When addicts get addicted to non-addictive things

Posted in analysis, games on December 7th, 2010 by RevStu

Here's the odd thing. Everyone agrees there are videogame addicts. Using fairly standard terms of definition, numerous studies have shown large levels of addiction – this one, for example, claims that 3m players in the US alone are addicts. And yet, that same study also somehow concludes "it's not that the games are addictive".

So hang on – three million addicts addicted to something that isn't addictive? What's all that about, then?

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A funny thought

Posted in games, stupidity on December 7th, 2010 by RevStu

Isn't it odd how the games industry and media (if we're still counting those as two separate things) constantly throw around phrases like "incredibly addictive" as terms of praise, yet as soon as anyone suggests games might actually be addictive they throw up their hands in horror, indignantly shriek "HOW DARE YOU?" and rush out angry press releases about how it's an outrageous load of rubbish and people should stop victimising them?

I'm just saying.

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