Comments on: The serious side of games

Conference will meld academic and creative minds to explore the intersection of real and online worlds.

[Earl Benser]

Games are like drugs....

.. they absorb a nation's assets without returning anything of value.
And both are proposed as 'entertainment'. For many, both are the
last refuge of the lost.

[Draxknar]

With that analogy...

Anything could be a drug.
What about TV? Peole pay $30 - $45 a month to watch cable or satellite and get nothing back from it.
Speak about something you really know about before stating such rediculous accusations.

Wow!

A comment both asinine and ignorant. Congratulations.

[aabcdefghij987654321]

Spending all day watching CNET is a drug too

And it seems to be one you take frequently. At least here you do learn things on occasion though.

Hm.

What constitutes a "benefit to society" anyway? And can we cut to the chase and say that "all entertainments are the opiate of the masses"?

One thing is for sure, you're not going to have any substantial relationships on the internet beyond flame wars if you try to psychoanalyze other posters based on one and a half paragraphs, as you did below.

At any rate, good luck to them. And here's a tip: Taking games too seriously is not going to get you anywhere.

[Thorax232]

Think For Yourself For Once

You obviously have been listening to the media for way too long. Video games aren't bad for us, of course there can be too much of everything but video games help cure dyslexia and ADD and have a ton of positive cognitive effects. To fully understand video game you must dive deep into neuroscience and video games themselves. Try reading "Everything Bad Is Good For You By: Steven Johson" you might learn to understand other people opinions through this book. Or you can continue being predgidous against american pop culture. Also, keep in mind that there was a time when books were considered bad for you. Video games aren't a drug, they're the most healthy form of electronic entertainment out there.

[Bob Brinkman]

come now

You spend all your waking hours bettering yourself and the people around you?

Everyone needs diversions, life shouldn't be serious all the time. Be it sports, music, video games, or a trip to the bar. Heck, I think I will try and fit all of those in this weekend.

[agent V]

kind of, but not quite

they are like any other country from an economic standpoint. you can sell virtual merchandise for real world cash. check ebay for everquest tidbits if you don't believe me. it still takes resources and time, both real and virtual to create these virtual items. example: attaining certain character levels to get better items. sounds like a "real world" to me.

how are we lost? i can have substantial relationships with people that i will never see face to face. aren't both our "worlds" better for that?

[Earl Benser]

Just what is...

... your definition of 'substantial' ????

I think that you are sounding like you are very lost in whatever
virtual environment you've found. But, if that's what it takes to keep
you happy, the rest of the world will not miss your presence.

Bogus! Bogus! Bogus!

Another opportunity for academic nobody's to throw their two-bits in and have all the media nobody's cover them.

It's pathetic. Only wannabees like CNET would pay any attention at all.

[Lyoness]

Some games, MMORPGs in particular, ARE like drugs though..

Although the first poster mentions one reason why games are like drugs, I'd like to discuss a different reason.

Plain and simple MMORPGs are addictive. They not only provide a break from reality but in the online reality you are constantly gratified, rewarded and made to feel powerful. On top of that add real life people who help you succeed and those who respect you because you have 'epic' gear.

I've seen my husband fall into the hands of World of Warcraft (WoW) and I hate to admit that it had it's hands on me for awhile as well.

I know friends that spend over 24 hours STRAIGHT playing the game. Anything that takes over your life in such a way is definitely an addiction and the symptoms (no sleep, cravings to play, withdrawl symptoms when you stop playing) all are eerily similar to a drug habit.

I know...I went through it. Shortly after I created GamerWidow.com. It's a site for gamer widows(and widowers), gamers and ex-gamers to discuss the addiction of various games (the most popular is WoW), vent, share their story or give advice. Take a look at some of the member stories, (http://www.gamerwidow.com ) you'd be shocked to see how destructive game addictions really are!

Nice article!
Lyoness
Founder, GamerWidow.com