Psychologists recommend incorporating new activities into your daily routine from time to time. So, I decided to incorporate a computer game into my downtime.
…The Internet. The first game I came across. The blurb for the first game claims that by completing all levels, the player will manage to catch and kill up to 33,000 people. The blurb for the second game states: “Victims, hit by your car, wheeze, their blood splattering across the windshield; worse, they fall to their knees, begging for mercy, or commit suicide. If you wish, you can dismember their bodies.”
What a treat! I keep watching. In other games, like the first one, aimed at kids aged 8 to 15, the hero runs through mazes, killing enemies that pop out from around corners left and right. “No. I won't play that (!),” I decide. “Maybe I should choose a themed game?”
I ask my son:
– Help me find a fantasy game.
He looks puzzled. Then, understandingly:
“Are you kidding? Fantasy games are for gamers. They live in these games, and you decided to have 30-40 minutes of fun?”
“I know about computer addiction. But normal people spend their lives with their families and work. Gamers are an unfortunate exception.”
“Not such an exception. Read up on World of Warcraft. Lots of people in our city are into that game. Just like everyone else in the world.”
That same “life.” World of Warcraft (WoW) (translated as “world of warcraft”) is considered a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Online role-playing games offer the following options:
a) player versus environment;
b) player against player;
c) kingdom against kingdom;
d) player against player playing as the Monster…
The meaning of the options is the same: when you fight, you kill.
The most “peaceful” phase in WoW is the initial stage, when the player and their character explore the landscape and engage in combat with monsters. Along the way, they complete tasks assigned by computer-controlled characters. Those who enslave themselves in the game initially progress through levels to meet other willing thralls. Dungeons are designated for small groups, and larger groups can form guilds.
When creating a character, players choose from twelve races and ten classes. The choice isn't easy, as the races are divided into opposing factions, and all classes include both melee and ranged fighters. The difficulty of deciding “which side are you?” will haunt you constantly, as the game doesn't end once you reach the final level.
It features a reputation system. Naturally, a good reputation must be earned. Complete a quest for a specific faction or race, and their attitude toward you will become more friendly. At the same time, opposing factions and races will develop hatred toward you. So you'll live in a fantasy world: fighting some, hating others, and considering those of a lower rank “subhuman.”
Another sad and yet terrifying pattern: those living in their gaming world ignore and don't acknowledge those living in the real world… and then they can't stand and hate them. Scientists have concluded that fanatical gamers suffer from mental disorders and dulled intellect. Gaming addiction is now being treated worldwide, by psychiatrists and addiction specialists. In Australia, there's even a medication for the treatment of gaming addiction.
There's a common thread running through any computer game, even the less bloodthirsty ones: they're addictive. Once you're hooked, you can forget about time and other things to do. Here's an example: One night, my family and I were playing Akinator before bed. We only calmed down when we won, and the humbled computer saved our information to its database.
“Let's do it again!” I exclaimed.
“It's the middle of the night. Calm down. Everyone has to get up early for work tomorrow,” my husband and sons snapped at me.
P.S. “I’d better relax with a new film, and then with a new book,” I finally decided, thinking about diversifying my leisure time.
