MMORPG’s too addictive for their own good?

As some of you might have heard a girl by the name of “snowly” has died after a marathon session playing her favourite computer game .. (world of warcraft)

many games went online and staged a virtual funeral for her. In a cathedral in stormwind. The games knelt in rows, heads bowed,

The player, known only as “snowly” died, after playing the game for three days with barely a break during a week long national holiday in China.
Her online friends said she had the highest asttendance rate in the online days, but days before she died, snowly complained of feeling exhausted as she prepared for a particularly diffucult stage of her challenge,

Yet weeks later after her death, a second games, who nicknamed himself “thereafter” died in similar circumstances. The deaths are the latest in a growing number of tragedies related to excessive games-playing in Asia/Chine.

As a result of this many have flooded the internet with posts concerning fellow games, some people known to have played the game non-stop for days at a time, up to a week without eating, some people are known to only take a break for eating and maybe one or two hours to sleep, as they have nothing better to do with their lives ( no social life)

Chinese authotoris now want to impose restrictions on how long gamers can play online.A three hour limit is to be introduced next year. Several game makers have agreed to install “anti-obsession” system to prevent more deaths (how ever I don’t see how they can do this without ruining the game in itself)

World of warcraft is the latest phenomenon in the many MMORPGS that are hugely addictive, also such games as guildwars. World of warcraft at the moment has around 4 million members.

Addictive power of games: (I have been told now sure if its true)

I have been told gaming can be as addictive as drugs. Research at King’s College , London said excitement caused by gaming can cause a reaction in the brain similar to taking drugs. Players can immerse themselves so deeply in games they forget to look after their body’s daily needs, Obsessed games have been warned to “take a long break” from gaming if they found it was affecting their health or social relations”

Myself I know someone who has wasted their life on world of warcraft, he went to a good grammar school and was doing well, until he joined world of warcraft, In his A levels he bunked 3 weeks just to play world of warcraft, therefore ruining his eduction and any chance he may have had of getting a good job, World of warcraft may not be as interesting for him in a few months or years time, but his education has been wasted for a lifetime…..

Wauwie....this is really serious. I dindn't know it could come so worse.

My brother plays a game sometimes a few hours a day and my father calls him addicted! I also have a friend and his nephew played an estimate of 9 hours a day for a week. That's extremely much to me.

I play World of Warcraft as well. But I have one great advantage, I almost never get addicte to games. I always need a new game. Or I play it not to much. I only play World of Warcraft like 5 hours per weer or something.

Ofcourse we say that you are addicted when you play much, but when you read this story, you realise that 'being addicted' is more than that. That are people that ruin their body and lives for a game. That's not normal. I just couldn't do that. Luckely i know nobody that is so addicted to a game like this people.

I really don't believe in a system that would prevent you from playing more than 3 hours or something per day. It would just be stupid. No body would be buying the game anymore. In world of warcraft, for instance, you need 2 hours or something for an instance. It isn't a great solution. The addicted people will find a way to play (another) game. It's just like forbid drugs. Addicted people will still use them. I think that people should take care of themselves. If you die from gaming, I think it's your own fault. Not the fault of the game developers.

hey!i rember reading on that in the metro,scared me what if that happens to me,but im not that much of a addict comapred to her that is.by the way what happend to that guy you talked about at the end

I use to play mmorpgs all the time and searched for anyones that might be interesting. I played FFXI for a long time, and have tried games like WoW, EQ2, Lineage 2, but I still have the urge to play FFXI, even though I don't have much time anymore, and I got frustrated camping a NM. They may be addicting but for me I lost interest slowly, but am looking for a new game to come out to get addicted to.

MMORPGs are the ultimate real time experience, where you get to play someone you can THINK before defining. It is a more controlled enviroment that has almost all the reactions of real life, for both you and other players, so it isn't simply "virtual" as it mixes with the real thing. It can have the most expanded gameplay experience, competitivity, and best real-time response, also never lacking for other players. How not to get addicted? It only comes down to how much you are fond of it, and most importantly, self-control...

I believe there's nothing wrong with those games and that China is wrong. I believe it's only around individual education. Someone with a mind not in the right place, NOT THAT I MEAN THE PERSON IS DISTURBED IN ANY WAY, only that the person can't control itself over it, can certainly fall the same way "snowly" did.

Yet, if a person with mind in own place and aware of the risks still decides to conciously take that risk, well, it was the person's choice and even if it was bad for it, we gotta respect that choice. Although having people nearby to help the player to control itself could help.

I can say, if there was noone to be around me even if I tried really hard to even find someone to be there for me, I would not hesitate in taking those risks.