Pixel Addiction

No, this isn't a thread about some new Chiptunes band (more on them later ). It's about the somewhat controversial issue of so-called "Video Game Addiction". On the one hand, it seems like yet another exaggerated non-fact made-up by middle-aged, middle class Daily Mail readers who simply demonise video games because they don't understand them/are looking for scapegoats to blame for the behaviour of 'kids these days'. I mean, people can get addicted to other forms of media - it's what DVD box sets of TV shows and The Internet were made for - not to mention actual drugs. In the grand scheme of things, video game addiction isn't that bad, right?

But then I realised that, from a personal standpoint, there are quite a few games I've been addicted to, games I've played for hours at a time without pause. For me, RPGs are the worst offenders - according to the Save file statistics, I've played Pokemom, Fallout 3, Fable 2 for entire days. Of course there's the fact they're big games that revolve around players gradually building up characters and exploration. Games that give me creative freedom have also soaked up hours of my time - most notably Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and the first Sims game. Don't even get me started on Tetris.

It's not like I'm a complete Pixel Junkie* though, right? I spend more time thinking of my own ideas for games than I do playing existing ones, though my collection over the years is quite extensive. What's your stance on the issue (or non-issue) of Video Game Addiction? Are there any games you could say you were 'addicted' to? Are the Moral Guardians overreacting again or is it a legitimate cause for concern?

(* Another cool name for a Chiptunes band. )

I think video game extinction exists, but like everything else, the media hypes it up a lot. It does exist in a basic form, people have died from being obsessed with video games, such as dying from continuous play. However, some things cannot be 100% proven, such as prolonged play linked with anger issues. However, I think there's a link, and that video game extinction exists in a smaller form.