A Hawaii gamer has launched an addiction lawsuit against NCsoft, publishers of the Lineage series, Guild Wars and Aion. In his claim, Craig Smallwood asserts the following:

1. That NCsoft knowingly placed him in harm’s way by failing to provide any information about the potential addictiveness of their MMO Lineage 2. Smallwood claims to have played 20,000 hours over five years, which works out to roughly 9 hours of every day for half a decade.
2. That NCsoft banned his account, falsely claiming that Smallwood was a gold farmer or distributor, a banable offense under any MMO’s Terms of Service / EULA. Smallwood insists NCsoft hatched a scheme to ban users from Lineage 2, so they would be forced to play Aion, a game launched in North America and Europe last September following its successful introduction in Asia.

Giving this claim a quick look, I am forced to wonder how much this looks like sour grapes from an RMT (Real Money Transaction) vendor who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. In order to proceed on the second allegation, it seems to me Craigwood and/or his lawyer will need to prove there was in fact an elaborate plot to rob him of play time on his Lineage 2 account.

What strikes me even more about the second assertion is the addicted gamer seems to have his eye on recovering his in-game experience. I get the sense that what he wants most of all is to get back onto his account, and that NCsoft probably had good reason to ban him, as many addicted gamers find themselves very involved in RMT’s.

Regarding the addiction claim…

About sixteen months ago, I did an interview for the Law Times, a publication of the Upper Canada Law Society. For some time, I have suggested that advisories about excessive gaming and its potential impact on the health of users would be a useful tool. However, a bit of common sense goes a long way. Nine hours a day on anything that is not your job or well, sleeping, is just too much. Gamers need to self-regulate, making use of egg timers or alarm clocks, as someone at Game Politics recommended.

Of course, this is often easier said than done, given the strong appeal of the games, but it is doable, especially with the help of family, friends and a good addictions counsellor.

The final question is whether a lawsuit is appropriate in this case.

Not long after I started this blog two years ago, I was approached by someone considering a class action against Sony Online Entertainment, creators of the Everquest games. I declined to participate.

Why?

Simple really. I felt that a lawsuit would distract me from the work of recovery. I am by nature a competitive, sometimes combative individual who would like nothing better than a good fight. I can see getting involved in a legal battle bringing out the absolute worst in me, and consuming me almost as much as the games did when I was playing 60-80 hours per week.

I will read with interest the feedback that Smallwood receives from the court on this suit, but I remain convinced that casting blame and seeking retribution for a self-inflicted wound is utterly counterproductive and unwarranted.

Tags: Addiction, Aion, compulsive online gaming, Craig Smallwood, Everquest, game politics, gaming addiction, gaming industry, Guild Wars, Law Society of Upper Canada, lawsuit, Lineage, NCsoft, Sony Online Entertainment

Thanks for your patience in reading the blog this summer. I’ve attempted to spend more time with family over the past couple of months, and am just getting back to updating the blog.

A few weeks ago, someone I know and trust suggested I have a (different) psychiatrist evaluate me for Asperger’s Syndrome. I spoke to my family doctor, and he referred me to a good psychiatrist who understands this issue, and could offer some useful feedback.

My wife and I attended an appointment with the psychiatrist a couple weeks after I completed a comprehensive survey of behavioural cues and a detailed history of successes and failures. At Online Gamers Anonymous, we hear quite a bit about Asperger’s from addicted gamers and their family members. It seems that autistics, including those with spectrum disorders like Asperger’s, are overrepresented among those suffering from a gaming compulsion. This is backed up by some research, though I’m sure the debate and research will continue for the foreseeable future. For more information, click on the Academic Research category link on the right hand side of this page.

Anyway, we talked for some time, and he determined that Asperger’s was not something I was dealing with, but the psychiatrist wondered aloud if I was suffering from severe, largely untreated Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). The first inkling that something might be wrong with my brain came in 1994 when a brief clinical assessment for the disorder revealed I had it, and I should be medicated. Sixteen years ago, the meds were pretty basic: Ritalin, Ritalin, Ritalin.

Believe me, I’m not complaining. Ritalin, Lithium and Wellbutrin helped carry me through my university years in Pennsylvania, but these less refined meds of the mid-nineties were like a blunt instrument. Ritalin made me edgy. Lithium made me a complete zombie, and Wellbutrin caused me to sleepwalk. (I somehow got dressed in the middle of the night, and found myself outside my college dorm staring at a tree. My psychiatrist calls this a ‘bad trip,’ and I am inclined to agree.)

The consulting psychiatrist recommended a newer drug called Vyvanse, so I headed back to my regular doctor, armed with the information from this assessment. He prescribed the Vyvanse, and I took my first dose about a week ago. Wow, what a remarkable difference!

First, let me explain my problem. I get stuck under a black cloud of depression for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is my predisposition to over-think things, and frustration and bewilderment with simple organizational tasks. For example, a ‘normal’ person stuck in a difficult situation such as  unemployment would stand back, look at the situation and come to a logical conclusion:

“In order to fix the problem, I need to do certain things, prioritize my efforts and move toward the desired outcome.”

My problem is that part of my brain doesn’t work correctly. Rather than starting (and completing) tasks in a logical, orderly fashion, I fall into a terrible funk and can’t see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Vyvanse makes my brain work normally. After starting the drug 7-10 days ago, I resubmitted my resume to some local companies, and have since been hired as a sales associate by a major electronics retailer.

Some quick disclaimers. First, check with your doctor to discuss your medication options if you think you may suffer from any learning disorder, including ADD. Everyone’s an individual, and what works for me may not work for you. Second, I am not attempting to endorse any particular medication. I’m only telling you what seems to be working for me. Third, no medication can do the work of recovery / improving your life. My medications simply give me a fighting chance in the world, for which I am grateful.

Tags: ADD, Asperger's Syndrome, employment, medications, Online Gamers Anonymous, Recovery

WordPress 3.0 is giving me no end of grief. I can’t add a new post or edit existing ones, unless I deactivate every plugin. So, I have reluctantly done so, at least for now. Used to be I could count in Intense Debate to manage comments. Now I need people to register on this site before commenting.

All comments and trackbacks will be held for moderation.

Thanks for your patience.

-Brad

Tags: Technical Problems

Wow!

Two years since this little blog got off the ground! So what’s going on, other than my WordPress installation timing out when I attempt to create a new post?

I continue to do some media and spoke this week with a local addictions professional who was very gracious as I pressed the point about gaming culture and the need for parents / spouses to understand what their kids / significant others are getting into.

So what’s changed in two years? World of Warcraft’s Lich King expansion took off, and the game continues humming along toward the Cataclysm xpac, which promises to upgrade graphics and improve the game experience.

Aion burst onto the North American / European MMO scene after much success in creating mob grinding zombies across South Korea. Please, can I repeat newb quests 100 times to win marginally usefull rewards?

Call of Duty continued its market dominance, and people went absolutely gaga for crappy little flash games like Farmville, which now boasts over 80 million subscribers. Please, friends, stop inviting me to your Facebook grindfest!

Brace yourselves… Starcraft 2, possibly the most eagerly awaited sequel in modern gaming history, arrives more than a decade after the last Starcraft 1 xpac. Why so long in development? The gaming world will know on July 27th.

I have an interesting history with the first Starcraft game. I moved back to Canada in May, 1997. Sometime that summer, my friend Dave invited me to his house for lunch. Back then, I hadn’t played any video games for a very long time, and Dave had Starcraft on his PC down in his dimly lit basement.

Would I like to play it? Sure! Six hours later, Dave came down to find out what happened to me, but I was very, very busy training soldiers and kicking Zerg butt.

What’s up with me these days? Last weekend I took over as President of Online Gamers Anonymous World Services, a role of service to gamers and their families that will allow me to help guide the organization into the future.

Thanks for sticking around and reading the blog. I’m working on completing a recorded interview with a Florida addictions professional who sees gamers in her practice.

Tags: Addiction, Call of Duty - Modern Warfare 2, compulsive computer gaming, compulsive online gaming, computer games, Farmville, gaming addiction, gaming industry, Online Gamers Anonymous, online gaming addiction, Starcraft 2, Video Game Addiction, world of warcraft

Back in January, I first reported on the Andrew Kane case, which involved serious allegations of sexual abuse by a middle-aged woman who engaged a young man, Andrew, in a romantic relationship following their interaction in World of Warcraft.

The case against Laurie Price has been dropped by the district attorney in Texas, as they were reportedly unsure whether they had sufficient evidence to prove that Ms. Price knew Andrew was a minor when she arrived in Toronto.

Tags: Andrew Kane, world of warcraft

A gamer designer and researcher proposes that online gaming is good for us. At a time in our history when the combined play time of all World of Warcraft subscribers is approaching six million years, we do need to consider the impact – positive and negative – of a favourite pastime.

Tags: Jane McGonigal, world of warcraft

Dr. Ryan Van Cleave has boldly stepped out to blaze new ground with an intimate portrayal of his personal experience with video game addiction. This fresh, engaging autobiography reveals an intellectually gifted but socially isolated young man stumbling deeper and deeper into a lifestyle of heavy drinking, promiscuous sex and excessive gaming.

The memoir holds nothing back, describing his experiences and impressions in powerful, visceral language. Sexually abused by a teacher, Ryan becomes engrossed by the fantasy role playing video game she has designed. Some years later, Ryan leaves home for university, where ongoing alcohol abuse, one night stands and his console gaming experience lead to shallow friendships with fellow gamers and LAN parties in a university computer lab.

Ryan reveals the joy and sorrow present in any adult gamer’s lifestyle, and gives us a window into the complex reasons he sought to end his own life in December, 2007. This book is not to be missed, especially by those of us who fit into the same demographic and have important questions about their own excessive gaming. There are no easy answers or platitudes here, just raw emotion and rigorous honesty.

Unplugged: My Journey Into The Dark World of Video Game Addiction is available for purchase starting June 1, 2010 through Amazon.com.

Tags: book review, compulsive computer gaming, gaming addiction, memoir, Recovery, Unplugged, Video Game Addiction, world of warcraft

Video game addiction week is scheduled for May 31-June 6. Check out the publication of a new memoir on gaming addiction. The book will be released on June 1.

Tags: Addiction, compulsive computer gaming, compulsive online gaming, computer games, gaming addiction, online gaming addiction, world of warcraft

Tags: Addiction, compulsive computer gaming, compulsive online gaming, computer games, Diablo, gaming addiction, The Escapist, Video Game Addiction, world of warcraft

WoW Detox has done an informal (unscientific) survey, asking users how many times they have tried to quit playing World of Warcraft. Thirty percent said they have tried to quit five, six or more times. While this should not be taken as the final word on addiction, it is somewhat consistent with Nick Yee’s Daedalus Project, where self-reports of addiction and addictive behaviours related to gaming run as high as fifty percent. Incidentally, Nick Yee and his associates are beginning a new research project for active World of Warcraft players on U.S. and Oceania-based servers.

Tags: Addiction, compulsive computer gaming, compulsive online gaming, computer games, gaming addiction, online gaming addiction, Video Game Addiction, virtual worlds, world of warcraft, WoW Detox