"I probably spent as much time playing the Ultimas, King's Quests etc as any hardcore addict spent on whatevervilles. Probably not as much money on a single gam

"I probably spent as much time playing the Ultimas, King's Quests etc as any hardcore addict spent on whatevervilles. Probably not as much money on a single game but certainly 1000s over the years." As have I, though certainly without the rote compulsion of a ____ville player. (Granted, I have watched friends and relatives zombified by World of Warcraft, and despite the surface layer of complexity separating it from ____ville, it's got the same dynamics at play). Call me nuts, but whenever I play a game, I'm at least having fun playing it. There may be timesinky aspects to it, and I may play more than a healthy amount, but it's not a morphine drip into a virtual IV hooked through my controller and into my arm. I believe there's a difference between most games and ____ville-type games, and that the difference is felt, at least subconsciously, by the player of the latter. He knows he's getting conned, but he doesn't care. My question is whether or not that dynamic can last indefinitely.