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Doctor Claims 40 % of World of Warcraft Players are Addicted



Doctor says that 40 percent of World of Warcraft players are addicted


Blizzard has been rebuked by a psychologist. psychologist

Jeremy Reimer - Aug 9, 2006 9:11 pm UTC



My colleague from Electronic Arts had a problem a few years back. He spent a lot of time playing Sony's massively multiplayer on-line role-playing game EverQuest, and when he wasn't gaming the game, he was talking about it, posting on online forums about it or imagining the next time he would be able to log on. He played with a passion, often playing as soon as he got home from work. As expected, his behavior had a negative impact on his family and social life, and eventually cost him his job.



Many of us have known people similar to my coworker. Online gaming addiction is a serious issue that dates back to MUDs that were text-based. However, terms such as "Evercrack", "World of Warcrack", and others have become more popular in recent years. Now Dr. Maressa Hecht Orzack, psychologist in the clinical department at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts, has come forward to claim that as high as 40 percent of World of Warcraft players are addicted to the game.



Dr. Orzack, who is the founder and coordinator of the Computer Addiction Service, told Ars in an e-mail that the 40 percent figure came from "a forum that Nick Yee is the administrator of" but did not reveal any additional methodology for arriving at this number. She also said that "even when the percentage is 5 to 10 percent which is standard for most addictive behavior, it's an overwhelming number of people who are out of control." Orzack states that she has been researching the issue for the last 11 years. Orzack claims to be overwhelmed by the people who need her help. This includes concerned parents, spouses, and even the players.



She points out that MMORPGs typically employ what is known as variable ratio reinforcement. Variable reinforcement is the belief that rewarding behavior that is correct with rewards is the most effective way to maximize the performance of the player. Wow Servers Then, the reward amount can be altered to alter the number of times the subject must exhibit the behavior before the reward is given. For instance, if a rat must press a bar in order to get food, then it will press more quickly and more frequently in the event that it isn't aware of how many times it needs to press the bar. In World of Warcraft, purple (epic) loot drops are an equivalent. You never know when they will happen and it only increases the chance of receiving them.



Orzack believes that the games are more to blame than the players. "This isn't about willpower or discipline," she said in an interview. These games are designed to draw you in and keep players engaged. It's a vicious cycle that happens when people are too involved in playing, their careers and personal relationships start to suffer.



What's her suggestion? She believes that MMORPGs should be labeled with warning labels, similar to cigarettes. She believes that computer-related addiction, which includes gaming and excessive chat should be acknowledged as legitimate mental disorders and be eligible for insurance. There is currently no entry for gaming or Internet addiction in the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.



Orzack isn’t the only one concerned about online gamers. The Chinese government recently imposed time limits for MMORPG players, citing concerns that its citizens were playing too much games like World of Warcraft. Amsterdam recently established a rehabilitation center for videogame addiction. While there are definitely people who fall into the MMORPG trap it is not an epidemic. With the World of Warcraft player base at 6.5 million and rising, if 40 percent of those people are actually addicted, that's 2.6 million people destined to the psych ward. Either there are more mentally sick people around the world than I believed, or Orzack's numbers are somewhat exaggerated.



This is also a personal one for me, because I was averse to MMORPGs for several years due to concerns about their addictive properties, yet finally succumbed to World of Warcraft because many of my friends were playing it (I think that a lot of other players fall into this category). While I am aware of the game's addictive nature, I do wonder if the word addiction is being used too thinly, and maybe being applied to areas that are not really relevant. In our daily lives, we all do things that operate on the principle of reinforcement in variable ratios. For instance, consider work. Promotions, bonuses, and raises are offered at a fluctuating rate. We don't have to worry about getting too dependent on work. The excitement over reward ratios that vary is to me an integral part of the human condition.



Still, there are people who we would consider workaholics, in the same way that there are people who are addicted to working out or other activities generally thought to be positive. Yes, those who spend too much time in these activities can result in negative effects on their lives. However, in my opinion, the best solution to these issues is not to simply label them addictions and blame the act itself, or to get the pharmaceutical companies all excited about more new products they can force on the general population. Balance is an essential part of our lives. This could be the most rewarding reward for a variable ratio.



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