MMO addiction explained

[ionveau]

MMOs have been widely known as just tools or chat rooms for the socially depraved to meet new people and explore a world crafted by the developers of the game. An mmo is not only a social escape to the world that the subject has grown to loathe but it is also an opportunity to also submit to a higher power, in real life we call this higher power our boss our leader our coach but in MMOs this higher power resides in the people with higher or better items then you or a group of people that allow it to be possible to achieve things that would normally not be possible to achieve.

The MMO gamers as a whole in order to stay competitive in their game must always submit to this higher power or be shafted into being denied the opportunity to explore the game world or achieve things that would otherwise be impossible to achieve, we must understand that we are all seeking to achieve better and greater things and MMOs are no exception in the slightest.

Even though it is not my place to judge the community of MMOs as a whole i must express my opinion on a key issue that has been poking at the back of my skull like a needle, unable to make me scream out in pain but still annoying to feel, the issue i have to address is that the MMO community?s not all but surly most have taken it on themselves to create a new fetish activity known as ?applying for a guild? this act has been used from the days of the first MMOs to the days of competitive E sports, But as we take a look at this activity of ?applying to a guild? i must ask myself why do we degrade ourselves to this level? When you go and apply for a guild you are just throwing yourself at the mercy of a person that has no real power but the power that you have given them, you are expected to answer several questions about yourself you are expected to write a letter to the guild you are expected to just show yourself as a piece of meat, Overall if you are an MMO player who has applied for a guild in the past you know you have been basically striped down mentally by people that only obtain power thanks to people that give the power into their hands.

As a gaming community we must understand that a lot of these unhealthy things that MMO players do are a direct result of fear from the higher power, even though fear maybe a strong word for what they feel it is in the end the primitive emotion of fear, The MMO player stays up until 3 because of the obligation for the higher power(the guild) the Player grind for the whole day to get items to please the higher power(the guild) the player makes sure to login everyday and show that he is an obedient servant for the higher power(the guild).

Never ask the Player weather he is a servant slave or worker for the guild for he will answer you that he is part of a team and that MMOs are team based game and this is how it should be, But we must understand who the ultimate victor is in the end, the person profiting from players who are afraid to leave the game the ones that live in fear of losing their guild there community, yes the ultimate victor is the Game itself or to be more exact the people that get the money at the end of the day.

 

[WorkerMurphey]

I read the sort of power imbalances you're describing as not so much problems caused by the formula of MMO's but a broader human experience. The situations in which people submit themselves to the scrutiny of others under the guise of some authority, usually projected through an imbalance of power (haves/have-nots), go way beyond gaming.

People show their obedience and loyalties to religions, relationships, jobs, organizations, nations, diets, and even their pets. I think fear may be a factor in some of these cases, such as fear of losing your job, but I think that discounts other issues and sorta diminishes the value of an honest and meaningful commitment to something bigger than one individual. Is it silly to make a commitment to something that might degrade you to some degree or cause you stress? Perhaps, but if satisfaction is gained I find it hard to judge. In my opinion, however, there's a big difference between a commitment (stupid or not) and a compulsion or addiction.

 

[Pandaman1911]

I think generalizing an addiction like that is dangerous. People are addicted for different reasons. Like the smoker who can't quit, versus the smoker who doesn't want to quit. The strung-out heroin addict who just can't put the needle down, versus the strung-out heroin addict who is content selling his possessions and pumping his arm full of joy juice until it falls off.
Likewise, people get addicted to MMO's for a variety of reasons, and just generalizing it all like that seems kind of... I don't know the term... wrong, for lack of a more creative word.

 

[Vault101]

I was addicted to runescape

This is why I dont like MMO's, it might be really fun but in the end its just somthing Im going to have to drag myself away from, at least if you put your time into regualr games your experiencing somthing new each time

 

[ionveau]

I think generalizing an addiction like that is dangerous. People are addicted for different reasons. Like the smoker who can't quit, versus the smoker who doesn't want to quit. The strung-out heroin addict who just can't put the needle down, versus the strung-out heroin addict who is content selling his possessions and pumping his arm full of joy juice until it falls off.
Likewise, people get addicted to MMO's for a variety of reasons, and just generalizing it all like that seems kind of... I don't know the term... wrong, for lack of a more creative word.

So your saying that the ones that enjoy it should keep playing while the ones that do it for the loot rather then fun should stop? the problem is they will end up being the ones who cant stop rather then the ones that enjoy it soon enough

 

[Dieter Meyer]

I'm just gonna sum this up by saying "What the fuck dude?".

What is all this bullshit you say about you as a person being used by "a higher power (the guild)". It makes no sense whatsoever, no one is forcing you to be there. You are free to leave it if you want, I certainly do not see any problem here.

As for applying for a guild, the things you say here can be applied to real job applications aswell, but in a much larger degree... Does that mean applying for a job is a violation of human rights?

People who apply to guilds are people who are serious about playing, people who wants to be a part of something and do things together as a team. As all other things, you obviously dont want to let people down. If you feel that you are unable to dedicate yourself to a guild, well... then dont. Like I said, no one is forcing you.

One could say being with a serious guild is like a second job: You have to show up at certain times, do certain things, work together with other people...

I suggest you actually try being a part of a guild before you decide to go talking shit about it.

 

[ionveau]

I'm just gonna sum this up by saying "What the fuck dude?".

What is all this bullshit you say about you as a person being used by "a higher power (the guild)". It makes no sense whatsoever, no one is forcing you to be there. You are free to leave it if you want, I certainly do not see any problem here.

As for applying for a guild, the things you say here can be applied to real job applications aswell, but in a much larger degree... Does that mean applying for a job is a violation of human rights?

People who apply to guilds are people who are serious about playing, people who wants to be a part of something and do things together as a team. As all other things, you obviously dont want to let people down. If you feel that you are unable to dedicate yourself to a guild, well... then dont. Like I said, no one is forcing you.

One could say being with a serious guild is like a second job: You have to show up at certain times, do certain things, work together with other people...

I suggest you actually try being a part of a guild before you decide to go talking shit about it.

Everything you said that you do not understand was answered in my thread i did indeed say that its just like applying for a job but on the other hand these people have no real power over you while your boss dose, you only give the power to them of your own free will, the MMO player is addicted to the game thats why he cant leave the game if it was truly free will they why do people do this degrading applications? answer is without doing it they are cannot do things that they could with a guild

 

[Nikki_Viper]

I think generalizing an addiction like that is dangerous. People are addicted for different reasons. Like the smoker who can't quit, versus the smoker who doesn't want to quit. The strung-out heroin addict who just can't put the needle down, versus the strung-out heroin addict who is content selling his possessions and pumping his arm full of joy juice until it falls off.
Likewise, people get addicted to MMO's for a variety of reasons, and just generalizing it all like that seems kind of... I don't know the term... wrong, for lack of a more creative word.

So your saying that the ones that enjoy it should keep playing while the ones that do it for the loot rather then fun should stop? the problem is they will end up being the ones who cant stop rather then the ones that enjoy it soon enough

Depends. I've played wow for about 8-9 months now. It's fun, I enjoy it. When someone needs to get done, I do it, and I don't rush back to it. I get immersed into the world and I play the game because I enjoy it immensely, not because I'm addicted. People would call me addicted because of how much I play, but I just enjoy playing it. Rather than playing a bit of COD, then some Red Dead, then some WoW, I'm happy with just playing WoW for now.

 

[Nikki_Viper]

I'm just gonna sum this up by saying "What the fuck dude?".

What is all this bullshit you say about you as a person being used by "a higher power (the guild)". It makes no sense whatsoever, no one is forcing you to be there. You are free to leave it if you want, I certainly do not see any problem here.

As for applying for a guild, the things you say here can be applied to real job applications aswell, but in a much larger degree... Does that mean applying for a job is a violation of human rights?

People who apply to guilds are people who are serious about playing, people who wants to be a part of something and do things together as a team. As all other things, you obviously dont want to let people down. If you feel that you are unable to dedicate yourself to a guild, well... then dont. Like I said, no one is forcing you.

One could say being with a serious guild is like a second job: You have to show up at certain times, do certain things, work together with other people...

I suggest you actually try being a part of a guild before you decide to go talking shit about it.

Everything you said that you do not understand was answered in my thread i did indeed say that its just like applying for a job but on the other hand these people have no real power over you while your boss dose, you only give the power to them of your own free will, the MMO player is addicted to the game thats why he cant leave the game if it was truly free will they why do people do this degrading applications? answer is without doing it they are cannot do things that they could with a guild

And what is they simply don't mind? I had to answer three questions to join my guild: First name (no last), country I loved in, and Astrology symbol. They welcomed me with open arms. We PVP mostly, but a raid-heavy group might as that you be on at certain times. *shrug*. If someone is the leader of the guild, I'll submit to them in the terms of a peon submits to a captain, but it's not degrading in the least

 

[KeyMaster45]

Quick thing.

depraved = marked by corruption or evil; especially : perverted

deprived = marked by deprivation especially of the necessities of life or of healthful environmental influences

you may want to fix that in this sentence.

or chat rooms for the socially depraved to meet new people

I am going to respond more fully to your topic, I just don't have the time at the moment and felt that needed to be pointed out.

 

[Toriver]

Even though it is not my place to judge the community of MMOs as a whole i must express my opinion on a key issue that has been poking at the back of my skull like a needle, unable to make me scream out in pain but still annoying to feel, the issue i have to address is that the MMO community?s not all but surly most have taken it on themselves to create a new fetish activity known as ?applying for a guild? this act has been used from the days of the first MMOs to the days of competitive E sports, But as we take a look at this activity of ?applying to a guild? i must ask myself why do we degrade ourselves to this level? When you go and apply for a guild you are just throwing yourself at the mercy of a person that has no real power but the power that you have given them, you are expected to answer several questions about yourself you are expected to write a letter to the guild you are expected to just show yourself as a piece of meat, Overall if you are an MMO player who has applied for a guild in the past you know you have been basically striped down mentally by people that only obtain power thanks to people that give the power into their hands.

Ummm... while I do agree that MMOs are habit-forming and possibly even addictive, do you know what this part of your explanation sounds like? It sounds exactly like applying for employment. You do the exact same things.

1) You throw yourself at the mercy of a "higher power": For MMOs, that is the guild leader. For employment, it's the HR team/company president.
2) You are expected to answer several questions about yourself: It's called an application and interview. Nothing out of the ordinary there. If you're gonna be working with somebody for an extended period of time, you kinda have to know a bit about who the person is, and if they can do the job you expect of them. This goes for both guild raids and employment.
3) You are expected to write a letter to the guild: This one I do see as a bit odd for a game, but once again, we hit a parallel to employment. Cover letters and resumes/CVs. It's all part of the application process. Before you take the time to meet face to face and conduct the interview, you have to be able to find the people worth interviewing in the first place. You have a lot of people vying for limited open positions. When you don't have the time and resources to meet everyone, this is a good way to whittle down potential candidates to those who are most qualified.

But yeah, if you really see something that is virtually identical to applying for employment as such a horrible travesty, you're not going to have fun at all when it comes time for you to actually go on a job search. It really isn't fun, but it's a part of life and I don't see any sort of horrible thing about it. I don't feel "mentally stripped down" or like a "piece of meat" every time someone contacts me for an interview. Lighten up, dude. There are far, far worse things in life, even in the life of an average person.

 

[Sovereignty]

I think you're confusing power with the illusion of such.

None of those guild people have power. They don't even consciously try and exert their will on others. They are all simply conforming to the rules and structure the only people with actual *power* in the game have set.

IE Blizzard.

Let's be realistic for a second. Everyone plays games for an escape from life. Same reason people play sports, swim, etc. It's enjoyment that is structured, but not a requirement of living (Where as I'd vote work generally is).

MMO's are just like every other game. The only power in a players hands is the illusion of it placed by a developer to offer the consumer/gamer the facade of growth, coupled with some kind of goal/reward system.

But the guild masters certainly aren't the task-masters you make it sound like they are.

 

[Dieter Meyer]

Everything you said that you do not understand was answered in my thread i did indeed say that its just like applying for a job but on the other hand these people have no real power over you while your boss dose, you only give the power to them of your own free will, the MMO player is addicted to the game thats why he cant leave the game if it was truly free will they why do people do this degrading applications? answer is without doing it they are cannot do things that they could with a guild

How does your boss have any more power over you than your guild leader?

You fail at your real job, your boss will kick you.
You fail in your guild, your boss will kick you.

 

[Crowser]

Someone is pissed they got kicked from their guild...

 

[Waaghpowa]

I think generalizing an addiction like that is dangerous. People are addicted for different reasons. Like the smoker who can't quit, versus the smoker who doesn't want to quit. The strung-out heroin addict who just can't put the needle down, versus the strung-out heroin addict who is content selling his possessions and pumping his arm full of joy juice until it falls off.
Likewise, people get addicted to MMO's for a variety of reasons, and just generalizing it all like that seems kind of... I don't know the term... wrong, for lack of a more creative word.

So your saying that the ones that enjoy it should keep playing while the ones that do it for the loot rather then fun should stop? the problem is they will end up being the ones who cant stop rather then the ones that enjoy it soon enough

Depends. I've played wow for about 8-9 months now. It's fun, I enjoy it. When someone needs to get done, I do it, and I don't rush back to it. I get immersed into the world and I play the game because I enjoy it immensely, not because I'm addicted. People would call me addicted because of how much I play, but I just enjoy playing it. Rather than playing a bit of COD, then some Red Dead, then some WoW, I'm happy with just playing WoW for now.

It's a similar case for me, I've been playing warcraft since release and I just enjoy the game in general. I love the lore and play all the end content to experience the lore and see it continue. I play it when I have nothing to do, not because I'm addicted and I continue after my obligations have been met. And as far as the power dynamic goes, it's part of human nature, nothing really new.

 

[Wolfram23]

I don't see how this explains the addictiveness as your title would suggest it should.

I used to play WoW. I was addicted. I was in a grand total of 1 raiding guild during the BC expansion and we only ran Kara. Prior to that I've never ever been in a guild like that, only in smaller guilds that ask me to join because I was awesome and in WotLK I also was only in a small guild and I would PuG the raids. So no, guilds or "higher powers" held very little sway on me.

It's addictive because of the "skinner box". IE: Rewards and virtual acheivements combined with a competitive atmosphere to be the best, thus enforcing trying to get better rewards.

 

[Kuraigekage]

I don't see how this explains the addictiveness as your title would suggest it should.

I used to play WoW. I was addicted. I was in a grand total of 1 raiding guild during the BC expansion and we only ran Kara. Prior to that I've never ever been in a guild like that, only in smaller guilds that ask me to join because I was awesome and in WotLK I also was only in a small guild and I would PuG the raids. So no, guilds or "higher powers" held very little sway on me.

It's addictive because of the "skinner box". IE: Rewards and virtual acheivements combined with a competitive atmosphere to be the best, thus enforcing trying to get better rewards.

100% true. Look it up on cracked.com, they have real scientific evidence of WoW's addictive properties in one convenient article.

There's no wonder everyone's already sick of Heroics and to a lesser extent, raiding. It's because everyone's still burned out on WoW from WoTLK. Skinner box addiction doesn't last forever---people get sick of it and leave, like me.

 

[Cowabungaa]

What is all this bullshit you say about you as a person being used by "a higher power (the guild)". It makes no sense whatsoever, no one is forcing you to be there. You are free to leave it if you want, I certainly do not see any problem here.

Social pressure definitely is a factor to consider in the higher tiers of MMO players. The OP is making a mountain out of a molehill though.

Anyway, I think MMO addictiveness can be explained very very easily; those games are the masters of utilising Skinnerian mechanics and lots of people fall for that. I myself stopped caring for such mechanics quite some time ago.

There's no wonder everyone's already sick of Heroics and to a lesser extent, raiding. It's because everyone's still burned out on WoW from WoTLK. Skinner box addiction doesn't last forever---people get sick of it and leave, like me.

Indeed, but I must say that after I got sick of the Skinner Box and returned to WoW after 3 months with a completely different mindset, the game became a lot more enjoyable. It almost seemed like a completely different game. It took me 2 months longer to reach level 80 when WotLK hit compared to my other guildmates, same thing with Cataclysm.

Nice and easy, no need to rush, no need to grind, no job-like obligations, all in all very refreshing. They call WoW and MMO's in general second jobs, but they're only that if you allow them to be. It all depends on how you play them.

I think you're confusing power with the illusion of such.

None of those guild people have power. They don't even consciously try and exert their will on others. They are all simply conforming to the rules and structure the only people with actual *power* in the game have set.

IE Blizzard.

Let's be realistic for a second. Everyone plays games for an escape from life. Same reason people play sports, swim, etc. It's enjoyment that is structured, but not a requirement of living (Where as I'd vote work generally is).

MMO's are just like every other game. The only power in a players hands is the illusion of it placed by a developer to offer the consumer/gamer the facade of growth, coupled with some kind of goal/reward system.

But the guild masters certainly aren't the task-masters you make it sound like they are.

That ain't really true. Blizzard doesn't set the rules that makes people like this:
It really is the players who play the game like that and pretty much any game, not just MMO's, can be played like that. There are plenty of guilds who don't play like that and plenty who are.

 

[Wondermint13]

Ionveau! I havent seen you in a while! Another good Topic my man! Always a pleasure to read and I'm agreeing with quite a bit there.

My only real problem with raiding guilds though is that it is like applying for a second job. Except it's somebody else with no real status over anything telling you when and where to be somewhere. I just cant have that in a -computer game-
Thanks for the post Man! x

 

[Twad]

MMo addiction have several things that get it working.

Behaviorism : rewards linked to actions, time, luck.. all to make any action attractive and rewarding to do repeatedly. Kill guy get XP (constant reward), loot (occasional reward, linked to luck) etc.. so you want to repeat the actin for as long as possble to get more reward.
All games needs it to a degree, but in MMO it is more so. YOu want to keep them playing (and enjoying it) for as long as possible, so you get more money.

Social link: if you play alone you can get bored fast, but with other people they make you feel attached to them, hence you play to have social contact. And playing with other people is more rewarding than alone.

New content: new content keeps players curious, hence they keep playing. (expansions, basically. The game never stop having new stuff)

Investment: you pay XXX$ to play, stopping now would mean you "waste" all the previous monetary and time investment, lose contacts and lose your character and loot? Im not sure but i feel its one important factor.

...And more i didnt think of.