I’ve seen it destroy more families and friendships and take a huge toll on individuals than any drug on the market today, and that means a lot coming from an ex-club DJ.
I feel this guy’s pain. Since I have not worked since mid-May, the only reason I don’t play WoW all the time is basically sheer will-power. And you know what? I manage. I do well. I play, I have fun, but I don’t overdo it.
Except about two months ago we started doing 40 man raids, and that was new and exciting, and suddenly I started playing more often. Suddenly I was involved in the guild again (I am an officer), raiding about three nights a week, grinding for consumables or reputation in between. Between playing, chatting (in-game and on IRC) and the forums, I was spending a lot of time on that game.
So I recently reduced my playing again, went out, met friends. It’s not as extreme as the case described above, but I recognise it. And I have to think of a friend from the guild, a very nice guy, who suddenly stopped playing completely. Rumour had it he had stopped because he was playing too much. And somewhere in the back of my mind, I always knew he had more level 60 characters than me, and his /played time (a year ago, just on his first character) was several times mine. So, even though I miss him, I’m kinda glad he hasn’t come back. It makes me wonder about some of my other friends on-line. Since a significant part of the fun of playing World of Warcraft comes from the camaraderie, are we creating each other’s drug?
(Thanks, Wolfgang.)
Exactly. WoW’s the drug, and everyone on it has an enabling relationship with each other.
I stopped playing after my trial time was up because a) I am a cheap bastard and b) I could see that it was this skinnerian template; more intended to addict than to have an enjoyable core mechanic.
(However, of all the cookie cutter MMOs out there, it’s certainly the best.)
I told ya! ;P
But you didn’t play WoW…
I stopped playing WoW because Eve is a much more potent hit ;]
beeing a hypocrit with three 60’s and two 62’s (<3 beta key ftw ;) ill post a link that surely isn’t too much in favour of WoW ;P
some of those stories are really sick.
please note that topic number one starts on the latest page
http://www.wowdetox.com/index.php?page=363
cheers
I agree with the post from Soul Kerfuffle blog, Blizzard has done an amazing job of creating a very addicting environment. I known in China they impose time limits on how long you can play wow in one sitting. With more and more talk of people becoming addicted to WOW maybe Blizzard should do the some for all players. They could just limit you to one character and to a set number of hours per week that you could logon.
I’m a little late but I have to agree with ‘rossignol’, EVE *is* a much more potent hit ;)
This rediculous. WOW is no more addictive than Television, or football, or soccer or watching movies. Its a form of entertainment, But because its way more enjoyable than watching tv, it has to be condemend? You cant blame a game for people being “addicted” to it. You can only blame the people themsevles, I have a wife, a son, a job that doesnt pay that great, a new vehicle, and a nice house… Not to mention i have a 60mage and a 40 priest…. I spend more time with my family than most people do who DONT play wow(alot of myf riends) Perhaps you should be pointing fingers at alcohol or drugs for ruining lives(wich causes ACCTUALL addictions) And leave all these idiots who believe they are “addicted” to there own demise because the only addiction they could possibly have is one that they brought upon themselves for being weak with no willpower or relization of repsonsibilities, only a physical addiction is a real addiction, anything else is just people being ignorant.
My boyfriend has recently left me for what I suspect is this WOW game. I am heartbroken, and cross. He sat up until the early hours of the morning playing this game, I spent most of the time on my own as if we were not even involved. When I eventually stood up for myself he dumped me!! Interesting to read on internet that there is a lot of people who has gone through the same I am feeling now.
actually an actual addiction can occur from a game like this.
mabe not a physical dependancy (i.e. the kind of addiction you experience with drugs like heroin) but more of a mental addiction, like the addction you would get to drugs like marijuana or alcohol.
if the game is played to the point where the player is able to forget about his entire life including his problems and worries, than the game becomes almost a getaway, and without this getaway the players mind cannot function properly. unless the player was dried out for a couple weeks (lol… WoW rehab). but how fun the game is can be a factor to.
for example, if a player has played to the point that WoW is all he thinks about and every other form of entertainment seems inferior to WoW, then he/she will think “whats the point”. ive experienced minor forms of this and i dont doubt that others who read this have too, where you get off the computer and walk around for a bit, then think “theres nothing else to do… what the hell” then go back on the computer. if one of these situations develops, the player can be very much addicted to the game. and the willpower of the players isnt the only factor in the addictiveness. because if blizzard was able to create a game that was so fun and so worthy of replacing actual human interaction, then at some point, the willpower of any player is ruptured and can no longer be held to blame (to an extent… you can go cold turkey on WoW..lol). but at any rate. much like marijuana and alcohol… WoW can be enjoyed in small doses and can even have a positive effect on life ( i know…being a recreational user of all three). everything in moderation.
sorry for the long comment
So what do you suggest? Ban the game? Ban all games that people play for sustained periods of time? Put a cap on the amount of time you are allowed to play the game?
People have free-will for a reason. So long as its legal and within reasonable moral boundaries people should be able to and will do as they please. If someone wants to spend 20 hours a day staring at a screen, they will. Its their loss.
If they sacrifice relationships with family members for the sake of some pixels they don’t deserve a family.
If they lose a job/fail exams because of a computer game, they never deserved a salary/decent exam score at all.
If your boyfriend was willing to leave you for a game, the relationship probably wasn’t working to begin with.
Its a harsh reality but its true.
The way i see it, if your a weak enough human being to have your life taken over by world of warcraft (and i say this as a moderate player), your life probably didn’t mean much to begin with.
What exactly was that in reply to?
Most people in “well respected guilds” usually play on the care bear PVE servers.
Play the real game and come over to PVE.
OOPS! I mean… PVP… damn.
*puts foot in mouth*
there is no good reason to stop playing wow..unless you are talking about a family life :P
My boyfriend wouldnt go out to work, then he would have no money for the next month as his precious game was more important. It got to the stage when I saw him he would need to keep going away and checking his game, and he wondered why I would get annoyed. We both have busy lives at the minute and we don’t see each other very much, so when we do see each other (a few hours, twice a week, three times if we are lucky) I tend to try and spend time with him, but he was more keen on playing his game that he had been playing on all day!
It got to the point he wasn’t going to work or college or basically leaving the house at all, so I put my foot down and it was me or the game.
He stopped playing completely for a few weeks and then went back to playing, I’m not asking him to give up playing completely. Just to actually do something more with his life than sit infront of the computer 24/7. He now goes to college, works and still has time to play his game.
I think it gets to the point in ALL games, where you need to realise when you have gone to far and start obsessing over it. You actually need to get out and actually do some things, my boyfriends get out and do some things are to invite all his friends over (who he plays WOW with) and play dungeons and dragons with.
I’m fighting a lost cause here.
I completely agree with what Maddox wrote
“If they sacrifice relationships with family members for the sake of some pixels they don’t deserve a family.
If they lose a job/fail exams because of a computer game, they never deserved a salary/decent exam score at all.
If your boyfriend was willing to leave you for a game, the relationship probably wasn’t working to begin with.
Its a harsh reality but its true.
The way i see it, if your a weak enough human being to have your life taken over by world of warcraft (and i say this as a moderate player), your life probably didn’t mean much to begin with.”
Why give up the chance at having a better life for sitting in front of the computer all day? Not saying playing for a few hours is bad, its the sitting there all day thing that is bad!
Here is what I found on video game addiction….I think it’s naive to say that people don’t “deserve” a family if they are spending a bunch of time playing a game. I think it doesn’t start as someone on the computer all day (just like alcoholism starts with just one drink…and snowballs from there) I think it ends up that way. Without someone intending to do it. And next thing you know, the whole day is gone and you’ve ignored your family, friends and responsibilities. It happens. And for some, it’s the only social outlet they have. Maybe they are shy, maybe they are whatever….but it’s a real thing. And it HAS/IS destroying families all over the place….
Check this out:
From Wikipedia
Video Game addiction is a proposed form of psychological addiction composed of a compulsive use of computer and video games, most notably MMORPGs, and is related to Internet addiction disorder. Though there is still great debate as to whether one can become addicted to a video game/computer game, there are people who report that their friends and loved ones have been “sucked into” a game, suddenly becoming self-isolating, preferring to play the game instead of actual personal contact, and focusing almost entirely on the game instead of real life events.
And here is more:
Computer and Video Game Addiction
Computers, video games, and the Internet have become entrenched features of our daily lives. Computer use has reached beyond work and is now a major source of fun and entertainment for many people. For most people, computer use and video game play is integrated into their lives in a balanced healthy manner. For others, time spent on the computer or video game is out of balance, and has displaced work, school, friends, and even family.
What is computer and video game addiction?
When time spent on the computer, playing video games or cruising the Internet reaches a point that it harms a child’s or adult’s family and social relationships, or disrupts school or work life, that person may be caught in a cycle of addiction. Like other addictions, the computer or video game has replaced friends and family as the source of a person’s emotional life. Increasingly, to feel good, the addicted person spends more time playing video games or searching the Internet. Time away from the computer or game causes moodiness or withdrawal.
When a person spends up to ten hours a day or more rearranging or sending files, playing games, surfing the net, visiting chat rooms, instant messaging, and reading emails, that easily can reach up to seventy to eighty hours a week on-line with the computer. Major social, school or work disruptions will result.
Symptoms of computer or video game addiction:
For children:
Most of non-school hours are spent on the computer or playing video games.
Falling asleep in school.
Not keeping up with assignments.
Worsening grades.
Lying about computer or video game use.
Choosing to use the computer or play video games, rather than see friends.
Dropping out of other social groups (clubs or sports).
Irritable when not playing a video game or on the computer.
For adults:
Computer or video game use is characterized by intense feelings of pleasure and guilt.
Obsessing and pre-occupied about being on the computer, even when not connected.
Hours playing video games or on the computer increasing, seriously disrupting family, social or even work life.
Lying about computer or video game use.
Experience feelings of withdrawal, anger, or depression when not on the computer or involved with their video game.
May incur large phone or credit bills for on-line services.
Can’t control computer or video game use.
Fantasy life on-line replaces emotional life with partner.
There are even physical symptoms that may point to addiction:
Carpal tunnel syndrome.
Sleep disturbances
Back, neck aches
Headaches
Dry eyes
Failure to eat regularly or neglect personal hygiene
For the computer or video game addicted person, a fantasy world on-line or in a game has replaced his or her real world. The virtual reality of the computer or game is more inviting than the every day world of family, school or work. With the increased access to pornography on the Internet and in games, this fantasy world may be highly sexual.
The first step to healing is to recognize the symptoms. Help from a professional is often needed.
Thanks Maranda for that thoughtful comment. Video game addiction is real and creates real ethical questions for game developers. Whatever the origin of addiction - nature, nurture, free will, society - and whatever the extent to which someone is addicted and the extent of the damage caused by that addiction, it is a real problem.
WoW is addictive as hell! I play every hour that I’m awake, and when I go to bed I want to cry because I know I am wasting time and my life playing with this game! I’m an intellectual good looking young man, who could have a hell of a lot going for him, if he could tear himself away from WoW and rebuild the life he had which has collapsed around him due to his neglectfulness…
Wow, reading that back I’ve even gone into 3rd person…
Time to delete WoW I think, and get back into programming, another unhealthy habit, but one I can be of some use! ;)
Anyone else wish to follow me? Blondes need not apply = P
Oh yes btw, the comment D-D made…
Are you a Psychologist? Tell me what you know about addictive personalities and depression? From your Little outburst I would say you know very little, so maybe you should try to stick to helping friends and family getting off WoW instead of slamming people who you know nothing about or their personal life!
guys i played the game and got addicted, i had a level 70 warrior with pvp gear and got into a raiding guild to play the pve part of the game. i played all night till about 4 am in the morning raiding and having fun, I lost my job and my personality during this whole experience. the game makes you dull and all you do is want to play it and be talking about it. my Dad told me the game was ruining me and he was going to stop supporting me if i didn’t do somthing about it. i got another job and i quit the guild and went back to pvping, i Think as long as you dont get involved with the whole raiding and being in the top guild and such you wont get sucked in. cause raiding = alot of time needed to complete stuff and pvp is how ever much time you want to spend. just my opinion about how to get good gear and still enjoy life outside of WoW
I just quit cause I don’t want other people to view me as a nerd just cause I play WoW. And I played too much. It just got boring as hell after 40 cause leveling became so damn hard.
i know for me the real addiction were all the rewards. everything you do you get a reward. finish a quest=reward, level=reward, kill something=reward and so on. the more you play the better weapons, armor, spells or abilities, it just makes it more fun the more you play and that makes it that much harder not to play. i quit before my son was born and thank god i did cause im quite sure that the game would have made me ignore him. i know that sounds horrible but its true. the mmorpgs are, in my opinion, truly addictive.