Your comment is extremely interesting and I thank you for your effort.

You’re right that any reaction against the gaming industry is myopic with respect to a much larger question. That question has to do with the fact that we have evolved various psychological mechanisms which were originally designed to enhance our survival capabilities.

So in the past a capacity for play would have been a handy thing to have because it allowed one to simulate real life circumstances. But in the modern world, this capacity is co-opted by various institutions who provide means to satisfy the psychological drives in various ways. Sometimes these ways can be harmful. Sometimes not.

The example you raise about the ‘fat’ industry is another case in point. Humans evolved to crave fatty foods because fat was scarce back in the day. So the fat industry takes advantage of this and pumps out mountains of fatty food and it’s ruining so many people’s lives.

You are also correct to point out that there is a deep seated slippery slope issue here. If we seek to impose controls on gaming behaviour, what’s to stop us for every industry that involves the exploitation of a psychological mechanism. We end up with a society that completely rejects the assumption of individual autonomy – a vision most would find to be a nightmare. I don’t pretend to have the answers to these questions.

However, I do want to take you up on a few issues. I certainly didn’t mean to imply that game designers see themselves a drug pushers. This would be an absurd view. Most of them Im sure would see themselves as producing entertainment products, and have nothing but the best of intentions. There are many great companies producing some great games, with great narratives, and all the virtues we praise in great story telling.

But my point is that this fact should impede us from asking the question of whether or not some elements of the gaming experience are causing pathological responses in some players. And if so, we should ask what it is we can do to protect such people.

As for your second point – I’ve to admit, I can’t really relate to that at all. You say that it’s only natural for a company to pursue all means necessary. But your slippery slope argument doesn’t support this view. Yes, there is a more general problem here – but just because we haven’t pursued the issue in other quarters, like the fat industry – doesn’t make the exploitation of people right. That’s like saying, well just because we didn’t prosecute Joe for murder makes it okay that John is a murderer. But that’s a pretty specious bit of reasoning.

I am a german student, studying Game Design in Munich and I am currently writing an essay about “computer game addiction” on a sientifical basis.

I would like to discuss the topic with you in hope to find the reason why all people let themselves being influenced by media while they pretend being perfectly neutral. I also hope to gain new points of view to be able to speak about the topic without the thought of convincing someone of something.

First about: I’m sure, that game developers (even the big ones) have tried to keep the players playing since the beginning of it all (I can confirm without any doubt, that Blizzard for example is indeed doing exactly that in this moment). But it wasn’t always like this and with the most developers it still isn’t.
As a game designer (I was already part of a team, making a game, which also won the 2nd place at the German Developers Prize in the Newcomer category) and can doubtlessly confirm, that the main thought of a game developer is to show the player what is in the developer’s head through a creative and imaginative process – making a computer game. It is absolutely comparable with art or with writing a book.
Secondly it is only natural for a great maker of consumable products to find the greatest number of consumers by all means necessary. I am currently talking about just one company not the industry itself. The problem is the competition. To stay on top, you need to (sorry, Blizzard) exploit the consumers. World of Warcraft became a place, where the company collects the money to be able to bring more products on the market, which are NOT based on exploiting, but on exactly the “showing the player something great”. BUT the company gives the consumer what it promises.
What about the “fat-killer-industry”? They are also exploiting with the difference, that they do not produce any products that help and why? – Because they need the fat people to stay fat, otherwise the would lose consumers. But noone complains about this kind of industry.

Violence. Many are complaining about the brutality in games (mostly in germany) and still the parents let their children play them. Violet games are NOT for children. The same as those with the sexual content or harsh language.

Yes, the game industry is an indusry which earns very much money. But the reason is, that the real world is boring. The human being is also an animal. And an animal has instincts. And in the childhood age the instincts are stronger than the logical part of the brain. Children need an appropriate childhood to not become addicted to video games. They need to learn to distinguish between having fun from time to time and having fun at the cost of loss of social life in the reality.

I do have lots of other thought about this topic and I’ll be glad to share them with anyone who wants to understand game addiction.

I am still confused by the book’s parting paragraph and feel that I missed some key symbolism here, but all in all, I found this to be a very interesting book and I appreciate your thoughts.

This variation tends to be counter-intuitive to those who understand the original problem. Many of them will insist it’s still 33/67.

It leads to a philosophical argument, if the gamer, or user could live a virtual world, transending his body, would this we wrong ?

As this is not doing any damage, and his fantasy can be realised. Maybe its the next step of evolution to enter this world, this web, maybe not. All i know is the path is wrought with dangers, i know this because i was addicted.

That physical worls had beauties that alot of users may not experiecne, physical human interaction cannot be replaced at this time, and its something so exciting and complicated, these people are really missing out.