Ben-DutkaWe've been hearing it for decades. While rational individuals know that video games aren't any more addicting than peanut butter unless you're predisposed to addictive behavior, the stereotype remains.
If you ask older people about video games, many of them will still say they're addictive. They don't know anything about the hobby, mind you, but the media has done an excellent job convincing the public that gaming is "addictive." Okay, let's just humor them: Is there any particular component about games that you do find addictive?
For some, it's online multiplayer. It's how they rack up literally thousands of hours playing MMOs or Call of Duty online. For others, it's a wicked in-depth game that requires a huge amount of attention and patience, like one of the Elder Scrolls titles. Still others get really involved in sports simulators, which takes up a gigantic amount of time. Is there any specific aspect about games – or a certain kind of game – that strikes you as "addictive?"
And of course, I'm not talking about clinical, dangerous addiction. I'm just talking about the kind of can't-stop-playing feeling that all of us have, at one point or another, experienced. This doesn't mean we're barely functioning zombies, though, contrary to popular belief.
Well games are a stable part of my entertainment diet along with movies and brit television.
Granted I have not been on the PS3 for a while. Taking a break from replaying some games.
Certain games are or have been addictive. Addictive in the sense that I get wrapped up in the games universe. One such games was Fallout 3 along with the Assassins Creed series. Hard to put the controller down when you get so invested in the storyline.
Keep playing! but don't stay up too late.
I can't quite put my finger on what makes me play like an addict, but I can say that inFamous:Second Son will trigger all the symptoms. Some games I just can't seem to put down and I'm certain inFamous will be one of them.
I'd say each day for me is mostly the same as the next and playing in a world more unique than my own is what makes me want to experience every game there is.
What about it is addictive? I play at night after kids are in bed… If I stop and go to bed, work comes faster. :'(
MMORPGS the thousands of hours i spent on them but honestly what makes MMOS addicting for me is playing it with friends makes those hours of grinding actually fun compared to playing with randoms
JRPGS single player the stories and gameplay though i Miss the fun Mini games
like snow boarding in FF7 or blitzball in FFX and i miss the side quests that added to back stories like FF7 that was addicting for instance Vincents side quest in getting death penalty and Vincents level 4 Limit you learned about Lucretcia Sephiroths Mother i guess things like that have me addicted
I treat games the same way I treat books – I tend to lose myself in them. The "addiction" I suppose comes from being able to experience something so not reality. I guess I just don't see myself waking up tomorrow morning, grabbing my battle ax, then walking out the front door to slay a dragon. At least not realistically. Games give me the opportunity to do just that. Or kick a zombie in the face. That's always fun too.
No! Don't go out with your battle axe and slay a dragon. You'll wind up in the looney bin. Take it from me…;)
Thank goodness we get to do these things in our mutual forms of entertainment. Games and books…gotta love em!
Last edited by FatherSun on 2/14/2014 12:50:25 AM
The entertainment I get from games is the addictive factor for me…not all games do it for me, but the ability to lose myself in another world like I can with a good book, is what keeps me coming back, although those games that do really hook you, are sometimes hard to find lately….
Or exactly what MrAnonymity said 5 minutes before me…lol
Last edited by CH1N00K on 2/14/2014 12:39:57 AM
I am an artist. In every sense of the word. Whether by color, sound or story. This medium allows me the pleasure of enjoying all of these things. At times even all at once. It entertains my sense of humor and emotion. It also stimulates my sense of wonder and amazement. I used to create entire worlds on one sheet of notebook paper as a child. Secrets upon secrets within the art. A puzzle that told a tale as one discovered the paths to the ultimate of ends. To see these ideas come to life in modern video games is intoxicating.
I tend not to get addicted to quick hit games which deliver instant repetitive rewards like Angry Birds or FPS Multiplayer.
I would call a really good engrossing story or game world addictive in the same way it would be with a book I couldn't put down.
Strange, I thought it was universally known and accepted by now that gaming indeed *can* be addictive. I mean, I've been addicted to a mmorpg myself so I can confirm first hand that this is very much true.
Of course, just like any other addiction the potential degree of addiction and consequence largely depends both on person and especially circumstances/situation in life, but that's how it is with *all* addictiveness.
Gaming is an escape from reality, and thus most definitely has an element of psychological addiction that can be quite strong.
For something to actually be "addictive," removal from its overuse needs to cause real physical and mental distress as with heroin, cigarettes, or methamphetamine. Otherwise it's just something you can't stop yourself from doing as some people do with eating, though we don't label food as addictive.
World: In point of fact, World, food addictions are very real. Just watch "My 600lb. Life" some time. Depressing as hell.
Beam: Of course games can be addictive. Just about anything can. It really depends on the type of person you are and how you respond to various stimuli.
@Ben: Then we agree 🙂
@World: There are two main categories of addiction, physical and psychological.
Many of the strongest drugs we have today are not the most physically addictive substances. Amphetamine for example is less physically addictive than both alcohol and nicotine. The body doesn't establish as strong physical dependency on those substances, but your mind does. Habits, effects, all those things makes you addicted.
Gaming has that psychological effect of being an extremely strong escape from reality, especially mmorpgs. Probably one of the strongest, as far as I can see.
And that is dangerous.
Last edited by Beamboom on 2/16/2014 6:03:32 AM
I think the 3 games that I put the most time in(100+ hours)were GTA 4, Borderlands1, FarCry2, & Mass Effect3.
Oh, and I'm 234 hours on Dragon's Dogma right now(& just about to level up to 94).
And for a casual game, I've got over 400 hours in Bejeweled 3 & still going.
Last edited by BikerSaint on 2/14/2014 4:06:09 AM
holy crap that's a long time in Dogma
Well, I gotta say that duhhh, I made a bone-head move,…I was trapped deep down in Bitterblack Isle between sets of un-killable monsters in all 4 directional rooms, & for 2 days straight.
Until I realized duhhh, I still had 1 majik stone in my possession that could transport me back to BI's front entrance.
Then I ground it out to level up me & my 3 pawns much higher & then we were able to return to smack-down all 4 sets of them
BTW, Most of my hours were side missions & trying to explore the whole map inch by square inch, just like I did in FarCry2.
yeah,exploring and leveling up in the fallout games[3/NV],i want the power/the extra perks[ability's] so i keep on playing, doing missions and beating enemy's
,veryyyyyy addictive
Fallout 3 350+ hours
NV so far about 150 hours[and i haven't play'd the dlc yet]
Also skyrim the exploring and also the leveling up/extra ability's about 300+ hours
Last edited by slow and smart on 2/14/2014 7:16:13 AM
There are only two games I play for years:
Gran Tursimo – because I love racing and they're always adding something new with seasonal events. And I can never buy enough cars.
Skyrim – there's just soooo much to do even on multiple playthroughs and I always want to get my character up to the next level and figure out what to spend those skill points on. And on PC I'm always adding more mod's, right now I'm playing through the Wyrmstooth mod which is every bit as good as the official DLC's. And then there's the Falskaar mod which is even bigger.
Ryu Ga gotoku (Yakuza) Series can't stop until i finish every single thing in the game i tell you there is a lot of variety.
100 hours on each PS2 Yakuza
200 hours on each PS3 Yakuza
Last edited by Kiryu on 2/14/2014 8:08:38 AM
I need a sense of personalization in a game. If everyone has to do the same thing to achieve the goal then I can't be bothered. The main reason I don't play "story games" like Uncharted. You're simply walking a strict path that everyone is going to walk. Yes, I "get" that it's quite an experience, etc but if that's what I wanted I'd watch a movie. To simplify it, if it doesn't include Random factor that depends on my input then it's just not worth my money.
The gunfights/stealth/melee stuff all unfolds depending on how you approach it. That interactive element makes it better than a movie.
In Fallout/Elder Scrolls I'm addicted to the exploration.
In inFamous I'm addicted to gaining new powers.
In JRPGs I'm addicted to the feeling of being a scrappy underdog company that takes on a whole world of evil armies and heartless dictators.
In horror I'm addicted to the suspense factor.
Borderlands and Diablo games are very addicting due to their loot system. Also, I find RPGs very addicting as you grind to level up your character to make them more powerful.
But, all in all, I find video games as a whole to be addicting because they allow me to do things that I couldn't do or see in real life.
Last edited by CrusaderForever on 2/14/2014 10:46:49 AM
Addictive? Um, I don't think so. Instead of watching TV at night, I play video games. 🙂
There's nothing like being the last alive against 3 or 4 enemies and know that the outcome of the round depends on whether you win or lose a game while all your team sees you.
Socom is only able to create me so much adrenaline and make my heart beat so fast.
Too bad people this days cant stand waiting for 4 or 5 minutes to play again another round, they just want to run and gun without any strategy and respawn as soon as possible just to die in 10 seconds.
I love to play games that requiere to use my brain and use team work or strategy to get the job done.
That's why i would choose Socom instead COD or BTF any day.
FWIW, I hate describing games I really like to play and can't wait to get back to as "addicting" because the word has such ugly connotations. If you, a family member or a friend ever struggled with actual addiction, the word would lose some luster as a descriptor for something as great as video games. Perhaps just as importantly, people who don't understand games hear people like me or you talking about how "addictive" a certain game is, or how "addictive" the hobby is as a whole, and they get the wrong idea. Certainly not telling anyone what to say or anything, and no judgment at all if you use the word "addiction" as a complimentary term. Just felt like sharing my opinion on it.
And having said all of that, a well-paced story campaign that immerses me completely — whether it's open world like skyrim or linear like the Last of Us — addicts me every time 🙂
Stealth games and horror games, easily.
The reason being, you get a hunter/hunted sense when prowling around. So in stealth games I'm the hunter finding my targets and taking them out without anyone ever knowing I was there.
In horror, I'm the hunter. Moving around attempting to survive with what little I have to sustain my life for as long as possible. Both genres have always been that way for me, and it's probably why I noticed 50% of my games are stealth and the other 50% is a mesh of horror and whatever else.
RPG's are great addicts too. Leveling up to fight the super secret boss. Learning the ins and outs of said RPG in order to defeat your foe.
As for everything else, I guess it really all depends. Competitive games really bring out the anger in people when you win. The only games I really played competitively is Killzone and Demons/Dark souls. Both have great communities and that makes being competitive fun. After all, video games are about fun and not stressing about your K/D/R.
Love that stealth feeling — that "I see you, but you can't see me" that games like Metal Gear do so well. Just observing patterns, figuring out the best way to address a situation. I feel similar to the way I did playing hide and seek when I was a kid 🙂
yeah i wud say some games are more "addicitive" than other games but the way i see it is you need a ceratin amount of time in games to actually get any where like how much cud u do in say 5 or 10 or even 30 mins not much put it lightly thats just the way thats games have been all my life and thats a long time. so saying someone whos plays a game for a few hrs is addicited to games no way they are dreaming they take time to get through thats just how it is just like watching TV and movies and sports and motor racing but hey its just video games thats getting hit by how much time we put into games comparedto other things. urg i get tired of this i even get crap form my parents still sometimes for not getting out enough just cos i'm playing games while i have the time to play them when i'm on holiday.
happy gaming =)
Becoming overpowered endgame.
At 61, I think that rates me as a gamer for life, and and you know what?????……..
….."I don't need no stinkin' 12-step program"