Help?

1. Depends on the week. I've played this game for over 2 years(since BWE weekend) and have 2500 hours logged.
2. Yes, Command and Conquer Renegade every great once in a while.
3. Yes, and Yes. My addiction has mellowed since a few years ago though.
4. Yes, college sucks.
5. No, it's a game.
6. Yes, and those boundaries are the monitor screen. Output doesn't travel farther than that for me.
7. Absolutely not. Online, people are nameless and faceless. Therefore they act differently than if they were in front of a real person.

Oh I do play the game and I play for enjoyment. I play EVE online as well. I must say I do it to an extent to escape reality but as you say I believe it’s mainly for enjoyment factor.

I’m currently studying media production and as gaming has always interested me it was a good topic to choose. I like the sense of interactivity and where would I be if I didn’t like others who enjoyed playing too.

The whole reason for asking these questions was to get an input of other gamers and how they think. It wouldn’t be primary research if I based it on my own opinions.

My dissertation is entitled “Has the Games Industry Encouraged Extreme Escapism to the Point of Addiction?” and I’m trying to investigate the argument. I have been reading a lot of media theorists research on gaming and addiction and the fact it has become a increasing issue in the past few years with new MMORPGs and addiction especially with the AMA.

I wanted to see what people who game think; if they agree with me that it is not always an extreme escapist notion and it is part of everyday life to want to enjoy yourself whether you use gaming as entertainment or television. I want to be able to ask the questions the theorists suggest and form my own conclusions.

I appreciate your (and everyone elses) input. The fact that it’s been so quick and I’ve got such detailed and varied opinions is really great. If you have anything else you’d like me to consider that would be helpful also Thank you.

1. How often do you play this game?
Depends on my schedule. About 2 hours a day if I can play at night.

2. Do you play any other online games as well?
No, I don't play anything else online currently

3. Would you say that gaming is addictive? Would you say you are addicted?
I would say that gaming is addictive. I would not say I'm addicted.

4. Do you play the game to escape from real life?
Absolutely not. I have too much to look forward to (young kids). I try to game only when they aren't home or asleep.

5. Is playing the game part of real life?
Depends on your point of view. It is real, as people do converse. Are the characters real? No. But consider it an extension of the real world (as I can game with my twin brother, who lives 900 miles away).

6. Do you think there are boundaries between the game and reality?
Yes, and once you cross them, please get help.

7. Would you say that gaming helps people to become involved with society no matter who they are?
No. People on games all want to be the perfect person. Something they are not.

1. How often do you play this game?-1-2hrs on weekdays, about 4hrs on weekends.

2. Do you play any other online games as well?-No

3. Would you say that gaming is addictive? Would you say you are addicted?-I would say i am quite addicted however i do also spend time with my family and go out with mates ect.

4. Do you play the game to escape from real life?-Sometimes after a crap day, most of the time just to have fun

5. Is playing the game part of real life?-Not really as it's a game, but it has a place in my life.

6. Do you think there are boundaries between the game and reality?-yes

7. Would you say that gaming helps people to become involved with society no matter who they are?-Unless you play with real life friends like I do, then no.

Hope that helps

1.) Not that often anymore.
2.) Not as much as I used too.
3.) In the wrong person's hands, yes it can be. No I am not addicted.
4.) To take a break from things yes, to totally escape, no.
5.) A couple of the friends I have met online I like to try and keep in contact with, otherwise, No.
6.) There should be. Although there are a few people in real life that I wish I could drop a Meteor shower on occasionally.
7.) In some ways yes. A person that is shy can also become more sociable due to the anonimity of the internet. But it can also withdraw some from having an actual set of social skills.

1. How often do you play this game?
2. Do you play any other online games as well?
3. Would you say that gaming is addictive? Would you say you are addicted?
4. Do you play the game to escape from real life?
5. Is playing the game part of real life?
6. Do you think there are boundaries between the game and reality?
7. Would you say that gaming helps people to become involved with society no matter who they are?

1) Everyday
2) Yes
3) Not really. No.
4) No
5) No
6) No matter what the judge told me, I still say NO! Of course there are boundaries between the game and real life.
7) No. I'm anti social in RL and I'm just the same in the game.

Clocked up over 2000 hours over the last 13 months, though taking a semi-quasi-break from the game for a coupla weeks right now while I focus on some RL matters.

Guild Wars is the only game that I play online at the moment. I used to play Black & White online before they closed the servers, and I used to play Dungeon Siege online as well before the Broken World expansion utterly destroyed the DS community.

Video games, just like everything else enjoyable, can be addictive. I am not ashamed to say that I am a video game addict; on the plus side, I'm not addicted to anything life-threatening.

I don't think so... It's nice to have a bit of an escape from the issues of every day life but it's not really an escape to me. As soon as you log out of the game life's still there with all its problems. I play games to blow off some steam and clear my head a bit.

In a way, yes. I usually play with a select group of friends, many of whom I know in real life (and scattered across the globe). So it's a great way to spend some time having fun with friends if I can't see them in person.

There are definite boundaries between the game world and the real world. The game world is only a fantasy, and fantasies don't come to life.

Yes and no. The anonymity that comes with the internet can help shy people come out of their shells and get involved more easily, but that doesn't help at all if a person doesn't have adequate social skills to integrate.

It's worth mentioning that Guild Wars isn't massively multiplayer (that is, since the entire game is instanced there are no areas other than city hubs with more than 8 human players in them). It's essentially an action RPG with 3d interactive lobbies in the form of towns and outposts. That said:

1. I average 40 hours a month, but I tend to play intensely for a month or two and then shelve the game for a few months, only to come back to it later.

2. No (though I play plenty of non-online games), and I don't really play this one like an online game. I spend most of my time playing solo or playing with one or two real life friends of mine. I spend less than 1% of my time playing the game with people I don't know outside the game.

3. Not really. Any computer game, and especially RPG's, operate on a reward mechanism that keeps things interesting, but I've gone months without playing without putting any effort into keeping away. When it ceases to be fun for me, I put it away.

4. I play most games to relax, which is escaping from daily stress, so I guess the answer here is yes. I wouldn't say there's anything special about GW that makes it better escapism than other games (and other genres of games) that I play.

5. Not really, no. It's a recreational activity I share with real life friends, so I guess there's a layer of real life socializing going on over top of a virtual activity.

6. I'm not sure I understand the question. The game is just a computer game, like any other, it's only connection to reality is the people playing it (and I suppose the physical systems its stored on).

7. Not really. As should be pretty clear from my other answers I don't really use this game as a means to socialize with and meet new people, it's just a game I play with friends or by myself when I need to relax. I don't really have any interest in making virtual "friends," and don't consider playing games with strangers relaxing, so there you go.

Hope that helps.

1. 3+ hours a day at least
2. yup, not much tho.
3. Gaming is addictive alright. Am I ? No, real life will ALWAYS be more important than this game, or any game. Guildwars is fun, it beats watching tv, and it sure beats reading a book or god knows what else.
4. Nope, just to have fun
5. lol no, It's a game.
6. I dont fully understand this question thus I won't answer
7. No.

About 2 hours almost every night, with an additional 3-7 hours most Saturdays.
Yes, Battlefield 2141 (a first person shooter) about 2-4 hours a week.
Yes. And Yes, for more then 15 years.
No. I play it because it is fun. Real Life is nice too.
No – although most of the people I play with, I know in real life, and we often talk about the game.
Yes, most certainly.
That question doesn’t really apply to me – I play in game with people I know out of game. I’m not looking to make new friends online. It might help some people, that have difficulties making friends in real life, but I’ve never had that issue

1. hardly play at all right now, due to RL stuff. when i was active, anywhere from 2-6 hrs a day, depending on school.

2. nope.

3. gaming definitly can be addictive, depends on the person. i was addicted to gw for a while, no longer am.

4. nope, i play it for fun. some activities in game make a good stress reliever though.

5. depends on if your addicted.

6. darned right there are, if there aren't for you, then your addicted.

7. no, i'd say its the opposite. being friends with someone online is pretty shallow, and if your addicted to the game then imo it decreases your social life, your just sitting at your computer most of the day. BTW, this is from personal experience.

1. How often do you play this game? Every day about 4-5 hours. I multitask in there too [I'm on here, right?]
2. Do you play any other online games as well? Nope.
3. Would you say that gaming is addictive? Would you say you are addicted? Probably yes.
4. Do you play the game to escape from real life? Sometimes.
5. Is playing the game part of real life? Since all my real life friends stopped playing the game... not really.
6. Do you think there are boundaries between the game and reality? Obviously? What am I, a crack addict?
7. Would you say that gaming helps people to become involved with society no matter who they are? No no no not at all.

1. Varies alot, from 0 to 2 hours.
2. No
3. No
4. I play this game for fun/relax.
5. It's has much part of real life has any game can be.
6. Yes.
7. That would depend in the manner and purpose in which the game is played.

1. How often do you play this game?
10 hours a week on avg

2. Do you play any other online games as well?
not at the moment, I was a RTS player (StarCraft, WarCraft, Dawn of War, Battle for Middle Earth) before GW took over

3. Would you say that gaming is addictive? Would you say you are addicted?
Gaming, like most things in life, can be addictive. I do not think I'm addicted.

4. Do you play the game to escape from real life?
I play games for entertainment. For me, it's more enjoyable than watching TV. But, I'm married, have a son and a life outside of Guild Wars

5. Is playing the game part of real life?

Well, it's something I physically do. It's a very philosophical question: We dream in real life, so are dreams part of real life or not? Are reading fiction books part of real life, even though we are tranported to fictional places? I say, yes, these are all parts of real life!

6. Do you think there are boundaries between the game and reality?
Of course. My characters do not "live" in the same sense that I do. That said, I do devote time outside the game planning names and thinking of what to do next, so there is obvious overlap between my life and the game.

7. Would you say that gaming helps people to become involved with society no matter who they are?
Depends on the person. It could harm some people's ability to socialize outside of the game, others could find it a way to break out of their shell.

Unless someone if physically suffering (ie, losing weight, missing work, not taking care of themselves) from playing the game, I don't think it's a bad thing to play the game for social reasons (or any other reason, for that matter). There are worse things one can do with their time!

1. How often do you play this game?

I play from 5-6 days a week, between 2-5 hours a day.

2. Do you play any other online games as well?

I used to play a game called Lineage, but now I only play GW and console games.

3. Would you say that gaming is addictive? Would you say you are addicted?

Any game can be addictive, but the social aspect and the ability to compare directly with other people and 'be better' than other people makes mmorpg gaming more addictive. I wouldn't say I'm addicted really because if something comes up and I end up not playing for a day or 2 I'm not really bothered by it, whereas if I was addicted I think I would be really annoyed not playing every day.

4. Do you play the game to escape from real life?

Yes, it's a good way to unwind and gives you a feeling of accomplishment (ie killing a boss, gaining titles, doing something difficult)

5. Is playing the game part of real life?

No, it's something that happens but has no effect on real life, at least not on mine.

6. Do you think there are boundaries between the game and reality?

I hope there is. I worry if people can't separate a game from real life.

7. Would you say that gaming helps people to become involved with society no matter who they are?

Yes, because it gives people a certain anonymity. For example someone who may be a social outcast in real life for a variety of reasons can play a game and have a complete blank slate where their reason for being an outcast (a lisp, physical deformity, disability, physical aspect, manner, clothing, whatever) will not affect the way other people see them.

1. How often do you play this game?
It matters on my day, but it can range from 1-3h on some free days. In a year i got like 300 hours.

2. Do you play any other online games as well?
No, used to, but no.

3. Would you say that gaming is addictive? Would you say you are addicted?
I wouldnt call guildwars that addicting COMPARED to other games. But in general it is a bit like everything you like and do. I am not really addicted anymore.

4. Do you play the game to escape from real life?
I play it as a hobby, for fun, relax, to waste sum time, and sum times to escape from rl!

5. Is playing the game part of real life?
Well if i played the game for 300 hours, thats 12 and a half days of my life wasted on this. Yes it is part of real life but maybe you mean it in a different way...

6. Do you think there are boundaries between the game and reality?
Ya ofc, life is life, gaming is a hobby. Even if sumone is terribly addicted and plays a lot, there are still boundaries.

7. Would you say that gaming helps people to become involved with society no matter who they are?
Yes it is easy for anyone to play and get involved with other people, even if its online. Anonymity helps a lot with this. For people that are not very much involved in real life or are shy, this is a perfect thing that can actually help. It doesnt matter if its online, you are talking with other humans - strengthens ur communication skills too.

1. 3 days a week, 3-5 hours per day.
2. Not at all regularly.
3. Could be. A slight bit addicted, perhaps.
4. No, but on one account it relieved some stress.
5. Not at all.
6. Yes.
7. They get involved with online society, and the best of the best (PVPers in GW) get to be known by some real life public (like the GW championships).


Here you go, hope your dissertation goes well.

1. How often do you play this game? Depends on how much time I have available. It can range from 1-2 hrs a day.... to 6-7 hrs + on weekends.

2. Do you play any other online games as well? No, most of my free time is exclusively GW.

3. Would you say that gaming is addictive? Would you say you are addicted? Absolutely. It's almost like working a second job, only having loads of fun doing it.

4. Do you play the game to escape from real life? No need to escape from anything. I play it because it's fun, I have made great friends, and I truly enjoy playing it.

5. Is playing the game part of real life? No, it's just a game.

6. Do you think there are boundaries between the game and reality? When I first started playing... I don't know.... I used to dream with the bad guys from guild wars. I would dream how to beat them, I would see Charr beating the daylights out of me... it was pretty scary. I don't dream GW anymore.

7. Would you say that gaming helps people to become involved with society no matter who they are? Absolutely, you are as good and as fun as you character is. There is no racial, economic.... boundaries.

1. A hour or so a day but not always, depends on the events occuring at the time

2. No, i don't actually play anything else a I have to much to do other than this to devote time to other games

3. Yes its addictive simply because anything can be addictive, addiction is more a thing of personality than in the item itself, obviously apart from some narcotics. However I am not addicted to the game as I do not become stressed if I don't play, and I find no need to continuously play. quite often i don't play for a day or two

4. No.

5. obviously yes, as it is imposible to do anything that is not connected to real life. Time is spent playing, talkign etc. without coming of the game you dont eat, drink etc. If you play the game you aren't working as you play, therefore to play continually would effect your lifestyle and terefore must be a part of reality.

6. If you can define what reality is and also how the game is either a part of it or not then maybe you can answer this question. The devs and community relations people play this game as part of their job, they get paid to do so, Is work a part of reality? If so then is not the game too? Is having firends and talkign to them about life and such other things part of reality? Do you do that in the game? The Cartesian notion in his Meditations revolving around doubt throws a question upon what reality is, and how you can know what it is, how you can be sure of what it real and not purely based on the infalible senses. With this in mind how can you define boundries between what you cannot define and a game?

7. Everyoen is involved in society whether they think they are or are not. Comminication, the lack of it, by one person does not mean they are not part of society, they still influence it in many subtle ways. gaming therefore soesnt help anyone become involved in society, since they already are. It can however encourage soem peopel that are not necessarily very communicative face to face to be so online

1) Usually about 3-6 hours a day online... but I spend about 2-4 actually playing.
2) Yes.
3) Yes. Not really, all the MMOs I have are boring as heck XP
4) Yes.
5) Sort of.. I don't really understand the question, but I get bored when I'm offline =P
6) Yes. I find the game to be better than real life, heh...
7) No.