back to article Hey, Mr Games Addict! Do you have a problem?

Problem video game users are: More likely to play certain online role-playing games Find it easier to meet people on line Have fewer friends in real life Are more likely to report excess caffeine consumption These are the results of a recent survey into video gamers' habits, completed by 1945 respondents, which revealed …

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  1. Frostbite
    Grenade

    Nah

    I'm addicted to Modern Warfare 2

    1. Craigyb
      Grenade

      Blue Fox

      Same here! all the COD games rock though online......

  2. LtJoker
    Alert

    Ah, this takes me back

    LFG NO ROUGES

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Golf could lead to addiction too?

    I guess playing Tiger Woods PGA Tour could lead an addiction.

  4. Craigyb
    Grenade

    Games addict

    Everyone I know who is a gamer is addicted to Modern Warfare 2, myself included.....

  5. Danny 5
    Stop

    cause and symptom

    i'm not debating the existence of a gaming addiction, i just think it's a symptom rather then a cause/illness. i'm quite convinced that a gaming addiction is simply a manifestation of an underlying (mental) problem. escapism i believe the term is?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Some would call it that...

      Others would call it "My life is shit and I don't enjoy working this dead end job." But I would agree, more of a symptom really when you stop caring about everything that's supposed to matter.

  6. Law
    Unhappy

    I don't have a gaming problem... just all the symptoms

    *he says.... at 3.57am*

  7. Glen 9
    Grenade

    I disagree...

    As a PC gamer I would say it's the opposite actually.

    Generally I see it as those with fewer friends in reality and find it harder to make them turn to video games as they can half a laugh with otehr people they may not know, and do what they like.

    Yes there's the odd case of a socialite going AWOL on WoW but it's mostly being stuck indoors on a Friday night bored and by themselves that people play online games.

    MW2 is the most overrated game in history btw :P

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Addiction

    Well, I'm addicted to SimCity 4. No fancy graphics, but a hell of a time killer and with excellent playability.

    1. Law
      Unhappy

      that's nothing...

      ... my 70ish year old father-in-law has been playing Civ 2 for a minimum of 6 hours every single day since he took early retirement... he retired a number of years before I started seeing my wife.. I've been with my wife over 10 years now... we've bought him new versions of Civ, but he refuses, claiming them to be an abomination compared to Civ 2... he's crazy...

  9. Craig 28

    If you can imagine a passtime

    There will be someone, somewhere who takes it too far. This isn't unique to computerised games.

    Of course I'd like to class playing WoW as a mental illness in itself, but that's a whole other matter. Once upon a time Blizzard used to be quite good, sighs. And yes I do think of WoW as the reality TV of gaming.

  10. vdascda

    Gaming Hours

    I play 6 hours on week days and and about 32 hours at the weekend over two days... and yes I meet all the criterial above.

  11. Lionel Baden
    Pint

    bah

    I put in about 4-6 hours a day in the evening once the little kiddies are in bed.

    So how the heck am i supposed to go out and socolise instead

    Pay for Baby sitter

    Pay For taxi

    Pay for inflated drinks prices

    Talk to people who will very very likley have no intrest that i can relate to e.g. football.

    Or ....

    Grab a crate of beer

    Jump on TS3 get pissed with my mates

    Play L4d2 / CSS / UT2K4 / BF2142 etc etc etc

    Talk smack and computers ...

    for a fraction of the price aswell .......

    now i know why the goverment doesnt like it

    they get less tax :((((((((((((

    1. Mike 135
      FAIL

      bang on Lionel

      Wasn't there an article a few years ago saying that addiction experts cannot classify gaming as an addiction?

      No withdrawal = no addiction. It's that simple.

      Maybe we should setup a new watchdog or agency and pay someone a six figure salary to watch-over this 'problem'. I propose a computer game czar with unlimited powers to arrest, detain and imprison anyone caught not spending enough in pubs and spending too much time on-line. We could then setup an A B C classification system based on how 'addictive' these games are.

      We could then extend their powers to those 'addicted' to blogging and then web surfing in general. What about all those people addicted to reading? Maybe we should setup help centers for them too and confiscate their library cards. Surely more books out of the library = less time spent socialising.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    drivel

    Life is shit for many people, WoW is fun for many people. That's all there is to say about this "issue". Addiction my arse.

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