5 Ways Video Games Try to Get You Addicted

[PatColo]

from 2010, I just stumbled on it through the reader comments in this article at Makow, "Television Ruined My Life " (http://henrymakow.com/2013/10/Television-ruined-my-life.html)


5 Creepy Ways Video Games Are Trying to Get You Addicted (http://www.cracked.com/article_18461_5-creepy-ways-video-games-are-trying-to-get-you-addicted.html) By David Wong (http://www.cracked.com/members/David%20Wong) March 08, 2010 5,098,217 views

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So, the headlines say somebody else has died due to video game addiction (http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/couple-starves-real-child-while-raising-virtual-one/1392152). Yes, it's Korea again.


What the hell? Look, I'm not saying video games (http://www.cracked.com/article_15243_the-next-25-years-video-games.html) are heroin. I totally get that the victims had other shit going on in their lives. But, half of you reading this know a World of Warcraft addict and experts say video game addiction is a thing (http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/081111_gaming.htm). So here's the big question: Are some games intentionally designed to keep you compulsively playing, even when you're not enjoying it?


Oh, hell yes. And their methods are downright creepy.


#5.

Putting You in a Skinner Box

rest: http://www.cracked.com/article_18461_5-creepy-ways-video-games-are-trying-to-get-you-addicted.html

[Norweger]

They get into your "reward system" quite quickly these days with unlocks, achievements, upgrades, stats etc all designed to get you hooked. They design games in a way that it will be more rewarding the longer you play.

[mamboni]

It's very much user dependent. I will go through periods where I play a PC game for several days and several hours per day to the exclusion of everything else. But once I hit a goal or finish the game, I put it down and wait weeks or months before getting any urge to play again. I'm in a long dry spell now. If this is addiction it is very weak and transient, at least for me. Some people have very addictive personalities - they can get addicted to anything that is enjoyable.

[Ponce]

I do play "Bejewell", or someting like that, every day...when ever I am listening to an article on my lap top I have a smaller window open where I play the game......it keeps my mind going all the time.

V

[Glass]

I think skylanders is one of the most effective at deploying these techniques. The game requires you to purchase physical figurines from the toy store in order to activate new abilities. These figurines cost tens of dollars and I have relatives who have spent ~$1000 on the figurines.

Me, if the game is engaging I will make time to play it. Most of the games don't appeals because I am more interested in strategy, RTS specifically and good ones are few and far between. Having several decades of game play behind me, I find nothing new in the gaming industry ideas box. It is more a case of updaing engines for better graphics but the game mecahanics, story lines etc are regularly repeated..... because there is a sucker born every minute or there is always fresh meat of people who have not yet played games so they think it is new concepts. Sorry but every thing that is old is new again.