that gaming addiction will tend to naturally resolve itself (King 2013a) with no lasting effects.
In more recent years, both The Sun and The Daily Mail have carried out articles that have compared gaming addiction to alcohol and hard drugs (Pafitt 2014). The former headline, in 2014, stated, ‘Gaming as addictive as heroin’. Not only are the bold claims made very questionable, they also run the risk, in my opinion, of alienating addicted gamers from getting help. If we are to exaggerate the dangers of gaming, we will not be taken seriously by those suffering from gaming addiction.
Historically, society has had a tendency to exaggerate the dangers of new technologies. Socrates decried the invention of writing, declaring that it would ‘create forgetfulness in the learners’ souls’, and that people would ‘appear to be omniscient and will generally know nothing’ (Plato). Current fears about new technology are not limited to video gaming. As social media, the internet and mobile devices are all continuing their inexorable march toward the forefront of our lives, alarmist concerns for our mental wellbeing follow close behind. This is no surprise. Bad news sells – we are hardwired to prioritise being vigilant for things that might hurt us. Given a choice between a positive article and an article that contains a scare, we are almost always going to be more interested in the latter.
The historian Melvin Kranzberg rightly pointed out in his first law of technology that, “Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral” (Kranzberg 1986). To argue for games being a ‘bad’ or even a ‘good’ thing is to take part in a futile and never-ending debate. We are best off accepting the presence and importance of new technologies before establishing how best to make use of them.
The Evolution of Video Game Addiction
It is not enough for us to simply accept that some people will become addicted to games, regardless of the games themselves. There is plenty of evidence, both anecdotal and based in research that tells us that certain games lead to harmful play more than others. The absolute top suspect routinely comes out as being MMOs (see below for a definition). “Everquest”, one of the first and biggest such game, became widely known as ‘Evercrack’. Similarly “World of Warcraft” has, unfairly or fairly, earned itself the nickname of ‘World of Warcrack’. These references to the hardest of hard drugs go a long way to revealing the effect that games of this genre have had on users. Research has shown that the second and third gaming genres most likely to induce excessive play are FPSs and RTSs respectively (Nagygyörgy 2013). All of the above gaming types are largely popular due to their social and/or competitive nature – something that was enhanced dramatically with the advent of the internet. Today gaming is changing again, and with it the nature of gaming addiction.
A Brief Guide to Gaming Genres
Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game (MMORPG or MMO)
These include the likes of “World of Warcraft”, “Eve Online” and “Guild Wars”. All such games rely upon huge open worlds in which you can engage in a near endless series of quests that constantly progress you while simultaneously linking you to a wide network of other gamers. Research and common opinion agree that this type of game is by far the most prone to being used addictively.
First Person Shooter (FPS)
One of the more addictive gaming genres, though not as addictive as the MMORPG, these games involve a character-eye view down the barrel of a gun. They typically offer a lengthy single-player game (one that can be enjoyed alone) and a very deep range of competitive, online game modes. Games of this genre would include “Call of Duty”, “Battlefield” and “Killzone”.
Roleplaying (RPG)
Named after the dungeon-crawling pen and paper game “Dungeons and Dragons”, this genre has grown to encompass any game that involves a levelling system (whereby your character gets more powerful with their successes) and a sense of being immersed in a fantasy setting. In contrast to MMORPGs games such as this are more story-focused and can generally only be played alone. Games of this genre would include “Final Fantasy”, “Skyrim” and “Dark Souls”. As with MMORPGs, these games are all known for their relative complexity and the commitment required from gamers in order to be enjoyed fully.
Real Time Strategy (RTS)
Another gaming genre that is prone toward being played addictively, the real time strategy game involves staging a battle with either a squad of men or a vast army, typically viewed from an aerial perspective. Real Time Strategies are highly competitive games that are frequently played against other players online. “Starcraft, Empire: Total War” and “ Company of Heroes” are typical RTSs.
Match Three
The only exclusively ‘casual’ genre in the list. These games involve moving objects round on a board in an attempt to create lines of three that share the same colour. Match Three games are pleasingly intuitive to play and tend to create dazzling effects and cascades with relatively little skill on the player’s behalf. “Candy Crush Saga”, “Bejewelled Blitz” and “Fluffy Birds Flash” are examples of Match Three games.
Multi-player Online Battle Arena (MOBA)
Increasingly popular in recent years, the MOBA is an online team-based game against another team of online players in which both sides try to fight past each other to reach opposing objectives. MOBA games and their communities are highly competitive environments. Examples of this genre would be “League of Legends” and “DOTA 2”.
While video game addiction may be nearly as old as video games, the ways in which it is commonly understood inevitably lag someway behind. This is largely because of the baffling speed at which video games are evolving. “XCOM: Enemy Unknown”, which was released in 2012, provides a powerful description of this evolution. The game was a remake of the original “UFO: Enemy Unknown” from 1994; they had taken an old title and updated it with the latest in both graphics and game design. The difference between the two versions is a startling testament to how far the industry has progressed. The ‘90s version was a pixilated, washed out, 2D experience from a fixed perspective. The game could only be played on a (then) powerful, home computer, requiring you to take time out to find the disk, watch it load and then commit time to it. The reboot had a fully 3D look, with each character and set brought to life with shadows and realistic animations. Additionally, the game was not only playable on home computers and consoles but also on a portable tablet. The new “XCOM” was a radically more visually immersive game that you could quickly enjoy on the bus to work in the morning, a vastly different experience from the original. As fast as we become accustomed to video games within our world, the reality of their relationship with us advances at a far quicker rate.
These kinds of improvements to technology haven’t necessarily led to better games, as any old-school, mid-thirties gamer will no doubt vehemently tell you, but it has led to a startling increase in the level of immersion of which modern games are capable. “Red Dead Redemption”, the 2010 award-winning game from Rockstar, was testament to the immersive power of recent games. The cowboy simulator brought the Wild West to life with sweeping vistas from the border of Mexico, wind that softly howls and picks up dust and foliage around you and all manner of wildlife scurrying to and fro as you pound your horse across the dusty plains. It is difficult to play this game for more than a few minutes and not be swept into its world.
Up until about 10 years ago, the games industry was increasingly dominated by games such as this, known as Triple A games – the blockbusters of gaming. These titles had big names behind them, required vast teams and vast amounts of money to make and were then pushed out for a one time charge of £40/$60. This business model capitalised on
