[MUD-Dev] Retention without Addiction?

[Acius]

Sage wrote:

> This topic, not to troll, smacks of arrogance to me.  We aren't
> that good yet.  If every online game out there addicted, say 9 out
> of every 10 people that played the game couldn't stop, I think we
> would need to pause and really consider what we are doing.  This
> is an alarmist topic based off the alarmist media whose premise is
> flawed because the word "addiction" is thrown around so easily in
> the modern world of blame passing.  This is silliness at its core
> and concern over it from our end is probably derived from an
> overblown sense of self-importance for what we do.

> Most of "the problem" that we are concerned about is compulsive
> behavior, and that derives from the player, not the game.  I will
> grant that some of our games appeal to people who are compulsive.
> In fact, I might also hazard a guess and say these games tend to
> appeal to people who are more likely to be compulsive.  Yes, those
> people are going to take it too far.  People have been taking
> television, books, movies, and any other form of entertainment you
> might care to mention too far for years.  That doesn't mean we
> should be considering how to alter the behavior patterns of those
> people through clever game mechanics.  The priorities for these
> people are out of whack.

Addiction is "the condition of being habitually or compulsively
occupied with or ... involved in something." (dictionary.com), so
I'm not sure I understand the distinction you're trying to draw
here. I would hazard that you are trying to distinguish bad
"addiction" (like illegal drugs) from relatively harmless
"compulsive behavior," such as you see among MMORPG players.

We're running into problems because people are starting to contend
that habitual MMORPG play is *not* harmless. Trying to lay all the
blame at the feet of game companies for making addictive games is
irresponsible -- but then, it is also irresponsible if game
companies categorically deny all responsibility for the behavior of
their players. Game companies are very interested in shaping the
behavior of their players -- they want their money, and that
requires effective persuasion -- or are you trying to tell me that
we have no influence over our players at all? That'll really upset
the marketing folks.

Rather than joining the litany of blame-passing, I'd rather accept
that compulsive player behavior is a problem with many components,
and while game creators are by no means the only ones to blame --
parents, teachers, and responsible personal choice is becoming a
litany -- they do have some influence over the behavior of their
players. It seems absurd to write articles on action/reward
conditioning and then claim all player behavior is based on personal
inclination. Take a glance at Gamasutra's "The Psychology of
Choice," "Behavioral Game Design," and "Temptation and Consequence:
Dilemmas in Videogames" for examples of behavioral thinking in video
game design.

> Are we making the games as addictive as possible?  Maybe, but
> trying to separate that from games seems a lot like someone
> asking, "How do we get all that wetness out of water?"  It might
> be an interesting experiment, but if people are thirsty, they
> probably just want the water without all the cleverness.  People
> just want "fun."  That is our sole commitment at this stage.

If game designers don't confront problems of compulsive behavior in
games, and if it continues to be perceived as a problem, then
*somebody else* will confront it. That's what's happening in Korea,
and I would rather *not* see that catching on elsewhere. The best
solution for game designers is the solution we come up with
ourselves. It is far better to spend a little time thinking about it
now than have someone else shove an objectionable solution down our
throats in a few years' time.

Even if you claim that the problem is completely irrelevant to the
folks who make games, not everyone believes as you do. There is a
strong feeling that these games we make are addictive, and
"something ought to be done." At the very least, we need to work on
changing this perception of games, and any visible attempts we make
will help.

It is easy enough to ignore the problem -- it's not causing undue
difficulty right now. And maybe it'll go away on its own. But the
easiest time to pull a weed is before it takes root.

-- Acius


_______________________________________________
MUD-Dev mailing list
MUD-Dev at kanga.nu
https://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev