Gaming Addiction

[BO7H B4RRELS 2,453]

Have any of you ever found yourself feeling addicted to gaming or known someone who has been?  Where do you personally draw the line?  Thoughts on this topic?  

 

 

 

 

[LordBaguette 844]

27 minutes ago, BO7H B4RRELS said:

Have any of you ever found yourself feeling addicted to gaming or known someone who has been?  Where do you personally draw the line?  Thoughts on this topic?  

 

 

 

 

Honestly these topics I always say the same thing. When it comes to addiction, people either have addictive personalities or not. They will get addicted to something, then if they can stop that addiction, will just get addicted to something else to replace it. The things he describes can be attributed to anything you find pleasure in doing, whatever your hobbies may be, which is perfectly fine. It is if they start to get in the way of your day to day life and start negatively effecting work, relationships etc is when it becomes an 'addiction'. 

[BO7H B4RRELS 2,453]

Right.  I agree.  But, I'm curious if anyone's here has ever found themselves addicted to video games.  Addiction comes in 101 flavors, but I'm just curious about personal experiences with being addicted to gaming specifically.  

[phil bottle 9,815]

Not personally. There are times when a particular game has been so enjoyable I have raced home from work to play it. But that's about it. Oh yeah and I used to dream about UAVS around the time of MW2 and Black Ops which was weird.

I like to keep everything in balance and it helps to have lots of different interests. I could happily play a video game, read a book, play my guitar, run around a park chasing a ball etc etc 

 

 

Addictions wise I tend to avoid gambling. I think I would be addicted to that so I stay away. I've got family members with alcohol issues but fortunately I missed that one.

I smoke too much though 🤗

[RenFengge 1,042]

For me, personally, I seem have a keen self-awareness when it comes to things for myself. I love my video games, there's no doubt about that. I have played to the point where I have dreams as if I was in the video game I was playing, speech bubbles and all. Once, as a teenager, I was scolded by my mother when she came into my room one morning and was shocked that I was up for over 24 hours playing Civilization. I have sometimes become a bit obsessive about a game and having it in my thoughts whenever I have a moment to spare.

 

However, I also know when to stop.

 

For example, during my first play through of the Mass Effect Trilogy, we had plans to meet some friends. Yes, I played the game up until we had to leave. I know when to stop. I know when to put a game away, so it does not get in the way of my actual life. Sure, there are times where I may neglect work a little to play a game... but I'm not exactly going to ignore work either. 

 

All about balance really.

 

To @LordBaguette 's point - he's right. People have addictive personalities or not. Those who do just swap out different addictions. I've seen people trade drug and alcohol addictions for fitness. Heck, the Whole30 protocol stemmed from one of the creator's addiction.

 

In simplest terms, addiction is about dopamine and regulation. It can be for almost anything, and video games are just another thing that our brainiacs are recognizing that can fall into it. At least with certain addictions, it can be channeled for good things. There are studies where kids who grow up with video games actually have better problem solving skills than non-gamer kids. I'd have to find it again if anyone is interested. I cited the research for my own paper on video games a while back.

[Greboth 2,721]

Similarly to Phil and La, I’d say I’ve been obsessive about a game here and there.  Certainly to the point of all my free time being spent on the game.  I think that’s where the line is though, even spending all your free time on something can be ok, it’s when yoy deliberately start making time by skipping school, work etc.

 

Though I also find with any hobby of mine, if I’m absorbed in it too much I find myself through burning out or boredom wanting to do my other hobbies more until it breaks the obsession.

[slamminbones 1,809]

The only aspect of gaming addiction for me is the trophies even though I know I won't get nothing out of it for use out side of gaming. 

[phil bottle 9,815]

@RenFengge ah I forgot about Civilisation. That game is another matter and the exception because it is digital heroin and to be avoided if you have any issues with willpower 😅

 

I think WoW and other Mobo games like LoL and DOTA tend to have a lot of issues with ppl over playing.

[RenFengge 1,042]

42 minutes ago, phil bottle said:

@RenFengge ah I forgot about Civilisation. That game is another matter and the exception because it is digital heroin and to be avoided if you have any issues with willpower 😅

 

I think WoW and other Mobo games like LoL and DOTA tend to have a lot of issues with ppl over playing.

My response to my mother when she came into my room that morning being all "You need to get off the computer and do something and get sleep" --> "IT'S SUMMER VACATION!!! I HAVE NO SCHOOL RIGHT NOW!"

 

I don't know of many people who have strong willpower in shutting off Civilization at a decent hour lol.

[J4MES OX4D 10,054]

I don't think I've ever been addicted to a game although I did play MW2 and Black Ops in rather long sessions a decade ago. I also had some huge time sinks - mainly with strategy games when I was younger too but nothing of any concern that impacted with school or social life.

 

When I hear about other people's stories, the differences are huge and are the absolute definition of addiction. Most games are shit nowadays and certainly aren't worth wasting time on - I couldn't imagine playing DOTA or CSGO for 14 hours a day like some. Others can play the likes of Warzone for 8 hours and then have another session after a short break. I am so glad I've outgrew a lot of genres and haven't been born into the skin/lootbox generation. Games have had more addictive and money sapping mechanisms in play in the past 7-8 years but thankfully I have not fallen into a lot of traps those games have.  

 

I also don't have the time to be addicted to any game either! 

[RenFengge 1,042]

28 minutes ago, J4MES OX4D said:

Most games are shit nowadays and certainly aren't worth wasting time on - I couldn't imagine playing DOTA or CSGO for 14 hours a day like some.

 Absolutely concur on that. I think we've all gone into this discussion previously and recently, especially when discussing EA. Game publisher overlords wants to monetize everything about gaming and make it a GaaS. So, we get shallow and casual games as a result. Gone are the days where there was a plethora of deep, unique games to play. The wonder of "going to pick out a new game to play" is gone. Gone are the days of going to the video game store to randomly pick out a game that looked fun and enthralling, sinking hours and days and weeks into it, then doing it again with another game... amassing a big collection of games that you could probably replay (I mean, I must have replayed A Boy and his Blob more times I can count).

 

Now, publishers generally want something easy and sucking money out of players every chance they can get.

 

So, we're looking now at games going down the lines of gambling. For those who are addicted or unaware of their addiction tendencies, it's not going to be alcohol or drugs or the casinos that's going to get them into crazy debt... it's going to be games that end up being pay-to-play.

 

Somewhere in that above mess of words is a train of thought lol. Apologies on that.

[GazzaGarratt 11,066]

Just ask @Diddums about WoW 🤣

 

I'll come back with my thoughts later on this. Great thread btw Tommy @BO7H B4RRELS

[Diddums 4,346]

Pretty sure La is well versed in the WoW stuff. I cancelled my sub again, it expires tomorrow. I'm tempted to have one last night on it tonight but I can't risk being sucked back in, now that BC is out. I went through a hardcore phase though, I ran two guilds, cleared every raid every week across three toons, and was a dab hand in the arena too. I also did auction house PVP and was maxed out on gold on a few toons too. In fact it got so bad that when I went to certain sites at work, I used to take my laptop to work, teamviewer in to my home PC by tethering to my phone, and reset all my auctions whilst being paid on the job. I really took it too far.

 

I've never been addicted to any other games though, I mean I've put in some serious hours, but that was mainly due to the awesome company I had rather than the game. Anyone who was around during our MW2-BO2 days will know what I'm talking about. 

 

 

[BO7H B4RRELS 2,453]

2 hours ago, Diddums said:

Pretty sure La is well versed in the WoW stuff. I cancelled my sub again, it expires tomorrow. I'm tempted to have one last night on it tonight but I can't risk being sucked back in, now that BC is out. I went through a hardcore phase though, I ran two guilds, cleared every raid every week across three toons, and was a dab hand in the arena too. I also did auction house PVP and was maxed out on gold on a few toons too. In fact it got so bad that when I went to certain sites at work, I used to take my laptop to work, teamviewer in to my home PC by tethering to my phone, and reset all my auctions whilst being paid on the job. I really took it too far.

 

I've never been addicted to any other games though, I mean I've put in some serious hours, but that was mainly due to the awesome company I had rather than the game. Anyone who was around during our MW2-BO2 days will know what I'm talking about. 

 

 

This is the type of reply I was hoping to hear about, personal experiences.  That sounds pretty serious with that WoW situation, sheesh!  Haha.  I'm glad you're not that deep anymore.  MMOs can certainly be addictive.  

 

I don't think I've ever been personally addicted to video games, other things in life, but not games.  

 

Like Didds and some others have mentioned, back in the Duty hay days, I used to get down quite a bit and was hooked.  I'd even say it was like that with the first Destiny.  I'd think about playing it all the time and squeeze some time in any chance I had.  Playing with the clan all the time made it more than just gaming, it was a social thing as well.  It's been a while since I've felt that strongly about any game.  I still game plenty, but I haven't had anything suck me in like that in a long time.  

[RenFengge 1,042]

18 hours ago, Diddums said:

Pretty sure La is well versed in the WoW stuff.

 

I've blocked/forgotten large swaths of WoW from my brain. Been a bit lol.

 

18 hours ago, Diddums said:

I cancelled my sub again, it expires tomorrow. I'm tempted to have one last night on it tonight but I can't risk being sucked back in, now that BC is out. I went through a hardcore phase though, I ran two guilds, cleared every raid every week across three toons, and was a dab hand in the arena too. I also did auction house PVP and was maxed out on gold on a few toons too. In fact it got so bad that when I went to certain sites at work, I used to take my laptop to work, teamviewer in to my home PC by tethering to my phone, and reset all my auctions whilst being paid on the job. I really took it too far.

 

This... this is why I do not mess with WoW or FFXIV or more immersive MMORPGs.

 

I mentioned originally that I am quite self-aware. Thus, I know my limits. I know what's going to cause me to cross the line, so I don't wander too close to it. As a teenager, I was introduced to a certain drug. I took it twice. I knew I liked it all too much, and told my friends and anyone else to never ever put it in front of me again. To this day, I still want it. It's still on my mind. I still have only positive feelings about it. I know that if offered to me, I would take it.

 

For online games, it is the same thing for me. I do not touch WoW or FFXIV. I joke that no one would see me again for a long time, and I do somewhat mean that. I played Neverwinter Nights back in the 90's. My goodness, I would sneak to our computer room, cover the modem to shut it up, and play... only to be scolded later on the internet bills lol.

 

Games like WoW and FFXIV... games that are incredibly in-depth and not really so much of a "here's the same 5 activities to do every week" and more of an active world... I'll get lost in them. I scoff at spending real money in Destiny 2 for aesthetic items because you can spend real money in WoW and FFXIV for useable in-game items via other markets. Pay-to-play is dangerous, but the economy of those worlds is something else.

 

Like I said. I'm very self-aware. I know my limits. So, while I do want to load up WoW and FFXIV, I just won't... and take safety in my single player games and handful of other multiplayer games that do not beg for my attention all waking moments of my life.

[jordie1892 681]

I don't think I've ever been addicted to a video games. I occasionally have periods of obsession over a game, though that tends to die right down after a week or so. I think my low attention span is actually a bit of a saviour here!

 

With all that being said, I've played a stupid amount of FIFA over the last year... though I attribute that more to the social side of playing with FGers more so than obsessing over the game itself.

[IRaMPaGe 3,257]

@RenFenggeOut of curiosity what drug was it you tried twice as a teenager and never touched again? If you don't want to say it's perfectly understandable La. I would like to say I have "dabbled" with various drugs over the years, but dabbled is such a weak term. Gorged and binged and overindulgence would be more the appropriate term. I'm not proud of the things I've taken so frequently in the past, but I'm not ashamed of it either. It's safe to say I've had plenty of good times. Not many bad times either which is lucky I guess. 😃

[RenFengge 1,042]

13 minutes ago, IRaMPaGe said:

@RenFenggeOut of curiosity what drug was it you tried twice as a teenager and never touched again? If you don't want to say it's perfectly understandable La. I would like to say I have "dabbled" with various drugs over the years, but dabbled is such a weak term. Gorged and binged and overindulgence would be more the appropriate term. I'm not proud of the things I've taken so frequently in the past, but I'm not ashamed of it either. It's safe to say I've had plenty of good times. Not many bad times either which is lucky I guess. 😃

 

Ecstasy. Regular tab the first time. Double tab the second. Both Playboy. 

 

I had various groups of friends who never interacted with each other. My drug friends were in deep. They were honestly just trying to help me through a traumatic time and didn't want me to be all PTSD and stuff lol. They didn't know better, and I didn't care. Shit was a blast for me lol. 

 

People can experiment if they want, I feel. Just know your sources lol. 

[phil bottle 9,815]

23 minutes ago, IRaMPaGe said:

@RenFenggeOut of curiosity what drug was it you tried twice as a teenager and never touched again? If you don't want to say it's perfectly understandable La. I would like to say I have "dabbled" with various drugs over the years, but dabbled is such a weak term. Gorged and binged and overindulgence would be more the appropriate term. I'm not proud of the things I've taken so frequently in the past, but I'm not ashamed of it either. It's safe to say I've had plenty of good times. Not many bad times either which is lucky I guess. 😃

 

Probably one of my favourite posts all year ^

😅

[GazzaGarratt 11,066]

I'm like many here, as I don't believe (as far as how I interpret it) that i've been addicted to any game of sorts. However, @jordie1892  uses the word obsession which you could argue is close to addiction in a way and thats how I can be. But let's face it, if it wasn't for FGers I really don't think I would've sustained my constant gaming over the last 7-8 years (you'd find on my PPR, games were my life until I met Hayley and then had a 7 year absence with life before mym Mum bought me a PS4 and @Stretch616  helped me find FG when starting out on Destiny).

 

One thing to consider that sends me a little too close to the line though is FOMO. I do think this is such a pull towards getting addicted. It becomes a routine to not miss out on anything, over and over. Its probably why i'm glad the updates on Destiny have changed so that can go away as its pretty unhealthy over a sustained period of time, e.g. a year or so.

 

The real question is am I addicted to Forever Gaming? Yeah....not gonna answer that one 😄

 

[IRaMPaGe 3,257]

6 hours ago, RenFengge said:

 

Ecstasy. Regular tab the first time. Double tab the second. Both Playboy. 

 

I had various groups of friends who never interacted with each other. My drug friends were in deep. They were honestly just trying to help me through a traumatic time and didn't want me to be all PTSD and stuff lol. They didn't know better, and I didn't care. Shit was a blast for me lol. 

 

People can experiment if they want, I feel. Just know your sources lol. 

 

A thing I'm very familiar with, not something I've had in many years. I wouldn't say I've had hundreds of them, probably a good few thousand. That's only pill form, the MDMA "off the rock" Crystal form is even better. Pills can be cut with more shite before pressed. Anyone can buy a pill press and make them

 

It can happen through social circles, availablity, peer pressure. I've never been forced to take anything, everything I've had was my own choice. 

 

6 hours ago, phil bottle said:

 

Probably one of my favourite posts all year ^

😅

 

Thanks Phil 🤭

 

Now I'm not going to derail the thread anymore or go into details about the extensive and vast assortment of chemicals I've enjoyed(Abused) in the past, unless asked to. But I've never been totally addicted to something apart from Marijuana. Again it's something I could take or leave, but always wanted it. If you moderate and cut down intake it's something you can still enjoy, but not be consumed by.

 

So I'm pretty much in the same boat as most about gaming addiction. I've played many different games and enjoyed large periods of obbsessing about games. Gaming has always been free time. Wether it's an hour or 3 hours I have spare, it's never got in the way of work or I've never turned down social opportunities with friends to stay in and play a game.

 

Plenty of occasions gaming back in the day would be social in person. Playing Goldeneye 4 player on N64. Playing Tony hawk's with a friend, racing games, Halo.

Sometimes just passing a pad around trying to beat a nails boss.