Author: Kai Eysselein / President of Namibian Electronic Sports Association
Searching for the term “video game addiction” or “video game overuse” returns a myriad of results, mostly from websites dedicated to dealing with problems related with spending too much time playing games. What all of these have in common is that they deal with MMORPG’s (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) and to some degree with flash games that can typically be found on social media sites. Sports games, FPS’s or strategy games are almost never mentioned. It seems that these games pose less of a threat than the others. Why is this?; Some games are free to play, where you only pay small amounts for upgrades or to accelerate progress. Others are subscription based, where you pay a monthly fee to play. The traditional way of paying for a game once seems to becoming less popular these days. It can be argued that getting the user to play your game for a small fee, or letting him play for free, only to pay small amounts every now and then is a very lucrative business. Developers use various techniques to make their games more compelling: Variable Ratio Reinforcement This is similar to how slot machines work. Rewards are issued according to a random schedule. The “symptom” the users experience would be that he hopes that playing “just a few minutes longer” result in them receiving that item they have been “hoping for” for. Avoidance Some games, especially flash games found in social media, use this technique to almost force users to check in and play every few hours. Users are practically punished for not playing on a regular basis. Either their crop is lost if it is not cared for or harvested regularly or buildings fall apart and become useless if not maintained. The “symptom” the users experience would be that they cannot leave the game “unattended” for too long, otherwise their “hard work” would be “lost”. Compulsion Loop This technique is being used in most games in fact. It is mentioned in most game design manuals and forms the basis of game design. The Compulsion Loop makes use of achievements, to make the user feel rewarded for their efforts and the time spent playing. Achievements usually unlock other content, levels, tools or weapons or features for the game. The “symptom” the users experience is that they “just need to get a few more points” to reach the set target. All three techniques make use of normal human behaviour. Every human wants to feel like: Luck is on their side (Variable Ratio Reinforcement Technique) Someone depends on them (Avoidance Technique) They are achievers at something (Compulsion Technique) Many papers written on the subject of excessive gaming have in common that playing games makes users feel good about themselves because they feels lucky, they feels needed and they can achieve goals. The medical community agrees that these factors can lead to addiction or compulsive behaviour similar to gambling addiction or even the obsessive behaviour found with some endurance athletes. It is agreed, however that only a small percentage of gamers are prone to become addicts or compulsive gamers. Recently published studies show that the problem is more of a social nature. Modern society and everyday life no longer provide for psychological and emotional needs of people. People turn to games to find luck, feel depended on and to achieve goals. Healthy gaming requires a healthy, balanced life style. Finding luck, being with friends and family that depend on you and succeeding at school or work are real life quests.
