Do you think a game can "ruin" lives?

[Joey'D]

Joey'D, I know that myself and many of my friends maintain a normal life playing WoW. I do it in my free-time when no one is available to hang out directly, like during the school week if I'm done with my work.
I'm also always busy with my friends over the weekend, as I'm a very social person.

LOL, allow me to correct myself by saying that only because i know one or two people who can live a normal life while playing that game, does not mean i think everyone that plays it cannot.

that being said, i do know many lives and marriages broken by WoW,a nd i am only happy i got off the wagon at warcraftII

[blackcrystal22]

LOL, allow me to correct myself by saying that only because i know one or two people who can live a normal life while playing that game, does not mean i think everyone that plays it cannot.

that being said, i do know many lives and marriages broken by WoW,a nd i am only happy i got off the wagon at warcraftII

I know 3 very good marriages that were created through WoW. There's always a positive to a negative!

[joepythons]

I know 3 very good marriages that were created through WoW. There's always a positive to a negative!

O my say its not true ! The agony they must feel

[blackcrystal22]

O my say its not true ! The agony they must feel

Ahahaa, well, no agony there. One specific couple out of the 3 is one of the best marriages I've ever seen. They act like best friends all the time and have a great charisma and never fight or argue. They're really comical too, I love em to death. They lived states away, met through WoW and Vent, and ended up meeting, falling in love, and marrying. :]
I couldn't see them any other way now.

[coldblooded]

As somebody who is in school for game design and has many professors that are still working in the industry, I feel like I should comment. Though, here's a quirk for you, I have not ever played WoW but my boyfriend used to be glued to it 24/7.

Games are designed to sell and to be played. WoW is an immense success for Blizzard (albeit, not the first. Starcraft, anyone?). The continued expansion of the world, the community, and the immense amount of time that is poured into this game is what keeps people playing. Endless achievements are rewarding. Blizzard, nor any other game company that is successful, is at fault for making a game fun to play. Also, the amount of money that some people have invested into the game is a deterrent to dropping it. (Though you can make some big bucks selling your leveled, awesome character to some n00b)

I know a TON of people that play WoW. Some play casually, many play hard core. This isn't something that is unique to WoW as you can find this gradient in most popular games.

I'm going to reiterate what has already been said in this thread. The game is not what ruins somebody's life. IF the individual in question is so attached to their online persona/life and is loathe to be torn away from it then they have much deeper issues. It is not fair to say "OMG WoW is EVIL and ruins lives!!!1" because that is simply not the case. The large majority of the population playing WoW regularly are stable people and it's the small percentage that ends up on the news.

Violent video games do not make murderers, either.

[joepythons]

I'm going to reiterate what has already been said in this thread. The game is not what ruins somebody's life. IF the individual in question is so attached to their online persona/life and is loathe to be torn away from it then they have much deeper issues. It is not fair to say "OMG WoW is EVIL and ruins lives!!!1" because that is simply not the case. The large majority of the population playing WoW regularly are stable people and it's the small percentage that ends up on the news.

Violent video games do not make murderers, either.

Well said

[mainbutter]

Just because WoW doesn't ruin lives doesn't mean that it still doesn't suck

[Kysenia]

Are people aware that they have already or will be adding video game addiction to the new psychological DSM-4 assessment? Not sure of exact name. This would classify it along the same addictions such as alcohol, drugs, sex, etc etc etc......

Just wanted to add that, If you look at it medically it is an illness, does this make the person at fault?

Is the game at fault? If the game was the source then all would be consumed?

The combination of factors involved is what destroys or challenges the person in the middle...

[Joey'D]

I know 3 very good marriages that were created through WoW. There's always a positive to a negative!

to add to it, i know of 2 myself.
so all in all it seems this game has it pro's can con's just like all things in life.
and like all things in life, too much of anything can be bad

[LaFilleClochette]

i think that the only time a game can "ruin" a person's life is when it preforms tasks that they can do without it. Im talking about the Wii- theres Wii fit, then there are the games (monopoly) and then nintendo DS where you go shopping and stuff... i think those are way worse then anything like WoW or Left for dead or Forza 3 ( the last two being games my BF plays)- im only 21, but wat happened to exersise outside, or games on the floor with yur family? I know when I was a kid I loved that, and when I have kids, im never getting a Wii- but thats just my personaly choice I guess