Video Game Companies and Game Addiction.

Imagine in the 1950s if you would have told your friends that one day tobacco companies would be sued by users for millions of dollars because smoking caused them cancer and ruined their lives. You would have been laughed at.

Today, young people are becoming addicted to video games. Game developers are purposely making their games addictive to run up profits. Look no further than World of Warcraft. This game alone has ruined the lives of many people. They couldn't help it. The game is that addictive. When Blizzard was in the process of making their game they employed psychology tactics such as partial reinforcement effect or (PRE). Rewards are offered randomly, such as in slots. Freemium games are also problematic. Candy Crush and Clash of Clans have all made a ton of money from people who become addicted to their games. Lives ruined and bank accounts exhausted.

What should be done? I believe a warning label should be put on every video game. If you buy your games online, then a box should appear that the buyer must click before purchase. I still believe that lawsuits are going to happen in the near future that will directly link video game addiction to the game developers. They are actively making their games addictive, and this practice needs to stop. If it takes a huge monetary lawsuit than so be it.

Do you guys agree?

Thread moved to Games Discussion

Equating video games to cigarettes is probably not a good analogy...

@Minishdriveby:

Thats true.... a more apt comparison would be crystal meth......

Addiction is a funny thing.... the people who suffer from it gain absolutely no pleasure from their habit,

Neuroscience findings suggest that addiction lessens pleasure of whatever an individual might be addicted to, but it does not necessarily remove it as a factor.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Mental_Health_Letter/2011/July/how-addiction-hijacks-the-brain

@BranKetra:

For reasons that has somethibg to do with me wasting my life on Dragons Dogma I can neither agree or disagree with you

Wouldn't gaming addiction be most like gambling addiction? I don't think that they can be sued like the tobacco companies but they may end up having to display some sort of small disclaimer like, "Game responsibly" or something similar.

threads like this make me want to jump out of a window, partially because the idea is so asininely stupid that it makes me gag, but also partially because society today is so messed up that ionblast probably is correct.

In a sane world, would we need warning labels on videogames? No, we would not. But we live a world full of entitled pusscakes that sue over stuff like coffee being too hot, so a lawsuit from some fat shit who has a heart attack and then blames video games for not going to the gym would not surprise me in the least.

No i dont agree and there is no such thing as game addiction.

There is bad self-control which is no more a addiction then being constantly late or not having a good personal hygiene is.

No it wouldn't. There's no addictive chemical or cancerous agent being ingest, inhaled, injected, or snorted playing video games. It might be psychological manipulation but it's not a dangerous chemical agent that is being used or the source of the addiction.

@Minishdriveby:

Well duh..... I was talking about the effects not the induction method....

@Lulu_Lulu: addiction causes a negative altering of brain behavior, which science has proven over and over that video games don't do. More studies show games improving brain development rather than degrading it. If anything, there are bigger issue surrounding why people actively go to video games in place of living life like they should. To think games are addictive in the face of damning scientific evidence is just plain ignorant

@mastermetal777:

Using that definition of Addiction ? Ofcourse not...... and I'm calling bullshit on your so called scientific evidence, on the basis of the Skinner Box and operant conditioning....... which, if you remember correctly is pretty damning scientific evidence aswell.

Besides nobody can claim that the entire concept of gaming is helpful or harmfull..... you're going to have to isolate and investigate concepts and systems that make up gaming on a case by case basis.

@Lulu_Lulu: conditioning doesn't lead to addiction, and numerous scientific papers say this. You can look them up if you want. I'm not your teacher. Compulsion does happen through conditioning, but compulsion isn't the same as addiction. Which you can, again, look up yourself if you weren't so lazy about doing actual research instead of treating opinion pieces as fact.

@mastermetal777:

Perhaps you should look up yhe basic definition of Addiction before you scrummage through scientific studies.....besides Compulsion and Addiction are pretty much the same thing. .... right ?

@Lulu_Lulu: nope. Similar, but compulsions are irrational except for the person, thus is more mental and doesn't have a detrimental effect on a person unless it's part of a mental disorder like OCD. Addiction is physical and is completely harmful because it literally changes the chemistry of the brain, unlike typical compulsions, which are more easily overcome than addictions are.

To elaborate, video games become compulsive if someone uses them to constantly relieve stress, a reason compulsions exist. There's no brain alteration, thus no actual physical "need" to play unlike an addiction, which alters the brain so that, stress or no, you need that addictive substance no matter what, and is physically harmful to you if you don't get your fix.

Numerous studies have proven that video games are not addictive by definition. Look em up and stop being lazy. Hell, several were published last year alone.

@mastermetal777:

Again.... your definition of an Addiction is way off..... can't move this discusion foward if you keep sticking to that definition.

@Lulu_Lulu: uh no. Look it up. You'll see that I'm fairly on point about the definition. Or do you wanna stick to your guns and look more like a fool?

@mastermetal777:

I looked it up and I suggest you do the same before you start throwing insults......

No need to be mean.

@Lulu_Lulu: if you did then you'd see that addiction applies to the fundamental altering of the brain because of the addictive substance in question. Do we call people with eating disorders addicts? Is food an addictive substance for them? No. It's a compulsion due to a previous underlying issue. The same is true for those with a compulsory gaming problem. It's not games themselves, but rather why they play games so much. Psychology aside, which really has nothing to do with the subject. I can play a game like Diablo or Candy Crush and not feel a physical need to play them. If they were truly addictive, I would crave such games all the time to the point of it being harmful. Has any video game caused these things? No. They have not.

@mastermetal777:

Yes food can be addictive, the underlying issue is what makes eating so addictive,

Porn can be addictive too, snapping your fingers can be addictive...... Psychological Addictions are just as valid as Chemical ones to claim soneone cannot be addicted just because they have a healthy brain is just wrong...... speaking of which exactly what are these supposed changes in the brain that determine an addiction, swelling ? Stimiulation of a Specific Region ? Secretion of dopamine ?

@Lulu_Lulu: you're confusing addiction with compulsion again. Something a lot of people do if they don't learn about them deeper.

@mastermetal777:

You're confusing addiction with dependency..... and you still haven't answered my question about the brain changes......

@Lulu_Lulu: just read this. Too much information to type out myself

http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/how-addiction-hijacks-the-brain.htm

@mastermetal777:

You're dodging the question......

@mastermetal777:

"For many years, experts believed that only alcohol and powerful drugs could cause addiction. Neuroimaging technologies and more recent research, however, have shown that certain pleasurable activities, such as gambling, shopping, and sex, can also co-opt the brain."

From your own article.

Now correct me if I'm wrong but are you saying Video Games are exempt from this phenomenon known as a "pleasurable activity"

I'm so sorry to burst your bubble, but IMO games like WOW and candy crush suck pretty badly IMO.

#2, we don't need more government restrictions telling us what to do, much less what to play.

And....your argument is a weak argument, I could easily prove your arguments as baseless.

For instance, tobacco has a nicotine patch or gum which would help you get off the product. Sometimes it works, other times not. I could go on and on, but it sounds to me like you should let bygones be bygones. Live and let live.

@Lulu_Lulu: the difference is that being a pleasurable activity doesn't presuppose being an addictive activity unless it causes destructive behavior and physical harm because of the substance in question. And also, how very like you to choose one paragraph, completely forget the rest of the article, and claim that as the main idea. It's almost as if you're trying to make people see things only your way.

Also, here's something from that same article. "Today we recognize addiction as a chronic disease that changes both brain structure and function." Unless I see a study that shows video games doing that to the brain, then I might believe video games are addictive. Until then, I'll stick with the numerous studies that prove the opposite it true, that games don't change brain structure or function.

@mastermetal777:

Well duh.... the main addiction is pleasure, thats the universal source of all addiction since you can get pleasure from anything and everything from Cocaine to Chicken wings then theres no such thing as an addictive substance or activity, the only reason one indulges in that substance or activity is for pleasure....... you haven't given any evidence that exlcudes games from thiss simple concept.

I get it, you can read but it seems like you don't do anything further after that, you just regurgitate the source as it is written.......

No they didn't say anything about games, but did it ever occur to you that they didnt have to, the criteria they came up with actually accomodates games as a strong candidate for an addiction more than it disqualifies it:

Is it a pleasurable activity ? Yep....

Does it affect dopsmine levels in the brain ? Yep....

Is it a shortcut method for achieving pleasure ? Well that should be determined on a case by case basis, but in general exactly how much effort does it take to push a few buttons and make stuff happen on screen ? I'll let you decide that.

I am absolutely aware that video game developers intentionally try to make their games addicting, and that video game addiction has ruined lives.

However, I think that holding them accountable for deliberately making games addictive is kind of problematic. For starters, there's the extent of the problem. Nicotine addiction has caused a hell of a lot of deaths, so it's kind of a big problem. Being that much of a big problem makes it easier to legislate against its use or hold the sellers responsible through lawsuits. But video game addiction is kind of in a different category. Even though it has ruined lives, it hasn't been demonstrated to be nearly as destructive as something like cigarettes. Even if we can state that making games addictive has caused harm, it probably hasn't caused that much harm. You know, seeing as how millions of people play games and love them, and aren't doing so to any clear detriment to their well being. Sure, video game addiction has ruined lives, but the lives ruined appear to make up only a very small percentage of the people who play video games. That makes it a bit harder to get the public on board with taking actions to stop video game addiction.

Another problematic element is how this would clash with freedom of speech. Suppose we did recognize certain video games as being addictive, and either banned them or forced the developers/publishers to pay out in a class action lawsuit. I hope you see the dangerous precedent that would set. The first obvious counterpoint would be that holding the makers of those games accountable would be infringing upon their first amendment rights (I'm obviously limiting my argument to the USA). And it's almost a certainty that the courts would side with the "free speech" argument. Aside from the possibility of a few exceptions, it would be extremely hard to demonstrate that the addictive nature of video games is a threat warranting restricting the free speech of those making the games. The most you'll ever see is the industry self-adopting a sort of warning label on the box. And even if that happens, it's just gonna be voluntary. No one's gonna forcibly regulate the game industry like that, at most the game industry will just largely choose to voluntarily regulate itself in order to avoid bad publicity.

@ionblast_99: alright, right of the bat your analogy is wrong. Because the research about games have been conclusive. So this whole post is meaningless

What's sad is that they are deliberately preying on the obsessive-compulsive. It's nothing new either: Rainbow Six Vegas included an achievement which required people to buy the useless and expensive Xbox 360 webcam; they already realized some people were obsessed with achievements and would buy something they didn't need in order to satisfy their need for completion.

When DLC comes out, the 360 no longer lists games as 1000/1000 complete, but for instance 1000/1450, which is another subtle ploy to push the OC to pay money.

Let's not even get into mobile and MMO gaming, which is a lawless frontier of pits and traps for both OCD and ADHD people ("Level too hard? Want to skip it? $1 please!" or "Can't drop the weapon you want, huh? Why not buy it in the store? $3,99 please!)

There are studies going into these market strategies, make no mistake. Really sad that we have psychology graduates who come out of medical school and whose first impulse is to study new ways to make a buck off people with mental disorders rather than striving to help them, which is what medicine is supposed to be about. Talk about "using your powers for evil".

Just a small nuance, not really disproving your point, but eating disorders could be related to the possible addictive qualities of sugar. This (you can find the full text via google scholar). Only applies to food, though, not games.

@loafofgame:

Not all addictions are based on direct changes to the brain caused by substances.

Activities where nothing is consumed or injected can cause addictions too, just not on the same magnitude. For an activity, it takes much much longer.....

Damnit. ... my thread got locked.... :(

Well, there was three of them.

@Lulu_Lulu "

Go play WoW for 2000 hours and just quit Cold Turkey and see if that sh!t doesn't stick with you, see if you aren't haunted by thoughts like "just one more level till I can get that sword"..... You're lying to yourself if you think you can invest all your time and effort into a fictional world thats more rewarding than whatever your real job is and just walk it off like a cramped muscle....

You won't throw up or anything like detoxing a meth addiction but you will have all the exact same behavioral withdrawal symptoms, like mood swings, depression and irritability...... you will have head aches

I can't say this about games in general but a WoW addiction is definately real and serious and even you, no matter how well adjusted you think you are, are not immune to it....."

I've played WoW for 2000 hours... I quit just fine. Same with Star Wars The old Republic. You have no freaking proof for this statement

Not sure why you are directing this at Lulu? but it looks like Bran might have closed the wrong thread because in Lulu´s own thread she is defending people who claim to have a gaming addiction.

Anyways ill post what i wrote over there before Bran closed the thread (BTW Bran cant you mods combine threads?)

@Lulu_Lulu said:

@Jacanuk:

So what you're saying is the gsme can't be held accountable even though they are specifically designed to manipulate your behavoir ? Especially in this day and age where pay to win tactics are turning up more and more ?

Thats just insensitive of you....... you're like one of those dudes who yell at fat people abd tell them its their fault they can't say no to sweet sugary foods and treats tag teaming with broad advertising.....

Yes, i am saying that no game can be addictive, what causes the addiction is a persons mental state, again don't confuse correlation with cause.

What are you talking about? manipulate your behaviour? im not sure which games you have been playing but i have never played a game that altered my behaviour. And pay to win is becoming more and more because more and more people who exactly like i am saying is able to control their gametime, are gamers but they cant compete with people who spend every waking moment or most of their life in front of a screen.

And sorry if the truth is insensitive to you Lulu.

I didn't think I would get addicted to FFXI, but I did. Took me seven times to quit. Took me two times to quit FFXIV. Just because you quit just fine doesn't mean some people didn't, or are unable to quit at all. I will say I think Lulu's gone a bit far with the withdrawal symptoms, though.

But did it stop you from doing everything else in your life?

The thing is those who get addicted to videogames in a way that ruins their lives, are flat out stupid ! They gotta control themselves ,,,,i love videogames , i'm a videogame fanatic but i'd never let that interfere with my work , my education etc ...

It's sad tho ....

It is not entirely clear, but it seems that everything above "I've played WoW for 2000 hours... I quit just fine. Same with Star Wars The old Republic. You have no freaking proof for this statement" is a quote...

I simply added something to mastermetal777's claims that arguably nuanced them a little. I never made any claims with that addition. I do not wish to be part of the definition discussion (I've stepped into that trap a bit too often now). To me it seems far more valuable to discuss why people might interpret videogames as addictive and what the similarities and differences between videogames and drugs are, for example. All science (interpretation) aside, people apparently see factors that either make or don't make videogames addictive. In my opinion, the aim of a discussion should be to clearly determine the factors that make people differ in opinion, not to prove one side is right or wrong (although the latter can of course lead to the former). Discussing whether a certain thing deserves a certain label seems wholly irrelevant in this context.

@Jacanuk:

Thats exactly how

Addiction works..... and thats how it affects normal well adjusted people, nobody is well adjustested every moment of everyday, your daily life has its ups and downs, a perfectly normal person can be in the mental state that starts an addiction.... after all, that's how it works with Alcohol.... a caual drinker can become a binge drinker, it just takes one momentary change in your state of mind

Its not so far feteched, after all, you can could also be in a mental state the make you commit murder..... all you need is the proper "motivation"

And Im not defending gane addicts I'm just pointing out the similarties between the concepts.

@mjorh:

I guess gambling addicts are just stupid too.....

We get it..... you have no sympathy..... no need to flaunt you insensitivity around just to be mean.

@loafofgame: yes it is

Not really Lulu. Again you don't just suddenly become reclusive and sit and play a game for most of your day without some other cause if you are a normal well-adjusted person. Most normal well-adjusted people know how to take care of themselves, go to school/work and have friends and family

@Jacanuk:

I've said many times that video games can't go toe to toe with drugs, so no it doesn't happen over night.... it happens over many months, actually the duration is determined by the severity of your state of mind.

Bottom line is you can't say that it will never happen

:D , it has got nothing to do with sympathy or whatever ....as i said a mature person who's reached to that level understanding to take responsibilities would not ruin his/her life by a video game unless it's ruined already and he's living like today is his last day ...