Are MMORPG's Addictive?

[huwejones]

I'm currently looking into MMORPG's as part of some ongoing research for a television documentary currently in development and if you can help by answering any of the questions below or have any opinions regarding the matter they would be greatly received (mmorpgresearch@hotmail.co.uk)

Are you 'addicted' to MMORPG's? Have you lost control of your own life as a result? Have you made unsuccessful attempts to control your game play and do you feel restless, moody or depressed when trying to do so? Does your game play affect relationships with loved ones, family and friends? Do you spend more time in a 'virtual' world than the 'real' world? Do the lines between the virtual and the real world become blurred and distorted?

[s1lv3r]

Are you 'addicted' to MMORPG's? Have you lost control of your own life as a result?

I'm not sure about addicted, but I've wondered sometimes. I haven't lost control, but who is really qualified to judge themselves in that respect?

Have you made unsuccessful attempts to control your game play and do you feel restless, moody or depressed when trying to do so?

I can put it down and walk away, but I do think about it too much.

Does your game play affect relationships with loved ones, family and friends?

Definately.

Do you spend more time in a 'virtual' world than the 'real' world?

No, but it's scary how much I do play in a week. Probably between 3 and 7 hours every spare evening.

Do the lines between the virtual and the real world become blurred and distorted?

No, not at all. The roleplay available in the game doesn't interest me in the slightest.

[Syd]

I definatley think that online games are addictive, and the more time you put into them, the more addictive they get. HOWEVER alcohol and all other drugs are addictive but it is up to the user to control their actions and not allow themselves to become addicted to a point where the 'habit' becomes a problem.
I really enjoy playing WoW, and if I have a day off work and my GF is not at home I will sometimes play all day, this makes me want to play more.
But the average time I devote is about 8 hours a week, on two evenings with a bunch of good freinds, and that keeps me happy.
TBH though I found Baldurs gate (a non online RPG) more addictive than any MMORPG i've played since. (apart from possibly EvE Online)

Hope that helps.

[harry1]

are mmorpg really addictive then i play fps and its great fun but im not addicted to it, i hear so many stories that people devotre there lifes to wow?? is it really that good?

[Syd]

Do the lines between the virtual and the real world become blurred and distorted?

Hmmm I do hear the Wow AH and Bank opening sounds whilst i'm going about my day to day life somtimes.............................don't know if that counts

However i've never found myself asking for 'duels' at work or Forraging for Goldthorn in the back garden

[harry1]

Hmmm I do hear the Wow AH and Bank opening sounds whilst i'm going about my day to day life somtimes.............................don't know if that counts

However i've never found myself asking for 'duels' at work or Forraging for Goldthorn in the back garden

LOL, i dunno if i wanna get into one of these games id never come off the damn thing lol

[Wyoming]

Before answering this, I'll just go few some things which are relevant to my answering of these questions. Firstly, a rundown which MMORPGs I have played, in chronological order of first play:

- Face of Mankind (www.fomportal.com) - I'll explain this game as it's widely unknown.

I was involved with beta testing this game in the open beta. It is set in a cyberpunk future with the Global Dominion, the clans and the corporations all vying for power.

It is essentially a roleplaying MMO with FPS and RPG elements. There is FPS combat (which can be switched to third person, but I chose not to). Guns, armour, medpacks, implants, ammunition and many other kinds of items (including rocks) are player managed. Players mine, produce and sell items. There are secure storage systems on each world and on each world different materials can be mined, materials can be converted into different goods and the markets are independent.

Each player must join a faction, of which there are currently 8. These are either components of the Global Dominion, a clan or a corporation. Each faction has a hierachy, the lower rungs of which can be climbed by completing missions which are set up by players such as defense and attack and beyond the lower ranks promotion is decided upon by higher ranking members of the faction.

Well, I'm rattling on a bit, essentially I fell in love with this game world. It was just like the films and books that I love and it was a great game due to the community that existed. However, as soon as it left open beta, the community left it, I continued for a while but now there are very players and its grand scale has dissapeared unfortunately.

- Guild Wars & Factions

- World of Warcraft

The second piece of information, one of the main arguments I've seen for MMORPGs being more addictive than FPS or RTS games is that there is some part of the brain responsive to the levelling up and collecting of equipment for your character/s. If this is truly so, then surely other games I've played such as Pokémon, Final Fantasy VII-IX and Diablo II should have the same effect.

Finally, just to give some idea of how long I've played all of the games I've mentioned:

Pokémon Series - 500+ hours (estimate) - The closest I've been to being addicted to a game, but note I had no other games so this is essentially how long I played on a gameboy which I had for three years.

Final Fantasy IX - 200+ hours (estimate) -The only Final Fantasy game that grabbed me, I've completed this and done the final bosses again and again for that amazing ending.

Diablo II - 200+ hours (estimate) - I loved my Necromancer, I played him to nearly level 70, spending a huge amount of time trading, probably more than playing the actualy game.

Face of Mankind - Goodness knows how long!

Guild Wars - 142 hours (Xfire)

World of Warcaft - 107 hours (Xfire)

- Are you 'addicted' to MMORPG's? Have you lost control of your own life as a result?

From my perception, no. I stopped playing Face of Mankind when the player count dropped way below acceptable levels for the cost of subscription, I still run a Guild in Guild Wars but have not played for about a month now and I have ceased to pay for World of Warcraft for a few months but I am about to restart it. I only ever reached level 27, in Guild Wars I went quite far in the game, I'm currently managing a fun social guild and in Face of Mankind I got to only Rank 3 out of 7. I've never become incredibly competitive with an MMORPG.

- Have you made unsuccessful attempts to control your game play and do you feel restless, moody or depressed when trying to do so?

No, I get bored, I stop.

- Does your game play affect relationships with loved ones, family and friends?

Well, I play Guild Wars with friends and I even more so with World of Warcraft. The family is fine with me playing games, they're just a hobby. I might briefly discuss strategies and plan when to do specific events such as PvP in Guild Wars.

- Do you spend more time in a 'virtual' world than the 'real' world?

No, at the moment during weekdays I'll spend about 1.5 hours online, about 45 minutes of that playing games. And that's rarely an MMORPG game. I might play a maximum of an hour of Guild Wars a week.

- Do the lines between the virtual and the real world become blurred and distorted?

No, a game is a game, it's supposed to be fun. I do remember some in Face of Mankind treating the fights, the backstabbing and the political discussion to heart though!

[ERU]

Are you 'addicted' to MMORPG's? Have you lost control of your own life as a result? Have you made unsuccessful attempts to control your game play and do you feel restless, moody or depressed when trying to do so? Does your game play affect relationships with loved ones, family and friends? Do you spend more time in a 'virtual' world than the 'real' world? Do the lines between the virtual and the real world become blurred and distorted?

http://digital-forums.com/showthread.php?t=254925 <---- i guess i can answer yes to all these questions ...

[Pennycook]

Are you 'addicted' to MMORPG's?

I suppose I am a 'reformed' if not reforming MMORPG addict; I'm currently at University and don't have as long as I used to to play games of any type, let alone MMORPGs. That isn't to say I'd be addicted if time permitted, of course; I think I've successfully broken away now. I still play Guild Wars from time to time, but it's more in short bursts of an hour or so a day than the five our stretches I used to play. I definitely used to have a problem, so I hope my answers are of use.

Have you lost control of your own life as a result?

I played Evercrack for three years, my main character (of eight) having clocked up a playtime of around two months -- over 1300 hours. It's nothing in comparison to the times clocked up by so-called hardcore addicts, granted, but I personally felt that I'd lost control when it got to the point where I'd wake up at 6am just to get 30 minutes of playtime in before school, or would eat at the computer so I wouldn't have to leave my group.

Have you made unsuccessful attempts to control your game play and do you feel restless, moody or depressed when trying to do so?

Definitely, as far as the unsuccessful attempts are concerned. It did get to the point where I was finding it hard to fit things around it. If I'd been playing for a while and logged off to do some homework, chances are that I'd either rush my way through it in order to get back to the game or would just lose interest in it half way through and give up, promising to do it later. I wouldn't say I've ever felt restless, moody or depressed, though.

Does your game play affect relationships with loved ones, family and friends?

It used to. My friends used to joke that if I was playing an MMORPG then I'd go into a sort of trance and be completely oblivious to anything that was going on around me. Anybody that spoke to me might receive an answer a couple of minutes later, but only if I wasn't busy in the game.

Do you spend more time in a 'virtual' world than the 'real' world?

I don't think it ever got that bad, but then that might be because I'm a student; I had to leave the house every day in order to go to school and luckily was wise enough to set aside a certain number of hours at weekends to actually get on with some work. Had I had a lot more free time, perhaps unemployed or working a night-shift as many MMORPG players seem to be, then I could have seen them eating a lot more of my time.

Do the lines between the virtual and the real world become blurred and distorted?

No, and I've never been able to understand those who can't tell the difference. Unlike the addictive nature of the games, which can easily be attributed to their size and the number of things to do, I think you have to already be a maladjusted individual to believe the games are real; it's not something unique to MMORPGs and certainly not something caused by them.

[Daymonkey]

Dont make another one of those documentrys that makes my parents worried about what i play in my bedroom.
Ive already had enough of a lecture

[Torpid2]

I recently watched a documentary about a clinic for games addiction in the Netherlands. There was a guy on there who used to surround himself with tv's and monitors and kept buckets (In his room) to pee in so he didn't have to get up to go to the loo!
He also used to keep his room stocked up with food & drink and barely left it, I think he said he spent 20hrs a day on a game, though it did not say which one.
I also remember watching a film (based on a true story) about a group of D&D players who took acid and acted out fights from the game. They then plotted to kill one of the players rich stepdad, which they did ,and then got sent to prison for! Its not a modern mmorpg I know, but sort of relevant I thought