World of Warcraft is wrecking homes... (Family, 2004, account, days)

[bchris02]

My (ex) friend plays WoW on average 20 hours per day. He has done so for the past 6 months. He quit college, quit his social life, has no job, does nothing but just play WoW. He is 20 years old. After so long of being neglected, I quit trying to help him and ended that friendship until he can get it under control. Only time will tell if he will ever be able to break the habit.

I'm lucky I only lost my best friend to WoW. Its so sad to see so many marriages broken up over it. Its sad to see all the people who have everything lose it all because of WoW. There seriously is something different about this game. And the wierd thing is, I've tried to play it twice, could never get into it. I found it to be quite boring, and I have always been a fan of solo RPGs. I thought to myself "people are comitting suicide over this?"

I am hoping the game will eventually die out like Everquest as it is 4 years old now. Its hard to believe after this long its popularity is actually still on the rise.

[Mrs. H]

Originally Posted by bchris02

My (ex) friend plays WoW on average 20 hours per day. He has done so for the past 6 months. He quit college, quit his social life, has no job, does nothing but just play WoW. He is 20 years old. After so long of being neglected, I quit trying to help him and ended that friendship until he can get it under control. Only time will tell if he will ever be able to break the habit.

I'm lucky I only lost my best friend to WoW. Its so sad to see so many marriages broken up over it. Its sad to see all the people who have everything lose it all because of WoW. There seriously is something different about this game. And the wierd thing is, I've tried to play it twice, could never get into it. I found it to be quite boring, and I have always been a fan of solo RPGs. I thought to myself "people are comitting suicide over this?"

I am hoping the game will eventually die out like Everquest as it is 4 years old now. Its hard to believe after this long its popularity is actually still on the rise.

Oh...I really wish I could agree with you about WOW but I can't. You need to realize that your friend is the type of guy that has an addictive personality....a type of personality that would latch onto to any type of activity and becoming obsessively addicting. Your post could easily be about your friend's addiction to drugs, to sex, to whatever...because he has an addictive personality. I am sure you want to blame WOW because you've seen the results but try to look at the situation in full...have you ever known an addict? I personally have known alcoholics, and they are addicted to their alcohol due to their type of personality.

If your friend ever stops playing WOW, he'll just latch himself onto something else and go full force with it. You really need to understand that about him. It'll be easier in the end for you to see this.

[The A-Team]

I never found WoW to be that addictive, i actually have found it to be quite boring, i even tried really really hard to like it lol. Now Diablo 2, thats another story....

[NOEM1226]

Like I have posted on another thread-WOW was a major contributing factor in my divorce. Dh lost his job over it and remained unemployed for months. He also stopped sleeping in our bed, opting to fall asleep in computer chair so that he could resume playing as soon as he awoke. So sad, so true.

Like someone had mention earlier-it may have more to do with him having an addictive personality than with the game itself. Like if it was'nt WOW it would be some other obsession. He has since been diagnosed with OCD.

IMO if this is becoming increasingly common, they need to start support groups

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

Originally Posted by NOEM1226

Like I have posted on another thread-WOW was a major contributing factor in my divorce. Dh lost his job over it and remained unemployed for months. He also stopped sleeping in our bed, opting to fall asleep in computer chair so that he could resume playing as soon as he awoke. So sad, so true.

Like someone had mention earlier-it may have more to do with him having an addictive personality than with the game itself. Like if it was'nt WOW it would be some other obsession. He has since been diagnosed with OCD.

IMO if this is becoming increasingly common, they need to start support groups

But if it hadn't been WOW, it would have been another game, its not the video games that are the problem, its the person. Playing video games to that extent is not only a sign of an addictive personality but also a sign of anxiety.

This is another example of the media and society trying to put the responsibility of someone being an idiot on the video game. When I was in high school, they put it on that horrible Rock Music.

[Marodi]

Originally Posted by The A-Team

I never found WoW to be that addictive, i actually have found it to be quite boring, i even tried really really hard to like it lol. Now Diablo 2, thats another story....

D2 is classic. Nothing will beat diablo 2, and I have yet to find a person that didn't like it meanwhile it's VERY easy to find one of the many people (including myself) that despise WoW. Reasons for this are:

1) Introducting mediocrity to game production
2) Dumbing down gaming to grindfests
3) Excessive amount of noobs
4) Poor community

[bchris02]

Originally Posted by NOEM1226

Like I have posted on another thread-WOW was a major contributing factor in my divorce. Dh lost his job over it and remained unemployed for months. He also stopped sleeping in our bed, opting to fall asleep in computer chair so that he could resume playing as soon as he awoke. So sad, so true.

Like someone had mention earlier-it may have more to do with him having an addictive personality than with the game itself. Like if it was'nt WOW it would be some other obsession. He has since been diagnosed with OCD.

IMO if this is becoming increasingly common, they need to start support groups

I disagree that the player is entirely at fault. Yes, there have been addictive games in the past and yes, there are people that naturally have addictive personalities, but there never before has been a game that so many people have become so addicted to. WoW has taken things to the next level.

[~NeonFire~]

It is definitely 100% the fault of the player. Just because a game is immersive and kinda hooks you in with the whole concept of the game doesn't mean said game is at fault. Would you rather a game that's boring and one you'll hate? I played World of Warcraft for a few months on-and-off (probably 4-5 hours a week... less than an hour a day) and I never got addicted.

[RoaminRed]

I went into the cafeteria to get a salad for lunch today, and as I'm standing in line there's a table of young men talking about WoW. I eavesdrop for a few moments and when there's a lull in the conversation I lean over and interject, "Hey are you guys talking about World of Warcraft, that game I keep hearing about?"

They looked at me kind of surprised and said "Yeah, why?" So I said "Because it sounds pretty interesting." And one of them pipes up and says "Yes, but not many women play it, it's really more of a guy thing."

So I put on my best s**t-eating grin and responded, "You just remember that next time my level 70 T4 shadow priest melts your face off, okay?"

It's the small things that make life enjoyable.

[yayamyers]

Originally Posted by RoaminRed

"Yes, but not many women play it, it's really more of a guy thing."

So I put on my best s**t-eating grin and responded, "You just remember that next time my level 70 T4 shadow priest melts your face off, okay?"

It's the small things that make life enjoyable.

By the way...I too am a girl....You are Hillarious!!!! I agree with all that say abusing the game is tied up to a person's personality and habits. I just recently (like 2 weeks ago) started playing the game, and I must say that it is addictive, lol....but, if you know how to control that you can enjoy the game and have a blast.
My son is 6 and he loves the game too...but I make sure he only plays about an hour a day, even though he comes home and be acting like a crack addict trying to play the game. My husband plays it too...and we go on missions together, so it has become a pastime for my entire family..it saves us money too cause I don't have to be paying through my nose trying to entertain them all.