Dave and I watched the Southpark episode “Make Love Not Warcraft” in which the four boys become addicted to the massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft. Having dated a computer geek who hosted LAN parties, had 7 computers in his room, and used the words n00b and p0ned in his everyday vernacular, I found the episode especially amusing.
I later looked up WoW and gaming addictions on Wikipedia, and this is what I found:
Although financially successful, World of Warcraft has received a moderate amount of criticism. One of the most recent of these controversies had to do with Blizzard’s treatment of a transgender player when she made a guild for other gay or gay-friendly players.
World of Warcraft has also come under criticism for stories of game addictions to the popular video game. In June of 2005 it was reported that a child had died due to neglect by her World of Warcraft-addicted parents In August of that year, the government of the People’s Republic of China proposed new rules to curb what they perceived to be social and financial costs brought on by the popularity of games such as World of Warcraft. The measure would enforce a time limit on China’s estimated total of 20 million gamers.
Dr. Maressa Orzack, a clinical psychologist at McLean Hospital in Newton, Massachusetts, was interviewed August 8, 2006, stating that of the 6 million subscribers “I’d say that 40 percent of the players are addicted.”
Hello, Dr. Maressa Orzack said that about 40% of the people that play WoW (World of Warcraft) are addicted to the game. I personaly think that is a lie. Ok so spending hours on end playing a video game is bad? It is better then doing drugs out some place or drinking and driving. The worst thing that came come out of this game is a sore hand from slaming it into your desk when you get angry. Most people who play WoW, and I play too, we play for hours on end because the game is fun. Sit down for a while and play the game and you will see why 8 milion people play WoW. And another thing if only 8 million+ are playing WoW, according to Blizzard, why are 20 million Chinease people playing it?
It was later realized that Dr. Maressa Orzack’s statement was an overestimate. However, I think it does say something about the nature of the game- it has the potential to be very addicting, and there is a higher percent of addicted WoW players than other electronic games.
I agree that for most people the worst thing that can happen in a “sore hand”, but for some people it is more serious. Gaming addictions are a real thing and this is becoming more and more realized. It is now being treated like any other addiction.
How can you say the worse side effects is a “sore hand” !!! This makes me so angry, I have personally watched my very bright very smart son with a wonderful future in front of him loose it all because he was as addicted to this game as cocaine. I disconnected the internet from my home and just like any other junky he went elsewhere to get his fix on this game. He lost $28,000 in scholarships and had to move back in with his grandmother because i would not allow the game in my home. He lost over 30 lbs in one college semester. He went longer then 4 days without eating only stopping briefly to sleep. He went weeks without shaving or a bath or brushing his teeth. He admitted the game was addictive and that he can’t stay away from it. He will no longer speak to his father because his father will not allow it in our home. He has chosen this game and his friends that play this game over every aspect of his life. He at one time was considering going pre-med or into Pharmacy school. Now he cannot even return to college because he has lost all his scholarship money. His college called our house asking permission to open his dorm because no one had seen him in so long they were concerned about his well being only to find an empty dorm. We end up finding him in a friends basement set up with several computers where him and his looser friends were laying around everywhere just sleeping and taking turns keeping everyone’s characters alive. This is rediculas and I hate it and everything along with it….I wish nothing but destruction for this game and its creators!!!! And to all of you out there who think this game is harmless THINK AGAIN AND DO YOUR RESEARCH !!! it has distroyed my son’s life !!
Well ok so your son had a bad time..at least he admitted it. My family is currently keeping the game from our home, and yes I do go to my friends house to play the game, but NONE the less if you would just let him play the game he wouldn’t be leaving your house and playing at his grandma’s. So just talk to your son and set up some PARENTAL CONTROLS. Not that hard.