194: The Five Habits of Highly Addicted Gamers

[Reap3r]

I know this has already been said, but modding really isn't a sign of game addiction. I work with the HL2 mod Eternal-Silence, and honestly, hardly any of the team plays the game anymore outside of the one-a-week beta tests. I remember the project lead, the man who dumped 6 years into this mod to create his perfect game, has played a total of about 2 hours in public servers...

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

First, there are the almost subliminally small tendencies with which all gamers are familiar. Some even wear these curious behavioral tics with pride, like battle scars or unlocked achievements. Perhaps the most amusing of these behaviors is the uncontrollable twitching (often in the facial muscles) that indicates intense concentration. The twitch manifests itself in cases like turning the controller as though it's a steering wheel in a racing game, or flicking the controller upwards when Mario jumps. For non - gamers, these behaviors seem curious, even silly. But among gamers, the common perception is that the more weird habits and rituals you have, the more experienced and devoted to gaming you are.

No. Just no.

Of all the people I've seen play video games; friends, acquaintances, family, what have you. Do you want to know the one and only person I've ever seen move the controller in sequence with what they're doing in the game? My mom. Well ok, I've seen other people do it too, random unmemorable moments with first-time or seldom gamers.

Simply put, moving the controller to the side (my mom always did it in Tetris when trying to move a brick to the other side of the screen) is NOT a badge of how dedicated to the game you are... if anything, I'd translate it as a sign of just how UN-immersed you are in the game. Moving the controller requires a conscious thought, and unless the game is telling you to move the controller in that way (such as a Wii title, and probably some PS3 games), then you aren't really into the game you're playing if you're moving the controller around. The more you're sucked into a game though, the less you realize that you even have a controller TO move.

The rest of the article was equally inaccurate, I felt, but that first point was the one that stuck out to me as the least studied point.

 

[Votba]

Another +1 for ultra. The author clearly doesn't know what he's writing about. Signs of the all important immersion? Sure... but signs of addicition? Absolutely not.

It's more like a view on the oddities of human behaviour. If you had a nes or a sega you know you tilted the controller for absolutely no reason, why people talk at their screen or at a tv even though it obviously can't hear them.. and so on.

To be honest this looks more like someone who took a 10 minute look at the world of gaming and bundled what they saw under the controversial title of addiciton. Bad article.

 

[Old Man Neck]

One example that you forgot to mention is Pokemon. From yelling at their opponents to tapping A repeatedly to catch them faster(I never found out if that actually works), there are plenty of weird rituals that the game causes. Hell, I hadn't played Pokemon for years, and when I started to play Platinum, the habits just came back to me.

 

[agtmadcat]

I need to apologize in advance for the following criticism; I normally try to be constructive, but I can't let this stand:

Good lord, what a terrible article - worst I've ever read on this site. You can include me in the growing list of readers who think this guy doesn't know what he's talking about. The list would be accurately titled, "5 things that some people do, some times, that can be associated with gaming, but maybe not."

Gaming "tics"? Besides the fact that anyone's grandma, if shown how to play a racing game, will likely be leaning and tilting as she corners, putting "Body English" on actions is pretty common to most activities. Ever heard of bowling? Talking to the AI? So my dad is addicted to carpentry or plumbing because he swears at his tools when he hits a rough spot? These two habits have absolutely no correlation to addictive behavior, gaming or otherwise.

The next two might have a slight correlation, but they probably correlate much more strongly to other behaviors. Are aspiring filmmakers addicted when they create their own mini-epics with Mom & Dad's camcorder? And isn't turning a game into a sandbox pretty much what we encourage in our children?

The last one is the only thing that comes close to something that is both specific to gaming and indicative of issues that might lead to addiction. Too bad the author chooses some made-up phrase ("suicide gamer"?) when there is a well known term: griefer. The fact that he doesn't realize this, nor does he use it as a starting point for what could be an interesting exploration of the relationship between boredom, griefing and addiction, just underscores the uselessness of the piece.

This. Sorry Author, I think you need to do some more field research.

 

[Optimystic]

So the "5 Habits" you seem to identify are:

1. Intense Concentration
2. Talking to the game/AI
3. Modding/Altering the game
4. "Emergent Gameplay" - which I would call "creativity"
5. Suicide Gamers - limited to games where this is possible


I don't know what your experience is with video games, but I would guess you don't know any gaming addicts. I know "Top X" lists are all the rave in magazines these days, but this seems like a rather unfounded list for something that is so easily diagnosed. Let me give you a few ideas of what "Gaming Addiction" is really about:

1. The person stops caring about the real world around them, and chooses to live vicariously through a virtual one. (The next 4 fall into this general category, but I think this sums up the beginning of the addiction)
2. The game(s) take precedence over the person's real needs, such as eating, exercising and general hygiene. This is why South Park depicts a fat, unkempt loser eating cheetos.
3. The game(s) become more important than the person's job, family and friends.
4. The person develops reasons or excuses as to why he/she can spend so much time playing the game(s). They say "Oh I just gotta finish this one level" or "I just gotta get this achievement", and the task takes them hours, if not days to complete.
5. When the person becomes immersed in the game(s) while not playing it.


These might sound like a drug addicts habits, but that's because addictions always trend toward the same ends. These are very real issues, one's I've had to deal with personally to some extent, and with others around me. Regardless of the circumstances the point remains the same, when you become enveloped in a specific substance/world/state of mind, it will become all that matters.

This person should write the next article. 10/10.

You write fantastically, brilliant article.

ITT: The author speaks!

 

[teh_spartan]

The Five Habits of Highly Addicted Gamers

It's easy to spot the odd rituals and behavioral tics that signal addiction - even if the "substance" in question is a videogame. Dean Sherwin examines a handful of these curious gamer habits.

Read Full Article

From my experiences it's only novice players who move the controller or themselves with what's on screen. When I was a games tester there was a guy who did it all the time and it was a point of mockery (friendly banter).

If you're an experienced game player you realise that turning the controller isn't going to make the on-screen car turn more sharply. Moreover, moving your head isn't going to enable you to see around corners in the game.

Heh, I do that and I am a very experience gamer. It's just because I'm extremely immersed in whatever task I'm doing. I think it helps me in many ways as I don't usually miss a trick and don't miss any details.

i turn my head and tilt the controller when i play i know it wont make me turn more but it helps me get into the game

the 1 ticks that I have is being acutly aware of my surroundings in crowded places and places i have never been before. I know whose behind me, where exit points are, entry points, vanteges, cover, and where useable hand to hand combat wepons are. within 20 seconds.

maby i am just paranoid. i dont mind though it has been useful some times

 

[SmugFrog]

Good lord, what a terrible article - worst I've ever read on this site. You can include me in the growing list of readers who think this guy doesn't know what he's talking about. The list would be accurately titled, "5 things that some people do, some times, that can be associated with gaming, but maybe not."

Dean, do you even play games? That was my first thought while reading this. Generally the only time I see people twitch uncontrollably is when they're INEXPERIENCED at a game (i.e., my parents, or little kids).

I doubt you'll even come back to read this, and I would be very surprised if you even post anything - aside from just writing up another article.

Posted by Dean Sherwin on February 28, 2009 at 5:59pm
Hey guys, I'm working on an article for the Escapist and would love it if you guys could throw me a couple of ideas. I have over half of it done at this stage. Its about weird gaming. For example, people who turn the controler when they turn the racing car in a game or people who have odd habits such as unloading a clip of bullets into their defeated enemies corpse. If anyone has any other weird antics please let me know!!!

What really kills me is that you had trouble coming up with just FIVE habits. So much trouble coming up with them that you had to ASK ON ANOTHER FORUM FOR SOME INPUT!

At 5:56pm on March 8, 2009, Dean Sherwin said
Cool
I'm starting to branch more into the area of games journalisim...and just gettong the writing more on track to make a decent living out of it..like building a home office (nearly done!!) ... DO you write in any other genres??

You MIGHT be hanging out with a few hardcore gamers on the site which you posted these things (not that you're ever going to come back and read this, right?), but you really need to find other places if you want to discuss things about games with GAMERS.

Look, I don't mind if you want to get into journalism and you think gaming is a good area to jump into. Before you go throwing up your 2 cents on a subject just to create an article, perhaps you should hang out with more gamers. If you do play, you are OBVIOUSLY not a hardcore gamer. I would've had more respect for you if you had created a topic in the forums and then just based the article off of that input - then at least you would have listed some of the things that hardcore gamers actually do.

 

[Fintwon]

Dude! I was behind you as you wrote this article!

 

[plasma-x]

I knew I had passed into the dreaded addict category when a dream I had about a school reunion turned into capture the flag!

That is freaking epic xD

 

[UltraBlumpkin]

Good lord, what a terrible article - worst I've ever read on this site. You can include me in the growing list of readers who think this guy doesn't know what he's talking about. The list would be accurately titled, "5 things that some people do, some times, that can be associated with gaming, but maybe not."

Dean, do you even play games? That was my first thought while reading this. Generally the only time I see people twitch uncontrollably is when they're INEXPERIENCED at a game (i.e., my parents, or little kids).

I doubt you'll even come back to read this, and I would be very surprised if you even post anything - aside from just writing up another article.

Posted by Dean Sherwin on February 28, 2009 at 5:59pm
Hey guys, I'm working on an article for the Escapist and would love it if you guys could throw me a couple of ideas. I have over half of it done at this stage. Its about weird gaming. For example, people who turn the controler when they turn the racing car in a game or people who have odd habits such as unloading a clip of bullets into their defeated enemies corpse. If anyone has any other weird antics please let me know!!!

What really kills me is that you had trouble coming up with just FIVE habits. So much trouble coming up with them that you had to ASK ON ANOTHER FORUM FOR SOME INPUT!

At 5:56pm on March 8, 2009, Dean Sherwin said
Cool
I'm starting to branch more into the area of games journalisim...and just gettong the writing more on track to make a decent living out of it..like building a home office (nearly done!!) ... DO you write in any other genres??

You MIGHT be hanging out with a few hardcore gamers on the site which you posted these things (not that you're ever going to come back and read this, right?), but you really need to find other places if you want to discuss things about games with GAMERS.

Look, I don't mind if you want to get into journalism and you think gaming is a good area to jump into. Before you go throwing up your 2 cents on a subject just to create an article, perhaps you should hang out with more gamers. If you do play, you are OBVIOUSLY not a hardcore gamer. I would've had more respect for you if you had created a topic in the forums and then just based the article off of that input - then at least you would have listed some of the things that hardcore gamers actually do.

WOW! Bravo SmugFrog! Great find! I can't believe it, but this confirms my suspicions. Look at this link where he asks for help writing it: http://videogamesjournos.ning.com/forum/topics/article-help-weird-gaming

The second post: "What about the suicide gamer? The guy who plays one too many deathmatch rounds and starts looking for creative ways for his character to die?"

He actually got that from a random guy on the forums! AMAZING! Your first article for a magazine and you don't even bother to do your own research? FAIL!

 

[Blood_Lined]

I agree 100% with what hectorlamergame is saying about addiction, and with everyone else who says that the 5 signs in this article are only signs of immersion and creativity as well, but is gaming addiction really a problem? Does anyone really know for sure if they're even addicted in the first place? and even if they are, is it a problem? I don't know of any story of people that are addicted to videogames and haven't been able to pull themselves out of the hole. I've always found stories on gaming addiction fascinating, and on shows like dr. phil, it's just plain funny because I'm not even sure that there is even such a thing as being addicted to videogames besides a tick or something like shouting at the final boss, IF that even counts

 

[SmugFrog]

http://videogamesjournos.ning.com/forum/topics/article-help-weird-gaming

Thanks - I was hoping someone would read all of that. My only wish is that I could move it up to the top or change the title of this article to something else. What's really sad is apparently he isn't even checking the comments being made about his article.

Dean, I don't understand why you would jump fully into a field that doesn't seem to be a big part of your life. I mean, it wasn't your style of writing that bothered me; I thought that everything actually came out alright. It just seems like you would want to write about something that interests you - and not in the casual "oh look my friends are playing a new game I'll write about it" interest. Do you play games? How many games do you play a year? What are your favorite games? I have so many questions, but I don't think I'm going to get any answers. I really feel cheated that you just open the door, throw in a bomb, and then run off possibly being smug about the whole thing.

If you do come back Dean, I'd like for you to look at something. I clicked the photos link at the top of your gamejournos page - I thought it would be a link to your photos, but it was for the site overall. What I found was that unlike your bio of auto hobby stuff, or books, or film... These other guys love video games! Check out this guy, Greg Wilcox:

http://videogamesjournos.ning.com/photo/ps2xboxplus-1?context=latest

The first statement on his profile says: "Well, I've been playing video games for 37 years..." 37 years Dean! That's a lot of game playing. Make friends with that dude!

Also, you should check out Winda Benedetti on MSNBC. Though MSNBC is the last place I go to for gaming news, I love reading her articles about gaming. Her writing has a certain feel that really leads me to believe she IS a gamer.

So... *sigh* Shakes fist in the air. I just wish you would come back and discuss some things with us. I'll stop ranting now.

 

[mda]

Disgustingly ignorant and disrespectful excuse for an article.

The author should be both ashamed, and fired.

Now unsubscribing from Escapist emails and deleting my account here.

Seriously. F*** this s***.

On a side note, robinkom who has posted on the second page of comments, writing that "people with gaming addictions are pathetic", should also have his account banned for being an horribly shallow, narrow minded individual.

 

[UltraBlumpkin]

So... *sigh* Shakes fist in the air. I just wish you would come back and discuss some things with us. I'll stop ranting now.

I think we scared him off, or The Escapist sent an e-mail saying, "Thanks for your article, but we won't be needing your or your forum friends services any longer."


Hehehe!

 

[SmugFrog]

I keep checking his profile on his blog hoping to see an update about this article. He posted on 21 Feb:

The article will be published in 194 next month.
I'll be back to fill you guys in

But his most recent post was:

Reply by Dean Sherwin 17 hours ago
How does one go about writing for Games Radar?

Argh! No Dean! No! That's a BAD Dean! How can you avoid any comments about the article you posted here and run off to another site?

 

[PhunkyPhazon]

Haha, the face twitching is quite true in my case. I've heard people tell me I tend to scrunch my nose when I'm deeply concentrated.

Also, I'm not addicted, I can quit anytime I want! [small]But I just don't want to, is all.[/small]

 

[grigjd3]

This one had me going for a while. It was sounding incredibly preachy until the end.

 

[RobfromtheGulag]

The controller movements go away pretty early, I find. Except that Sony was trying to bring them back for awhile there with the PS3 motion sensors. The facial movements though -- yea. You'll be really concentrating on something and someone will mention that your eye is flickering or something and it'll take you right out of the experience.