Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Blizzard admits to 'grossly underestimating demand' for World of Warcraft in 2004]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/blizzard-admits-to-grossly-underestimating-demand-for-world-of/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/blizzard-admits-to-grossly-underestimating-demand-for-world-of/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/blizzard-admits-to-grossly-underestimating-demand-for-world-of/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

WoW
If World of Warcraft is credited with a smooth initial launch, that's only because time tends to smooth over the growing pains that come with every MMO. Blizzard co-founder Frank Pearce was quite up-front with the studio's stumbles in 2004 as WoW launched to unprecedented demand; he's admitted that Blizzard execs "grossly underestimated" how many people wanted to play the game, forcing the company to cease shipping boxes to stores while tech was improved to deal with the influx.

"I don't think we had any idea what we were getting ourselves into," Pearce said at the recent DICE executive summit. The studio quickly ramped up from its 500-employee taskforce to 4,700 people in 11 cities across the world.

Pearce also addressed the issue of addiction in MMOs, saying that Blizzard "think[s] about it all of the time. If there's something that you're really passionate about, whether it's video games, a book, a TV series [or something else]... we have to consume it in moderation."

MassivelyBlizzard admits to 'grossly underestimating demand' for World of Warcraft in 2004 originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardaddictionblizzardBlizzard-Entertainmentdemanddicedice-2012Frank-Pearcegame-addictionlaunchmmo-addictionworld-of-warcraftwowSun, 12 Feb 2012 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Study links MMOs to 'problem' game-playing]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/03/study-links-mmos-to-problem-game-playing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/03/study-links-mmos-to-problem-game-playing/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/03/study-links-mmos-to-problem-game-playing/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Addicted gamer
Despite the fact that video game addiction lacks both a definition and a diagnosis, "researchers around the world continue to investigate methods of determining, treating, and preventing" it, according to Gamespot.

The American Psychiatric Association recently rejected a movement to incorporate game addiction into its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but that hasn't stopped folks at the National Development and Research Institute from publishing the findings from a survey conducted with 3,380 adult gamers.

The study found that five percent of participants reported "moderate to extreme problem game-playing." Commonly reported problem titles included Call of Duty, the Grand Theft Auto series, online poker games, and World of Warcraft. The team concluded that "there is evidence to suggest that problem game-playing is linked to particular kinds of game genres" and that further research is needed.

MassivelyStudy links MMOs to 'problem' game-playing originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addictionamerican-psychiatric-associationgame-addictionmmo-industrynational-development-and-research-instituteresearchresearchers-conclude-that-more-research-is-neededstudysurveyvideo-game-addictionWorld-of-WarcraftwowFri, 03 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[South Korea puts the 'Cinderella Law' into effect]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/23/south-korea-puts-the-cinderella-law-into-effect/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/23/south-korea-puts-the-cinderella-law-into-effect/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/23/south-korea-puts-the-cinderella-law-into-effect/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Austere painting in video games is also disallowed.
South Korea's burgeoning online gaming market has brought the country a great deal of business success, but it's also brought the dread specter of video game addiction to the forefront of public awareness. Hoping to curb addiction before it starts, the country has brought into effect a new law requiring all online games to block players under age 16 from playing between midnight and 6 a.m. Dubbed the "Cinderella Law," it also affects online services such as PlayStation Network and XBox Live.

As expected, the law has several vocal critics, who assert that the law infringes upon the civil rights of children. The Korea Association of Game Industry, a group including companies such as Nexon and NCsoft, is in the midst of preparing a lawsuit based on its claim that the law is excessively prohibitive. Of course, many gamers have been trying to circumvent the ban already by connecting to Western servers, which have no such restriction... although it could be argued that connecting to another country's servers just to play for a six-hour period sort of reinforces the whole argument about addiction.

MassivelySouth Korea puts the 'Cinderella Law' into effect originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addictionforeign-marketsgame-addictionkaogikoreakorea-association-of-game-industrymmo-industryncsoftnexonsouth-koreavideo-game-addictionworldwide-marketsWed, 23 Nov 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Addicted gamer shares his struggle to find balance between the real world and the virtual world]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/14/addicted-gamer-shares-his-struggle-to-find-balance-between-the-r/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/14/addicted-gamer-shares-his-struggle-to-find-balance-between-the-r/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/11/14/addicted-gamer-shares-his-struggle-to-find-balance-between-the-r/#commentsFiled under: , ,

KVOA
While Tucson's KVOA may not be so well-versed in MMOs as to distinguish between Gears of War and Dark Age of Camelot, the local news station put together an interesting little piece on online game addiction nevertheless.

The brief report highlights the story of Elijah Oster, a father and husband who got so pulled into MMOs that he began to neglect his family and suffer from insomnia. He admits that he failed to "budget enough time" for his loved ones, and would grow irritable when his wife interrupted his play sessions.

Behavioral health counselor Jeffrey Friedman was brought in to comment on game addiction, which he says is similar to most forms of addition in that people's actions are dictated by what will cause them the least emotional pain. In this case, it's becoming overly dependent on an online world instead of the real one. Friedman works at the Cottonwood Tucson center.

The report concludes with Oster sharing what he realized after treatment: "I started understanding the concept of balance."

MassivelyAddicted gamer shares his struggle to find balance between the real world and the virtual world originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addictionbalancebehavioral-healthcottonwood-tucsonElijah-Ostergame-addictionJeffrey-Friedmankvoammo-addictiononline-addictiontucsonvideo-game-addictionMon, 14 Nov 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Former World of Warcraft addict talks about the dangers of habitual gaming]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/28/former-world-of-warcraft-addict-talks-about-the-dangers-of-habit/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/28/former-world-of-warcraft-addict-talks-about-the-dangers-of-habit/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/08/28/former-world-of-warcraft-addict-talks-about-the-dangers-of-habit/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Unplugged by Ryan Van Cleave
When one thinks of a player who's addicted to video games, usually the image of a teen or college student with too much time on his hands comes to mind. Not so with Ryan Van Cleave, who's a college professor with a PhD, marriage and kids -- and who admits to a crippling former addiction to World of Warcraft.

Last year, Van Cleave published his experience with video game addiction in the book Unplugged: My Journey into the Dark World of Video Game Addiction, and in a recent interview with Yahoo! News, he expounds on the process that led him from a reasonably balanced life to something akin to a nightmare. While he admits that he was prone to gaming too much prior to WoW, it was logging in for the first time in 2004 that captivated him fully. His domestic life suffered for it, and he eventually lost his job because of it.

He has since quit the game -- and MMOs in general -- although his wife is concerned about a relapse. His wife also eyes her kids as possible future addicts: "I also have concerns that my children may have a pre-disposition to gaming addiction in the same way that the children of an alcoholic might."

Van Cleave cautions players about the seemingly subtle process of becoming addicted: "Everything that you do as a video game addict, is usually small incremental steps. I was like a Charlie Sheen of WoW. Unapologetic and like a rebel, like, screw you, I'm going to play this game...even though I'm not being the best role model for my kids, I'm not being the best husband, I'm not being good to myself."

MassivelyFormer World of Warcraft addict talks about the dangers of habitual gaming originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addicitioncharlie-sheengame-addictionryan-van-cleaveunpluggedvideo-game-addictionworld-of-warcraftyahoo-newsSun, 28 Aug 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Divorce Online highlights cases caused by "gaming addiction"]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/divorce-online-highlights-cases-caused-by-gaming-addiction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/divorce-online-highlights-cases-caused-by-gaming-addiction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/divorce-online-highlights-cases-caused-by-gaming-addiction/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Divorce Online, a do-it-yourself website that facilitates the filing of separation proceedings sans lawyers, says that a significant percentage of its "unreasonable behavior" petitions stem from cases of gaming addiction.

The website highlights the fact that out of the 200 women who filed petitions between January and April of 2011, 15 percent featured complaints relating to spousal neglect in favor of titles like World of Warcraft and the Call of Duty series.

Despite the fact that gaming addiction is not currently considered an actual addiction by the medical community, Game Politics notes Divorce Online's use of author Ryan Van Cleave in its press release. "A lot of the problem spouses encounter with video game addiction is that the non-gamer doesn't appreciate that it's an addiction. This means it's not a choice to spend so much time in a virtual environment versus time with the spouse and family. It's a compulsion," he says.

MassivelyDivorce Online highlights cases caused by "gaming addiction" originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 31 May 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addictionculturedivorcedivorce-onlinefamilygame-addictionmmo-industrynews-itemsrelationshipsryan-van-cleaveworld-of-warcraftwowTue, 31 May 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard comments on video games addiction documentary]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/06/blizzard-comments-on-video-games-addiction-documentary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/06/blizzard-comments-on-video-games-addiction-documentary/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/12/06/blizzard-comments-on-video-games-addiction-documentary/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Video game addiction is hardly a new subject around these here parts, but it still remains a much-discussed and controversial topic even so. Today, BBC investigative journalism program Panorama will add to the conversation with an in-depth look into the causes of gaming addiction and the consequences of players who become a little too hooked. The episode, titled "Addicted to gaming?", is expected to come down harshly against the practices of video game studios.

According to CVG, it's no surprise that the documentary is airing the very night that World of Warcraft: Cataclysm launches, as Panorama uses WoW as one of its key examples. One of the stories follows the tale of Chris Dandos, a teenager who stopped going to school to play WoW for up to 20 hours a day.

In response to the episode's focus, Blizzard released the following comment: "Our games are designed to be fun... but like all forms of entertainment... day-to-day life should always take precedence. World of Warcraft contains practical tools that assist players and parents in monitoring playing time."

MassivelyBlizzard comments on video games addiction documentary originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's easy to talk about gaming addiction as an abstract concept, but whether or not you think the idea holds a lot of water there are an awful lot of studies and examinations of it that just won't go away. Still, the concept is easy to deny. The human element, however, makes it much more real and that much harder to ignore. Which is why, ultimately, it's probably a good thing for everyone that Kotaku's editor Mike Fahey has written up his story of his EverQuest addiction -- the origin, the escalation, and the recovery of sorts.

Mike describes how the death of his relationship led to him escaping into the video game that increasingly was preferrable to his normal life -- which, in turn, led to him winding up without his car, then without a job, and then ultimately to the point that we could probably see coming, where the game became preferrable to pursuing a romantic relationship. He chronicles the downward slide, followed by the slow crawl back out of being addicted -- but, at the end, he doesn't conclude that EverQuest itself is the problem.

As he himself puts it regarding his addiction: "I hid. I ran from my problems, hiding away in a virtual fantasy world instead of confronting the issues that might have been easily resolved if I had addressed them directly." His story focuses not upon the game, but on his own responses and how they were what was ultimately responsible for what happened and where he wound up. It's an interesting piece for the conclusion alone, and worth reading for anyone with even the slightest stake in the topic of game addiction -- which, for those of us who play MMOs, should really just include all of us.

MassivelyBlogger discusses EverQuest addiction originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addictioncultureeqeverquestgame-addictionkotakumike-faheyopinionsoesony-online-entertainmentWed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The perils of covering game addiction]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/05/the-perils-of-covering-game-addiction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/05/the-perils-of-covering-game-addiction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/10/05/the-perils-of-covering-game-addiction/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Gamers will argue almost endlessly over which games are the best, which ones were most important, what the proper way to play is... but one thing we almost universally agree on is that we are not addicted. We all know the arguments -- the guy who plays sixteen hours a day in his parents' basement would have acted like that anyway, it's just a game, he doesn't have a substance addiction. Why even bring it up?

Neils Clark, author of Game Addiction, wrote up a post about ten fallacies in addressing game addiction. The point of the piece, rather than concluding whether or not it's worth discussing, is to point out the ways in which many of the arguments on both sides are inherently flawed. The first point, for instance, is taking on the oft-quoted stance that "well, games aren't drugs" by laying out the many kinds of repeated behaviors that psychologists already recognize as potential addictions and treat accordingly.

MMORPGs, more than perhaps any other genre, are usually replete with tales of utter addicts and non-stop players. The article is worth reading if you care even the slightest bit about the topic, because it reminds us that the elephant is not a part of the furniture. It's an elephant, and it's the sort of thing that needs to be addressed -- especially as the genre expands its appeal and its user base.

[ via GamePolitics ]

MassivelyThe perils of covering game addiction originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addictiongame-addictionmmo-industryneils-clarkopinionMon, 05 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Chinese game addicts seek help in progressive Internet addiction centers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/10/chinese-game-addicts-seek-help-in-progressive-internet-addiction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/10/chinese-game-addicts-seek-help-in-progressive-internet-addiction/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/01/10/chinese-game-addicts-seek-help-in-progressive-internet-addiction/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

As the Chinese race ahead to catch up with the West, they do so with the intent of creating better lives for themselves. The past several years have been characterized by rapid progression, but all those perks of modernization come with a price, which some of China's citizens are beginning to pay.

As incomes rise, so does the prevalence of the various maladies of modernization we've come to know well -- not limited to obesity, substance abuse, and addiction. While an addiction to a substance has a physiological aspect to it and is rarely disputed as a true addiction, non-material addictions to work, sex, and even shopping are on the rise in China. Such issues have been difficult to officially label as actual mental illnesses in the country. Others, like Internet addiction, have only recently been classified as such in China.

Continue reading Chinese game addicts seek help in progressive Internet addiction centers

MassivelyChinese game addicts seek help in progressive Internet addiction centers originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abuseaddictaddictionbeijingchinachristian-science-monitorgame-addictioninternetinternet-addictionjonathan-adamsmental-illnesspsychologySat, 10 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Porn addiction more accepted than WoW?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/porn-addiction-more-accepted-than-wow/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/porn-addiction-more-accepted-than-wow/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/porn-addiction-more-accepted-than-wow/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Would you say that in a normal conversation, if you were to bring up the fact that you're addicted to porn, that would be more acceptable than if you were to say that you're addicted to World of Warcraft? In a recent interview with Dr. Jerald Block, a psychiatrist who specializes in internet addictions, he says that his clients are usually more shameful about a World of Warcraft addiction than a porn addiction. Block says, "As a society we understand that porn is something people do, and you can see a psychiatrist and get treated for it. But gaming is hard to describe to anyone else. So these people can't explain their situation to friends. In fact, it's hard to give you an example of what my clients talk about, because gaming is enormously complicated."

One of the major problems that Block feels he can tackle better than other therapists is the fact that most therapists have no idea what a guild is or what it means to hit max level. For this reason, many times the players who feel they need professional help end up turning to the wrong resources such as online support groups rather than seeking true mental health professionals.

[Via CVG]

MassivelyPorn addiction more accepted than WoW? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardgame-addictionpornporn-addictionpornographypsychiatristpsychiatryworld-of-warcraftwowMon, 09 Jun 2008 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Doctor clarifies MMO addiction study]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/doctor-clarifies-mmo-addiction-study/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/doctor-clarifies-mmo-addiction-study/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/doctor-clarifies-mmo-addiction-study/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

We've all heard the warnings before: If you keep playing those MMOs, you'll become addicted, or WoW players live in their parents' basement, never to see the light of day, or you'll shoot your eye out, or you'll grow hair on your palms. Many people proclaim to know what's best for everyone else, but recently a study by Dr. John Carlton of England's University of Bolton declared a similarity between MMO players (playing Asheron's Call) and traits common among people with Asperger's syndrome. In many media interpretations of this research, Dr Carlton's true findings were misconstrued.

So in a recent article at GameSpot, Dr. Carlton set the record straight. He explained that there are different levels of gaming "interest". There's a fine line though between the highly engaged and the addicted gamer. He goes on to clarify certain issues that were overlooked in previous news stories on this topic, including the fact that of the 391 people tested for this study, none were actually classified as having Asperger's syndrome. It seems the bottom line in his clarification is that more research would be needed to specifically say one way or another if MMOs actually cause addiction.

MassivelyDoctor clarifies MMO addiction study originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addictionasherons-callgame-addictiongamespotuniversity-of-boltonworld-of-warcraftwowThu, 10 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MMOGology: Addiction and you]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/05/mmogology-addiction-and-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/05/mmogology-addiction-and-you/http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/05/mmogology-addiction-and-you/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A WoW addicted Wretched in SilvermoonA few months back I caught a report on NPR discussing whether video game addiction was an actual addiction. The guests on the show all agreed that it was a real phenomenon. There was even a former drug addict who called in and confessed that quitting his game was harder than quitting heroin. Although no specific game or games were mentioned, it was apparent that the caller was addicted to a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG).

Since gaming is a maturing form of entertainment that has only recently merged into the mainstream it seems a popular target for non-gaming journalists seeking the next sensational story. It strikes a nerve with me when the press uses the word addiction in the context of video games because it carries a sinister connotation. It darkens an already gloomy perception of a hobby I love. Games have already been blamed for shootings and desensitization to violence. Now gamers have "addict" to add to our list of perceived sins. There seems to be an element of society eager to demonize gaming for whatever reason. Regardless of mainstream media misperception, video game addiction; especially MMOG addiction, is an oft recurring topic in the gaming community. So are MMOGs really addictive? If so, what elements make them addictive? If they are addictive, what should we do about it?

Continue reading MMOGology: Addiction and you

MassivelyMMOGology: Addiction and you originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 05 Nov 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addictionBlizzardfeaturedgame-addictionMMOG-addictionMMORPG-addictionpeer-pressure-in-online-gamesvideo-game-addictionWorld-of-WarcraftWoWMon, 05 Nov 2007 10:00:00 EST