Author: Namibian Electronic Sports Association, President, Kai Eysselein
According to Wikipedia “Video game addiction, also known as video game overuse, is extreme use of computer and video games that interferes with daily life”. This is the consensus of most articles published about the topic. Since the problems related to video game overuse are a new and fairly recent phenomenon, not much scientific research has been done to date. In fact the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders which is under review in 2012 most likely is not to include video game addiction as a recognised addiction. The reason for this is that insufficient information is available on the topic. Since the healthcare industry has not sufficiently researched this topic we can only speculate and write opinion columns on the matter. As custodians of e-sports it is our responsibility and privilege to address any public concerns that may put video gaming as a sport into disrepute. Our role is not to defend the video gaming industry, or to discredit it. Our goal is to establish and regulate E-Sports on a level that is on par with any other sport and thus gains the recognition and respect as such. We wish to be honest and transparent about a social problem that goes along with gaming. The internet is littered with articles and websites about video game addiction and the effects that has on people and their lives and the lives of their friends and loved ones. Many sites dedicated to supporting individuals and families of so-called ‘gaming addicts’ can be found. This article deals briefly with how some games are designed to ‘exploit’ human weaknesses to make gamers to become immersed in the gaming experience. There is no denying that video games have become a part of modern culture as much as music and film have. In fact, in recent years the video game industry has overtaken the music and film industry, combined when it comes to annual revenue. A fairly small percentage of the population spend more money on games, hardware and subscriptions than the entire population that is exposed to TV, film and music. The Video Gaming industry is a very competitive and dynamic market. Games and the hardware they run on are constantly evolving. The game publishers devise new ways to engage the public and to gain customer loyalty. In fact, fighting for customer loyalty is common practise in any market. It can be easily argued that for the purpose of making top dollar, any manufacturer, of any product, in any market will do their best to gain an edge over their competitors to see their product come out on top. For this purpose researchers are employed to establish exactly where and how they have a foot in the door to get more clients and to keep them interested in their products. For an individual to cope with their everyday life, he or she needs to feel good on a regular basis. Depending on this person’s situation, brief happiness can be achieved by eating a piece of chocolate or sitting down, relaxing and listening to their favourite song. In both cases the brain releases hormones that trigger the warm, happy feeling. Personal achievement and peer recognition also trigger feelings of happiness and self-worth. This is also a reason why we play games for entertainment (and in some cases as a sport, as is the case with chess). We are challenged and once we complete the challenge of the game our brain releases hormones that make us feel happy about ourselves. In the case of patience, a card game, it is even played by one player only. The game of ‘dungeons and dragons’ allows many participants to interact in an imaginary world conjured up by one of them. With all games people participate to achieve a sense of well-being. The games would not have become popular if they did not have some hold on the players or participants. The next article will deal with how games are designed to make the participant feel good, and thus set the foundation for addiction or overuse.
