Slide 2
Should it really be called “addiction”?
When we hear someone’s addicted to games, it doesn’t sound that bad. we picture a person playing 2 or 3 hours a day. But it isn’t that simple. Studies have shown that 10% to 15% of gamers show signs that meet the World Health Organization’s criteria for addiction.
Video game addiction means neglecting education, family, friends, work and school for the sake of a fantasy world. Most of the game addicts do not have a social life. their circle of friends includes virtual people they meet in online game forums.
In some severe cases, gamers actually attend addiction treatment centers.. In 2005 a south Korean man died after a 50-hour video gaming session, and in 2012 a Taiwanese man was discovered dead on his gaming chair, reaching out to his computer even in the last few minutes of his life.
Slide 3
What Has Become of Gaming?
Some people still imagine Super Mario when you talk to them about gaming. But the gaming industry has been evolving so much recently that it’s a difficult thing to keep up with it.
As games become more complicated and the graphics become better, larger teams are needed to generate all of the art, programming, cinematography and more. It’s not simply designing some tasks to keep the gamers entertained. it’s much more complicated now.
One game project has been reported to have a development staff of 450.
Video games are a 66% billion dollar industry.
The competition between different game developers is so fierce. This leads to more exciting games and consequently: more addiction.
Slide 4
What Makes Gaming Addictive?
There’s something called a “reward system” in our brains. Anything we do is in the hope of getting a reward in return . When we keep getting rewards for the same tasks, our brain starts to build the appropriate connection between these two (the task and the reward) .
Playing video games is all about doing something and getting a reward. You kill the enemy, you get extra points, you finish a level, your “achievement [is] unlocked.” And that is what keeps you playing. That’s what makes you say “just one more hour.”
One of the other addictive factors is “social obligation” which happens in online games. Some people say they have to go online and play the game just because “people are relying on them”.
Slide 5
Reaction to The Consumer Behavior
The number of the games existing and the number of games been produced every day is so many, it’s impossible for gamers to just rely on one or two.
A gamer just can’t get enough of the variety of games he or she has played. They’re always looking for new games that “they must play”.
Gamers are constantly trying to be “in the moment” and play what everyone is talking about.
If there is only one group of people benefiting from the addiction of gamers, that group is the game makers.
Game makers observe the gamers critically and not only feed them what they want, but they also modify their methods according to the gamers’ behavior in order to make them even more addicted.
Slide 6
Good Reviews Vs. Bad Reviews
Positive reviews and ratings play a crucial part in video game selling.
In a study, two groups of people were given the same game (Plants vs. Zombies) to play for the first time. The games that were given to the first group, had good reviews and ratings printed on the cover, but the cover of games given to the second group included bad reviews. After playing the game, the first group calmed to have had more fun with the game. they even said they’d recommend the game to a friend.
Slide 7
A study conducted on 1075 people aged 18 and older who owned a game console and played 4 hours a week, has shown that vibration feedback is a popular feature among gamers. 72 percent of the participants have said that vibration feedback enhances their game experience. According to the participants, it makes the game more fun, makes it seem more real, and helps the gamers play better.
Slide 8
GamersMore Like Puppets in Game Makers’ Hands
One of the strategies that game makers use to make more money, is creating the feel of urge in gamers. For example when they lose a particular level, sometimes they only have thirty seconds to press a button and pay some money to skip the lost level to the next one. Ten years ago gamers used to play fewer games but for longer amount of time. Nowadays the games are so numerous and so variable that gamers often “feel like they’re playing catch up.”
Slide 9
- THE AVERAGE GAME PLAYER IS 31 YEARS OLD.
- 29% of gamers are under 18 years old
- 32% of gamers are 18-35 years old
- 39% of gamers are more than 36 years old
- 52% of game players are male
- 48% of game players are female
Slide 10
Women aged 18 or older represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (36%) than boys 18 or younger (17%)
The number of female gamers aged 50 or older increased by 32% from 2012 to 2013.
The average number of years gamer have been playing games: 14
Slide 11
91% of parents whose children play games are present when games are purchased or played.
82% of children receive their parents’ permission before purchasing or renting a game.
95% of parents pay attention to the content of the games their children play.
Slide 12
Questions for further discussion
- How do you think one can prevent oneself from getting addicted to video games?
- Do you think the genre of the game influences whether or not the gamer will become addicted?
- Why do you think violent games with the theme of war (like Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed) are so popular among gamers?
- Do you think violent games encourage violent attitude or behavior in gamers
- What kinds of new games do you think the game makers can create that are less violent and focus on concepts other than war?
