"Whenever video games and addiction are discussed in the same sentence, images of sweaty acne-ridden teenagers hunkered over cluttered desks shrouded in darkness come to mind. However, it may be that the problem runs far deeper, and across a far greater audience then previously thought. In fact, some of us may be addicted ourselves, without even realising. So what is video game addiction, why is it a problem, and why analyse it now in today’s technologically dependant society?" - OnlySP
Alone in the Dark developer Pieces Interactive has been hit with layoffs a month after its release, as per the latest information.
That genuinely, genuinely sucks. The reboot has clear flaws, but it really felt like a solid first step for this team to receive *greater* investment.
After the release of the horrid avatar update, Pokémon GO fans are trying to get items refunded. This has led to some getting threats of being banned.
Shenmue: Reclaiming the Path is a fan game using Dreamcast-era visuals, and tells a new story within the Shenmue saga taking place in both Hong Kong and Guilin. Its expected to release on September 16th.
Something about recreating old school graphics in an era of HD high poly photo realism just hits a spot. I'm not nostalgic cause I mostly played GameCube and GB/A, but it's a visual style that gets over looked even by indies.
Definitely a fan project. Terrible hand animations. Some characters have very bad body proportions. Some look like little kids in adult bodies. Some have short arms, small head, big hips and so on.
A valid argument and an interesting read. Addiction can be in the form of anything and not good and video game addictions shouldn't be overlooked by any means. But let's not put people who play video games at the front when things go wrong because we should always blame people and look to help them.
I see video gaming as a major stress reliever in many cases and a way to leave the clutches of reality when it gets too stressful and you just need some time to unwind and play a game.
I love video games. Absolutely love the world I'm thrust into into whatever game I play.
But, seriously life is more important than video games and if you have those priorities interchanged then you need help.
Life is all a balancing act. Honestly, I choose to be addicted to them over drugs, alcohol, food etc.
People can get addicted to anything, everything needs to be taken into moderation... so on and so forth. Honestly, there's a pathology to addiction that goes way beyond the substance so it's pretty arbitrary to make distinctions based on the thing people are dependent upon. I can understand why games are in many senses addictive but I'd hardly call it a pandemic - it's like you sit and play a game for so long you feel the need to shit yourself and let your muscles atrophy... I just don't have much to say to someone in that position other than "sheeeeeeeeiiiiit".
Something that is habitual is not the same as something that's addicting.
Not being able to stop chewing pens is a bad habbit.
Not being able to not do heroin is an addiction.
The gaming industry has spent a great deal of money, time and effort -specifically- seeking out new ways to make gaming addictive. And they have succeeded.
And not just in the ways you'd expect.
Any time you make a decision that you would define as "impulse," without thinking things through... that's a result of you addiction.
Spend $60 on a game the day-of-release without reading any reviews? Sure, maybe you're an ill-informed consumer; maybe it's a symptom of addiction?
Ever buy a half-dozen games off Steam during a sale, only to turn around a year later and realize you never played a one? Or, worse, go into Steam to buy a game without realizing you already owned it? Yeah: a symptom of addiction.
Ever thought to yourself, "just one more mission/level/race/etc., and then I'll quit," repeatedly during a single gaming session? Yeah: a symptom of addiction.
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There's a lot of debate about to what degree media influences behavior, particularly when it comes to violence. Video games get a lot of scrutiny and are often scapegoated, but I think it's important to realize that maybe games SHOULD get more attention on this front. Sure, movies, television and literature can be just as violent--and moreso--but gaming is really the -only- entertainment medium out there that is A) participatory and B) intentionally designed to be addictive.
The whole mess is a subject that deserves legitimate scientific inquiry, not the hot-air and buffoonery all-too common in the news media, political discourse, and the gaming community itself.