World of WarCrack Addiction.
by Christopher Linton 
Feb 1st 2006 at 1:16PM
How much time do you have to spend on a game to classify is as an addiction? I suspect that the number is different
for each person, but there comes a point for every player where the game starts to intrude on real-life
responsibilities. There are some whose iron will allows them to limit themselves to playing only a few hours a week,
and more power to them. There are also we lucky few whose responsibilities include playing WoW, but for most people
there are very few concrete benefits, aside from those ingame friendships which spring up. When WoW starts to take over
real life, every player faces a decision. Matthew Rorie over at GameSpot was faced
with that tough decision, and he decided to go cold turkey. He's out. Gave all his gold and items away and deleted his
characters.Let's be real. WoW is really, really fun. It is the most fun I've ever had with a video game. I love it so much that it is difficult for me to admit to myself that it is pretty much a waste of time, as are most "leisure" activities. This isn't a problem, since there are no rules that require people to be constantly productive. However, some people find that "waste" of time abhorrent and quit. This is not to disparage WoW and it's devoted playerbase, of which I am proud to call myself a member, but it is important to call attention to the people who start to feel like their lives are slowly being consumed by the game.
Are you addicted to WoW, and if so, is that a bad thing?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
NeoDave Feb 8th 2006 3:29PM
There is a bit of difference between someone who is a hobbyist and devotes hours of SPARE time to a game. I do this, and I love WoW. So does my wife.
But when it affects your life, keeps you from addressing real life committments like family, job and schoolwork, it becomes a problem. If my kid went to school, and did nothing but game the whole time she was home, I would cancel her account. If I found I didn't have time for my family, I would cancel mine.
Simple, right?
sleepah Feb 1st 2006 2:06PM
since when is doing anything on your leisure time a wast of time?
i will admin that back in the day i was an anti-wow player because the concept to me seemed "g33ky" and i was too proud to play.
then a friend explained it a little more in detail and i was intrested, then i find myself nostalgicaly looking back at my guilty pleasure in highschool playing magic the gathering and remebered how fun that was and that too was orginally "g33ky" to me but these games are enjoyable. i consider them my hobbie.
and my hobbies take up my time, when i have a free moment im playing wow if not cs:s.
i dream about days off to play them to finish a quest, or farming, but i wouldnt have the shakes if i lost my wow.i wouldnt lose a job over it.
i would argue with my girlfriend about me "ignoring her" as she watches her "reality" shows, but thats another story.
im am a gamer at heart. respect it.
if i am addicted to wow, so be it im okay with it, and thats what matters.
PodMonkeys Feb 1st 2006 2:30PM
When you stop eating to play. Skip work repeatedly to play. Skip any responsibilities to play. When you start making judgements for the worse repeatedly so that you can play, then you know you're addicted.
When you stop taking care of yourself and others, and shirk off work, school, appointments, and let whatever it is start taking over your life, then you're an addict. Playing for several hours a day, and most of the weekend isn't always addiction. Its when being away from the thing, all you can think of is getting more, and you stop thinking rationally, then you're sunk.
Short summary: When the thing takes over your rational thinking, you've become addicted.
Me, i play 2-3 hours a day, and maybe 5-8 on the weekend. Sometimes I do an 8 hour session on Sat or Sun, but the other day goes to other things.
GillyGill Feb 1st 2006 2:54PM
To be honest, I feel that I am kinda addicted if 'kinda addicted' exisits, today I was gonna cancel my account as my my next month's payment is gonna be taken out on the 2nd, but I said to my self "I have a lvl 28 Shammy with nice gear, great skills/Prof and like 100g, i bet someone else would like to have my account", so being err business minded I will capitalize on all my hard work and effort....ehh or i just might give away all my stuff, i dunno still thinking about it...either way im quitting cold turkey *sigh*....it was fun while it lasted :)
Carcass Feb 1st 2006 3:01PM
Some hobbyists work on cars for hours on end.
Some hobbyists paint little metal soldiers for hours on end.
Some hobbyists listen to music and organize their collections for hours on end.
Some hobbyists... etc etc.
And, of course, some hobbyists spend hours and hours in MMOs or whatever other games take their fancy.
I agree with Podmonkey above. As long as your real-world business is getting taken care of (whether that is work, school, family, and so on), then there is no problem. When real-world responsibilities suffer, then you have a problem.
slybri Feb 1st 2006 5:40PM
According to the AC Nielsen Co., the average American
watches more than 4 hours of TV each day. What's a better way to spend your leisure time? Challenging yourself and making friends in a vibrant fantasy world, or staring at commercials and reality shows on TV?
Sure, if you're skipping work to play, or if you're ignoring loved ones, or shirking the basic duties of daily life to play..that's bad. That's a harmful addiction. Moderation is the key.
Unfortunatley, WoW's end game, and even the instance dungeons, forces you to schedule 8 hour sessions and organized parties or you go nowhere. The game becomes more of an obligation than a passtime. "Sorry significant other, can't spend time with you. I need to be online from 6:30 until the wee hours of the morning grinding through a dungeon for the slight chance of getting the sword I need to have a half decent character." There's the problem. Once you get to 60 it's a whole different game.
Dalton Marks Feb 1st 2006 6:10PM
I am absolutely, 100% addicted to the game. I play every single weekday from 4:30 until 1:00AM, if not later, then get up for school at 7:00AM. I spend the entire day talking to friends about the game, and them back to me. I don't work weekends or do anything else then in order to play more. Family engadgement? Sorry, I'm doing Blackwing Lair.
Ceej Feb 1st 2006 7:04PM
I was all ready to post this passionate response, and found everything I wanted to say has already been said.
The key word is hobby, and a hobby benefits no one but the hobbyist. It is a chosen way to pass the time amd enjoy oneself. Which means, of course, that it will seem like a waste of time to a lot of people. Stamp collecting and painting landscapes sounds deadly dull to me.
Thin line between passion for a hobby and addiction? Maybe so, but it truly is up to the individual to decide if they spend too much time playing. Use common sense, like everyone else. If you cannot handle the game, get the heck away and take a walk. Enjoy a real sunset instead of the virtual one in the Hinterlands. I do every now and then, it's refreshing.
For my money, I have to say that in the year I've been playing I have met some truly excellent people in game, many of whom will be attending my wedding in July. So who is to say whether it's worthwhile for me?
nino Feb 2nd 2006 7:41AM
Some hobbyists listen to music and organize their collections for hours on end.
Some hobbyists... etc etc.
http://www.retete-online.com
http://www.retete-online.com/retete/_dulciuri/banane-pane-ro.php
Notsomuch Feb 2nd 2006 1:54PM
yeah, once you get into endgame content, the amount of time required almost forces you into addiction, if you wanna continue the game content. Lets say your in a light raiding group, such as mine...
you have a 4 hour mc clear weekly. you spend about 6 hours in ZG, twice a week, to clear all the bosses (not just the priests). You spend about an hour at onyxia, maybe 2 hours doing an outdoor raid boss, and you spend another 8 hours a week trying to get past whatever boss your at in BWL...
thats 27 hours to do the endgame instances. Don't forget that if you want to do BWL, oftentimes all your members are going to need to farm for Fire Protection Pots, your group might want flask of the titans, etc...
so if you ONLY go on for raiding, no pvp, no idling in ironforge, no other instances....your still spending 30 hours a week playing WoW.
im ok with that, and most other people are. but you really have to sit back and take a look at your life, your week, and see if you have enough time to play wow @ 60. balancing work, school, and wow is complicated, and if your addiction goes too deep, you can lose sight of the other two. WoW and MMOs are the newest hottest form of escapism - just dont lose sight of real-life once your ingame. You can always log off wow, and your character will be saved right where you left off. When you run WoW though, your life doesn't go on pause.
RighteousDork Feb 2nd 2006 5:47PM
There will always be people who have more time than I do to play and I envy some of them. I remember talking to a guy over the summer who has multiple Level 60 characters, while I only play one that is currently at Level 30. When I informed him that I maybe only get in 12 hours a week, he proceeded to tell me he does 12 hours a day. He was totally serious too. Almost every waking moment was spent playing the game. I hear that now he's complaining about the game not having enough content. There is no game in existence that has enough content for someone who plays it 12 hours a day, everyday. That guy is an addict in my book.
It's not surprising to me that some people shutdown their lives for the game. When you really think about it, WoW is very cheap entertainment. There aren't many things out there that can entertain someone for hours and hours for only an upfront charge of $50 and $15 a month. Even though I only play a few hours a week, that's how I justify it. I could be wasting a lot more money on other activities. I look forward to the day when people stop looking down on gamers who choose to spend their free time in virtual worlds. Some of us aren't interested in going to the local sports pub and watching the big game.
Hell, I spent New Year's Eve in Stormwind. Much more exciting than watching a ball drop or getting plastered.