The real-life toll of virtual gaming

A guest blogger on Soul Kerfuffle talks about beating his World of Warcraft addiction. He talks about how he gave up his real-world friends and hobbies, gained 30 pounds, and played for hours every day, often until late at night when raids took place. He also expresses guilt for encouraging others in his guild to play -- including people with families, students, and others who really should be spending their time on more important things than a videogame:

I know of children and spouses being forced to play and grind for their parents, threats of divorce, rampant neglect, failing grades in school, and thousands of dollars spent on "outsourcing" foreign help. For what, you ask? Honor. The desire to be the best for at least one week. To get the best loot in the game. What do these "heroes" receive? Why, cheers and accolades of course as they parade along in their new shiny gear... which is obsolete the first time they step into one of the premier instances. The accomplishment and sacrifice itself are meaningless a few days later. Then it's usually off to the races again.

There is also a huge comment thread from addicts and former addicts, who complain about the "unwinnable" aspect of the game, and how it's different from other types of addictions:

World of Warcrack is not to blame for me almost losing my family. I am. I am not slagging Blizzard or WOW or anything. But it is a different type of addiction. You jab that needle in your arm, you know there is a good chance that you will get addicted. Even buying a new console game you know you will beat it eventually. But WOW is different. Completely different. It is a virtual world that offers an escapism few people have ever experienced before in their lives, and the fact that the escape from normality has serious impacts is not normally understood until its too late.

Are we going to see a more widespread wave of virtual addiction, and associated social problems? The answer, unfortunately, is yes, as 3D graphics improve, new games are developed, and more people get online to play and interact with other people virtually.