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I don't doubt your integrity and passion, but I couldn't resist mentioning that your comment parallels that of people who work in other industries that produce

I don't doubt your integrity and passion, but I couldn't resist mentioning that your comment parallels that of people who work in other industries that produce addictive products. Specifically I was reminded by a quote of an owner of a mid-size tobacco farm. For the record, I also did not doubt the farmer's integrity and passion. It's as if a non-addictive personality, or complete abstinence of the industry's product, is a prerequisite for employment.

Agentlien 10y ago
I upvoted your comment because I find it genuinely interesting and I do see where you come from, though I didn't see that kind of aspect to it myself when writing my comment. I simply see myself as a gamer who happens to be lucky enough to get to work with something I love. The addictive nature of games and the tendency of games to be designed to deliberately get you hooked is a very common topic of conversation at work. Especially since several of my coworkers have a background in the development of casino games. I find the ethical aspects of it fascinating and a rather intellectually challenging topic. When playing games I don't want to feel like I'm consuming a drug engineered solely to be addictive and I certainly don't want to see myself as a developer of such. On the other hand, I want games to feel engaging and entice me to keep playing and come back for more. As such, addictive is often used as a positively loaded word when talking about games. I feel that I have a good sense of what aspects of a game make up the good kind of addictive and what contributes to the bad kind, but I can't quite formulate a general rule to describe it. The closest I can come is this: - "Good addiction" is when a game rewards you for actual accomplishments and keeps you coming back because you enjoy playing it. - "Bad addiction" is when a game rewards you for simply spending time with it and keeps you coming back simply because you feel quitting would mean missing out on more random rewards. I have at times found myself stuck in one of those bad reward loops, but it usually only takes me a short while to identify it as such. When I do, I quit playing that game. Yes, video game addiction is a serious problem and I do agree that there are very unethical practices going on in parts of the video game industry. But I also feel that this isn't necessarily part of what makes a video game. I'm guessing that's also an argument similar to what a tobacco farmer would say.
- dcow 10y ago
  I feel like there's less of a spectrum with tobacco: you either smoke enough to get physically addicted or you don't. Some people never do, I guess, but it's not like the tobacco industry is generating cultural and artistic expressions, social commentary, and/or a competitive arena where the most skilled players can rise to the top and even make a career out of their success. In that context I don't really see how games are different from any of the other things that fill those roles besides being displayed on a video screen.

Agentlien 10y ago

I upvoted your comment because I find it genuinely interesting and I do see where you come from, though I didn't see that kind of aspect to it myself when writing my comment. I simply see myself as a gamer who happens to be lucky enough to get to work with something I love. The addictive nature of games and the tendency of games to be designed to deliberately get you hooked is a very common topic of conversation at work. Especially since several of my coworkers have a background in the development of casino games. I find the ethical aspects of it fascinating and a rather intellectually challenging topic. When playing games I don't want to feel like I'm consuming a drug engineered solely to be addictive and I certainly don't want to see myself as a developer of such. On the other hand, I want games to feel engaging and entice me to keep playing and come back for more. As such, addictive is often used as a positively loaded word when talking about games. I feel that I have a good sense of what aspects of a game make up the good kind of addictive and what contributes to the bad kind, but I can't quite formulate a general rule to describe it. The closest I can come is this: - "Good addiction" is when a game rewards you for actual accomplishments and keeps you coming back because you enjoy playing it. - "Bad addiction" is when a game rewards you for simply spending time with it and keeps you coming back simply because you feel quitting would mean missing out on more random rewards. I have at times found myself stuck in one of those bad reward loops, but it usually only takes me a short while to identify it as such. When I do, I quit playing that game. Yes, video game addiction is a serious problem and I do agree that there are very unethical practices going on in parts of the video game industry. But I also feel that this isn't necessarily part of what makes a video game. I'm guessing that's also an argument similar to what a tobacco farmer would say.

dcow 10y ago
I feel like there's less of a spectrum with tobacco: you either smoke enough to get physically addicted or you don't. Some people never do, I guess, but it's not like the tobacco industry is generating cultural and artistic expressions, social commentary, and/or a competitive arena where the most skilled players can rise to the top and even make a career out of their success. In that context I don't really see how games are different from any of the other things that fill those roles besides being displayed on a video screen.