Posted October 15, 2007 I see myself as a videogame enthusiast, though more on the nostalgia, retro kind of thing, and I actually had a videogame-addiction problem that made me undergo therapy in order to overcome it. I kid you not, it was that serious. Considering myself that, I have no problem talking to anyone about videogames and all related subjects. The problem is that a while ago, the guy whom I've always taken into account as being my best friend started playing WoW. At first it was ok, we went out to the same bars for as long as the same time we always used to, but soon things got a little different. He just wouldn't talk about anything but WoW, using MMORPG specific language all the time, even when relating to real-life matters - this, in english, has none to little impact, as all language used in-game is obviously the same as natives use to communicate amongst each others, but, in portuguese, believe me, it's just lame, particularly when people don't know how to pronounce words in english, and just say them as if they were written in english but read in portuguese. Most of the people we used to go out with started avoiding him, and it eventually ended up being just the two of us out in a bar, while I listened to his continuous praising of the seemingly astonishing wonders in WoW. Things got even worse when he started to go home earlier than usual, and when I got home there he was, Busy, on Messenger, playing WoW. We eventually stopped seeing each other a few weeks ago, as he started going out with his cousins - the ones that introduced him into the game - instead, since they are the only ones that endure an all-night-long conversation on the subject, and now spends his entire time playing the damn game. He doesn't study, doesn't work, he barely sleeps. I'm worried about him, he's my friend and I do care about what happens to him; I tried talking to him, but he refuses to listen... So, yes, I loath WoW for taking my friend's life and turning him into something other than himself. Moderation is key, but is it that easy to accomplish moderation with games that demand you dedicate a great deal of your life to them? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 But think of how many new friends you gained! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 I wouldn't wanna be there when the off switch gets flicked. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 No new ones, Hem, just lost the already mentioned one and a few others I didn't talk about, as the text is quite big as it is and I didn't felt like adding to it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 I'm guessing Hem meant online friends? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 I'm guessing Hem meant online friends? I think he was addressing Hem, the member I know lots of people who play WoW almost constantly, the only good think in my opinion to have come of WoW is the south park episode :p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 I'm quite perplexed as to how people don't eventually get bored of performing the same repetative tasks over and over and over. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 I think he was addressing Hem, the member No I meant... maybe Hem the member was referring to... oh no I'm too confused. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 I know a person that plays WOW alots as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 I just got out. I was on a slippy slope, saw was coming and quit the shit out of it. I can see exactly how your friend got so addicted, but he sounds like he needs help. life on the other side is so much more interesting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 I'm guessing Hem meant online friends? Same guess here. But, no, I didn't make any of those, as well. No new online friends. And I highly doubt that any of those guys made online friends on wow, as they seem to only be interested in aimless competition and random creature/player slaying. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 "We'll stay in the forest...killing boars." I do love that South Park episode. I used to play WoW quite a lot in 2005. Then I went to Australia for a year and no access to broadband, or a decent computer. When I came back I didn't really care. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 Back in the day (bout 2 years ago) i was obsessed with playing it...me and several mates and bro would stay in and play the game and do a raid instead of going to pub. Just stopped doing that then and it turned to once a week we would meet up and the other times goto pub. We hardly chatted about WoW down the pub as to me its the only release from it...back then if i was in the house i had to play it. Lucky i had a job o at my wrost point i wouldve been "wake up > WoW > Bed" over and over. That guy seems to have a massive prob its ruining his life..lost friends..not studying...in a few years once he has stopped playing he will look back and think what the fuk was i doing. Now havent played WoW in 6 months...i got back into it when the patch came out in Jan but i didnt want to get obsessed again so let my social life /hobbys etc come first stopped playing in april or so as game got boring :P freaks me out that some peeps are that into a computer game Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 I'm quite perplexed as to how people don't eventually get bored of performing the same repetative tasks over and over and over. I couldn't agree more, somme. Exactly one of my points. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 It's the same with my brother. He failed all his GCSE's because he'd rather stay at home and play the game, and now he's moved away to Denmark where I can't try stop him from wasting his life. Now he just wastes away on it all day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 To anyone with this problem, try DoS that person's IP each time he/she is playing, maybe the lag will make them stop. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 I don't get how people can become so obsessed with a game. I mean it is afterall just a game. Surely there's better things to do than walk around a virtual world? My mate constantly goes on about it, it annoys the hell out of me. He sometimes won't come out because he "has to go on WoW". I mean, what the hell? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 15, 2007 The guy that uploaded what I call a practical video guide on How to Quit WoW just praised my comment on the video... LOL! Check it here. He makes it look like I'm stepping forward, or something, assuming some kind of disease or condition, though... (-_-) Still, it's good to know we're not the only ones seeing things this way... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted October 16, 2007 Tried considering the fact that maybe something in his life is making him feel like crap and WoW is just working as an escape for him? A lot of addiction to certain things can be related to either lack of self control (blame the parents) or issues the person tries to avoid. Gaming like many things are escapism, but when you ignore your real-life in favour of escapism is a sign of personel proplems. If you want to talk to him about it don´t but all blame on the game (I know it can be addictive) because if he is that addicted as you say then the only thing your doing is talking down about the main thing that brings him pleasure. And your mainly ignoring the real proplem, what make´s a person want to abandon his real life for a fiction one? Does he feel like his real life is too dull? Complicated? Insecurity towards other people? I´m not putting full blame on the person, certain things in life can make the proplem worse but the root of the cause is in most cases with the person. This post is not just aimed at the thread maker, too many people don´t understand what is going on in theyre minds and see it too simplified. I speak this all from experience i used to be depressed, very depressed. to the point i wanted to hurt myself and on some occasion suicide. At that time gaming was my escapism i wanted to spend every moment i could playing games. My life was like that for a couple years until i pulled my head out of my ass and realised what i was doing. Gaming is still my main hobby but i cant forget the limits to it. But most of these cases of addiction are because of lack of self-controll. I hope you can help your friend realise that he is not the only person in his life Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
