Games Addiction - A Growing Concern

Games addiction
How common is games addiction? How do consumers define addiction?

Introduction
Games have been around for a very long time and millions of people around the world play games everyday. Yet somehow, it has only been recently that people started to question themselves and wonder, “Just how common is games addiction?” and “What are the signs of a game addict?”

Survey
Our survey at QuestionPro

Our survey results
The first three questions were designed to ascertain whether the person surveyed could tell the difference between games addiction and a passion for games. The most important aspect to understanding the addiction issue is to be able to tell the difference between them.

1. "Addiction takes away from your life; it reduces your motivation to do things outside of the one activity.” Do you agree with the statement?


2. “Addiction makes you feel compulsively involved. You feel a compulsive desire to move towards that thing, where compulsion is being driven by some external thing rather than being driven by something internal; by your own internal creativity.” Do you agree?


3. Someone who is doing professional gaming and does not hold another job, does that qualify as an addiction?

From the results, a strong majority agreed that addiction takes away from a persons life rather than to improve it, in that they end up being unable to do anything else besides playing games. They also agreed that it drives a person to play games not because they want to accomplish something but simply to experience that high sensation, much like a drug addict. For the third question, we receive a resounding “No” for it and goes to show that people know the difference between games addiction and a passion for games. Passion for games drives people to accomplish something great to improve their life like to earn a living but addiction removes from it by causing a person to be physiologically dependent on games to feel a high.

Next, we needed to find out what are the factors most consumers would associate with games addiction. We split it into two questions, one for factors assiocated with games addiction among teens and the other for adults. The third question is an analysis to determine whether the person after identifying these factors, would consider himself an addict.

1. What are the factors that you identify with game addiction among teenagers?


2. What are the factors that you identify with game addiction among adults?


3. Would you consider yourself addicted to games?

From the survey results, there were three factors identified as most commonly associated to addiction among teenagers:

• Most of non-school hours are spent on the computer or playing video games.
• Not keeping up with assignments.
• Choosing to use the computer or play video games, rather than see friends.

When it came down to addiction among adults, these were the factors most people agreedw with:

• Hours playing video games or on the computer increasing, seriously disrupting family, social or even work life.
• Fantasy life on-line replaces emotional life with partner.

As for the third question, the findings were mixed but the largest group put "Maybe" as their answer. Well it speaks on two levels, one that most addicts do not realize they are addicted. The second being that for most people, we are quilty for commiting some of the minor factors of addiction but not so severe as to disconnect ourselves from our real life. These results reflect what we believe is a clear indication of addiction to games in all age range, and that is when people begin to disassociated themselves from reality, friends and family. Every available time is spent on their games and in the case of Japan's Hikikomori, they would stay indoors and not come out to meet others except through the online world.

The last three questions are meant to analyze how common addiction is in Singapore. The first question, by finding out through each person surveyed, how many family members do they consider as addicted to games. The second checks for their friends and the third finds out if they agree that addiction for games is common or will be common in years to come.

1. Are there any member of your immediate family who is addicted to games?


2. Do you have friends that you regard as addicted?


3. There has been growing concern around the world on the growing game addiction. Do you agree that game addiction in Singapore is common or will be common in the years to come?

The results for the first question are split in the middle with 47% of the respondents not having any members of the family who are addicted and 36% respondent with one brother being addicted. The result is quite alarming as it reveals that almost half of the households have at least one addicted member, mainly males, and is similar to the report findings on the newspaper TODAY. For the second question, 17 out of 20 respondents have friends they regard as addicts and considering if that is one friend as addicted, that would make roughly about 1/5 of the population being addicted to games. A majority of the respondents agreed that addiction is coomon here and will eventually be worst in the years to come. It is not a shock as the region is already reeling from it especially in Korea, Japan and China. With an increasing number of people of Singapore being disillusioned with life, they will seek fulfilment in other sources like games and risk getting addicted to it.

Conclusion & Opinion

• What are the issues?
• Why should you care about it as a game developer?
• What are the social/economical/moral/etc. implications?
• What do you recommend in order to address these issues?

Game addiction has been an increasing concern among many nations only now because back in the past most games were singleplayer based or two player console games you can play with your friends next to you. But nowadays, with the creation of MMORPGs, people can lead an alternate life in the virtual world where they are more respected and powerful compared to their reality. People start to disassociate themselves from reality, severing their social lifestyle with their family and friends. Some would even drop out of work altogether to pursue a new virtual life.

There are several main issues to deal with:

• How severe is the problem. The situation is currently stable in most parts of the world but in several countries where MMORPG are a hit such as the USA, China, Krea and Japan, the situation is only getting worst. There have been cases of babies dying due to neglect by their parents' addction to WOW. In Singapore, there has only been cases of divorce due to addiction, with the most severe being this. However, in years to come the situation might worsen with more children being spoilt and people getting disillusioned with the tough life of reality.
• Stop the blame game. Parent-family groups and political figures have been quick to pinpoint the blame squarely on the games industry for the problem despite the cause of it being partly due to the breakdown of society. While games are meant to be addictive in nature, the industry has acknowledge the problem and are finding ways to rectify it. Despite that, the groups are not doing enough to rehabilitate such addicts and in fact all the blame game has only hampered any recovery efforts.
• Getting people to recognise the signs of addiction. Most people around the world are still aware of the signs and at times parents tend to wave it away as a mere phase in life for their child. What they fail to realize is that the problem will carry on into adulthood.

We as game developers should be partly responsible as these are our games that are affecting people in such negative ways. The fact that we are in direct contact with game development means we can make a difference to help this people. If we do not take responsiblity, the addiction situation can cause negative implications to a country and its' people.

Economic wise, the country willl suffer as an increasing number of game addicts would mean less productive workers as they would be gaming till late, or rushing their work to get home. These addicts might end up being dependent on their parents for support till old age, thus in turn the parents would look to government help to sustain them. Large sums of money would also be wasted on game subscription which goes straight to the game company and does not contribute to the economic development of the country.

Social wise, the social fabric of the country will crumble as people will start to move away from each other in real life. Since they grew up being in the virtual world, all of their communication and social activities will take place in there. People will end up being unable to communicate with others in real life, not having the social skills or experience to do so. The family system that many countries are based on will simply fail, birth rates will plummate as they will not want kids which will prevent them from playing and the country will eventually cease to exists.

It is imperative that society and the game industry take the necessary steps to rectify the situation before it worsens any further. Here are some recommendations that may help:

• Include monitoring features into games to help players and parents watch their time or repititive behaviours.
• Public Service Announcement Broadcasts in the game world to remind players to take responsibility for certain needs like eating and taking of pets.
• Provide monitoring features that tracks the patterns of addictive behaviour.
• Utilize rewards mechnisms that compel and engage the user but are not as addictive.
• Provide compelling, intense, exciting experiences that require minimal time investment and less frequent, less consistent return visits.
• Parents monitor the childs gaming habit and time spent playing.
• Parents be involve with the games a child plays to provide social interaction.
• Parents-family groups, government figures and the game industry should work together to find solutions rather then play the blame game.

In the end, everyone from families, the government and the games industry need to work together to solve the problem. If the necessary steps are taken soon, the problem can be controlled and counselling sessions possible for such addicts.

The addiction problem is prevailant around the world and is growing with each year. In Singapore, while there has been no case of any incidents as a result of game addiction, there are strong implications that the game addiction is more common than we actually perceive it to be. Almost half of our respondents have indicated that they have at least one family member in their household who is an addict, and if the trend is to continue, it the number could swell to more than half of households with one addicted member.

Recent Studies

http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_gameaddiction.shtml
This research article covers alot of key signs of addiction in games and illustrates the difference between addiction symptoms in adults and teenagers.

http://www.igda.org/articles/austin_addiction.php
This is a very in depth article that covers the IGDA Austin Game Addiction Conference. The article covers all aspects of game addiction and what game developers can do to rectify it.

Casual Quest SWOT Analysis

Strengths Unique gameplay for a MMORPG where players engage in a series of mini-games to complete the quest. With 3 arks set in a fantasy, sci-fi and noir world, each with their own mini-games, characters and environment, there is always something new to explore. Ability to interact with other players in the world and form teams of 4 to tackle the mini-games. Players can purchase and download the mini-games at each station into their free handheld console. The mini-games can be played using the handheld consoles anywhere in SL and can be played with other players who have the game and console.

Weaknesses Players might stop playing “Casual Quest” the moment they have completed the first ark. Players may or may not purchase the mini-game the moment they have completed each station. Dependent on players to spread the word around and for players to play the mini-games with their friends

Opportunities Hardly are there MMORPG scenarios where players engage in mini-games rather than killing monsters, catered towards casual gamers. Mini-games can be created and sold separately from “Casual Quest” to players with the handheld consoles like a cartridge. “Casual Quest” can be developed into a full-fledge MMORPG game. The number of arks can be expended with even ideas of overlapping arks where the story and quest coincide with each other. Players have to pay to play each new ark except the first one.

Threats Hackers might be able to crack the station security and download the games without paying. Players might attempt to hack the handheld console with its game to transfer it to friends for free. Griefers may destroy the atmosphere especially within the first ark since the entry is free.

SCAMPERR Brainstorming For SL

S - Substitute - components, materials, people
C - Combine - mix, combine with other assemblies or services, integrate
A - Adapt - alter, change function, use part of another element
M - Magnify - Make it enormous, longer, higher, overstated, added features
M - Modify - increase or reduce in scale, change shape, modify attributes (e.g. colour
P - Put to another use
E - Eliminate - remove elements, simplify, reduce to core functionality
R - Rearrange - change the order, interchange components, change the speed or other pattern
R - Reverse - turn inside out or upside down.

• Substitute the world of SL with 3 different Ark worlds, each a representation of a fantasy, sci-fi and noir world. The first world will be Wonderland.
• Combine the simplicity and addictiveness of casual games and the adventure and social interaction of MMORPG elements in SL.
• Adapt the usage of notecards in SL to contain the riddles and clues to the next station in the quest. The notecards are also used to keep track of stations cleared by the player.
• Adapt the gameplay of casual games into a MMORPG. Rather then having to kill monsters repititively, the player will be challanged with a series of mini-games.
• Eliminate the ability of players to fly, so they will have to explore the lands of “Casual Quest” on foot or transport.

The Game We Want To Make

GAME DESCRIPTION

Name : Casual Quest

Genre : Casual Game, MMORPG, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

“Casual Quest” is all about blending the fun and adventure of RPG games with the simplicity and addictiveness of quality casual games. The core gameplay is similar to a standard MMORPG where you have to go from place to place to fulfill a quest, unlocking the next puzzle to the mystery and eventually a showdown with the final boss. The game consists of three arks, the first being Wonderland Ark which is free to play and two other arks that are unlocked when the player bests the first ark.


WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT IT

What sets our game apart from other similar RPG in Second Life is that instead of hunting monsters repetitively, players are challenged through a series of mini-games. Each time they reach a new station, they will have to compete and win the mini-game at the station to receive the clue to the next location. These mini-games can be played either solo or as a team and will challenge ones reflex, problem solving skill and knowledge. And that is not all; in fact when the player completes one station, he/she is able to download the mini-game for a small fee into their very own DS-like handheld device which is given to them the moment they start the game. They can then play the mini-game anywhere in Second Life either alone or together with their friends who have both handheld console and game.


HOW IT WORKS

For a player to begin the game, he will have to activate a console in a building that houses the game world portal. A menu will then pop out on the user UI, where there is a description of the game, how to play it, the handheld console device the player will receive and finally the decision to make; “Do you want to know what lies beyond the rabbit hole?” When the player clicks yes, a portal will appear in front of the console that the player steps into to be teleported to the world of Wonderland. Wonderland is represented by several islands each separated according to the locations in the storybook. There are two other portals to the Noir and Sci-Fi Arks in the room as well but will only be available at the end of the Wonderland Ark.

Upon entering the world, a NPC Munchkin will illustrate the story and present the player with their first riddle to solve. From there, they will encounter the first mini-game station, interacting with the console will launch the game. The games are easy to pickup for anyone of all ages and an instruction of how to play is helpfully shown before the game starts. Upon completion of the mini-game, the player receives the next riddle and can purchase the mini-game for download into their handheld console. The game can then be played anywhere in SL as long as it is in the handheld console. To keep track of a player’s progress, the name card system in Second Life is used to store the next station number the player is supposed to go to. Only the station with the designated number will respond to the player interaction.

Along the journey to find Alice, the player will encounter the Mad Hatter, Rabbit, Cheshire Cat and a host of other characters in Wonderland who each represent one station, with each station housing a different game. Defeating these characters will yield clues to finding Alice and opens the games for purchase and download. Through the base system of Second Life, players can interact with each other in Wonderland and can join teams of four to tackle a particular station. The game ends in a final climatic battle against the Queen of Hearts whom the player will have to defeat in a game of will, knowledge and reflex to free Alice. The moment the player has bested the quest, he/she will neither be able to repeat the quest nor play any of the mini-games through the stations. Instead they will have to purchase the mini-game to play it through their handheld consoles.


OUR BUSINESS PLAN
The Wonderland Ark of “Casual Quest” is free. However, the moment the quest or each station is completed the player will not be able to access the quest and mini-games through the stations as before.

If the player wants to access the mini-game, he/she will have to make their purchase through the station to download it into their handheld console. The games cannot be transferred to another player so every other player will have to complete the quest as well to purchase the game. The casual games will be of identical quality as those found in Nintendo DS games and will not be available elsewhere.

Once the player completes the Wonderland Ark of “Casual Quest”, players can pay to play the 2 new arks that become available at the end of the Wonderland Ark. Players who enjoy the previous experience can try out the new Arks that are set in a different environment, a different story, theme and obstacles. A whole different set of mini-games are available in each ark and can be purchased for download.

By providing new content and unique mini-games in each consecutive ark, or even overlapping arks, we will be able to keep things fresh in “Casual Quest” and entice gamers to continue their patronage of “Casual Quest”.

The Next Big Thing For The Industry

INDUSTRIAL TREND: Growing Presence of Female Gamers and the Rise of Quality Casual Games

The gaming world has been traditionally dominated by male gamers since its early heydays. But over the years, many analysts and game developers have noticed the gradual climb in the number of female gamers and in turn the popularity of casual games.

WOMEN IN MMORPG
According to a recent study published on October 6 2006 (refer to page link), while the majority of gamers (70 percent) are male, the balance shifts dramatically when limited to online gamers, which comprised more than half of the total. The study found that nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of online gamers were women. This percentage is not limited to 3D action games, such as “CounterStrike” or massively multiplayer online role-playing games like “World of Warcraft”, but includes all computer and video games that feature an online component.

Online games such as “Raknarok Online” and “MapleStory” are good examples of such online games that have gained a strong female following. Majority of female gamers enjoy the simple yet captivating casual gameplay and the interesting mini-games sprinkled within the game world. Over the years, these two games have gradually incorporated many casual mini-games and events that take into further consideration the female psyche, such as the quest to become married, event based contest and festive celebrations.

Several Korean game developers have noticed the trend and released games that focus on the female psyche. MMO games, like “Pangya” which is a MMO golf game and “Fly For Fun” are a mix of casual gameplay, festivals and events, and cuteness that are bound to captivate the avid female gamer.

CASUAL GAMES CRAZE
In the midst of more female gamers in the market, the demand and popularity of casual games have soared in recent years. Casual games once sold only through the net, can nowadays be purchase along side hardcore games illustrating the popularity these types of games have gained and the sales they command.

Popcap Games is the leading developer of casual games for the PC platform, with annual revenues at $50million. They have thus far sold as many units as hardcore games such as “Half-Life 2” or “F.E.A.R”, attributing these sales to casual gamers such as female gamers, older adults and office workers. The simplicity and ease of use have made it the best choice of game for many working adults who lack time to play traditional hardcore games. The fever for such games have even hit the console systems especially the XBOX and XBOX360. Popcap Games such as "BeJeweled 2", "Feeding Frenzy" and "Heavy Weapon" are now available on the XBOX Live Arcade and have proven to be a hit with console gamers as well. (refer to page link)

The Nintendo DS was created with quality casual games in mind and almost every game on the system is catered towards casual gamers, especially female players. The quality and addictiveness of these casual games propelled the sales of the DS and made it the leading handheld console in the market, even beating the much hyped and technologically superior PlayStation Portable.

Nintendo's Brain Age is one such example, a game so simple and addictive that it has captivated the hearts and minds of gamers everywhere making it the 2nd best selling game for the DS. Analysis has shown that the majority of DS owners are female players who enjoy quality casual games. This unprecedented result has revealed to game developers that there is an untapped lucrative market for casual games among the increasing pool of female gamers.

CONCLUSION

Female gamers have increased greatly over the years and are fast becoming the dominant gaming group in the industry, being one of the key factors why MMORPG games have been so popular. According to the above findings,

• Greatly increasing numbers of female gamers provide a new market for developers
• Female gamers are attracted to quality casual games that are fun, simple and addictive
• The social interaction in MMORPG have helped it gain a strong following among women
• Strong sales shown by the Nintendo DS system highlight the craze for casual games
• Casual games are now the affordable way to go for independent game developers
• By bringing together the concept of casual games and MMORPG, we intend to cater to the demands fueled by these gamers.

Bicentennial Man - A Machinima Creation

Here is our link to our own machinima creation of Bicentennial Man, a piano duet scene.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5468706201370282085&hl=en

Machinima & Traditional Films

As of late, machinimas are cheap, powerful tools that enable everyday users to film and broadcast their vision to the world. But no matter how powerful they are, machinimas are still hindered by a number of issues:

CONS

• Limited by the engine of the game
• Effective only for short films or mini skits
• Facial expressions are not well emulated by game engines yet
• Camera controls are still rather dependent on game control (jagged movements)
• Machinimist will need a powerful computer to produce their films

PROS

• It is free! No production cost
• Strong supporting machinima community
• Locations and props can be created easily
• Some engines have powerful tools to use
• Flexibility to create any genre of film

Bicenntenial Man - A Film Analysis

1. What is the Central Question of the script and how does the Opening Scene illustrate it?

The central question of "Will A Robot Be Recognize For Its Individuality And Humanity" is shown quite clearly during the early part of the film. Instead of simply killing the spider in the basement, he carried it out and placed it outside, all without being told to do so. It hints of a special spark in him, that he has compassion, a feeling.

2. What is the Key Theme of the movie (i.e. what does the filmmaker want to tell you through the show?)

The filmmaker intends to illustrate one robot's journey to attain humanity and be recognize for who he is. The key theme is to show what makes us human isn't just flesh and blood, but the ability to choose, have emotions, make mistakes, our mortality and most importantly, to follow our heart.

3. Break down the script into 3 Acts, and identify the respective turning points (which usually ask the Central Question again).

The movie can be split into three Acts. The first Act covers his encounter with the Martin Family and the experience that began his journey of self-discovery. This particular portion of the film has an important turning point where he learns an important aspect of being human. The ability to make choices comes with responsibility of accepting the consequences. Andrew wants to attain freedom and decides to purchase it from ‘Sir’. What he did not expect was ‘Sirs’ reaction, in which he tells Andrew to leave the house and service of the Martin Family as a freed person even though Andrew wishes to stay. ‘Sir’ eventually points out that Andrew has stopped referring to himself as one and instead refers to himself as I, an individual, and a glimpse that he has taken one more step to becoming human.

The second Act begins with his journey to find other robots like him following the death of ‘Sir’ and his encounter with Rupert Burns and Portia, “Little Miss’s” granddaughter. The turning point happens during Portia’s argument with him that to be human doesn’t just mean having the physical appearance or the organs of a human being. To be human is to make mistakes and do the wrong thing, or to simply put it, to follow one’s own heart. From there, he slowly realizes that he is jealous of Portia’s engagement to another guy and that he truly loves her. Now not only does he behave, feel and think like a human being, he has even developed feelings of his own such as love and jealousy. The Central Question comes up, “Will he in due course be recognize as a human being?”

The final Act covers the last segment of Andrew’s life and answers the Central Question of the movie. There is only one turning point in this Act but it proves to be the most significant point in the entire movie. While he can live forever being a robot, Portia intends to pass away eventually and not extend her life. It is at this moment, that Andrew comes to realize that to be human, he must do what every human being will eventually do, pass away from old age. He forsakes his immortality and ages over time. Till finally, at the moment of his death, humanity finally recognize him as a human being and validate his marriage to Portia who dies together with him.

4. Who are the characters and how do the subplots (involving the characters) expand the Theme and builds up the Climax within the Structure of the script.

'Sir' Richard Martin – As the father of the Martin Family, Richard assumes the role of the fatherly figure to Andrew. He is the first person who recognizes Andrew’s unique spark. During the subplot where Andrew is brought to North Am Robotics, Richard plays a pivotal role in defending Andrew’s uniqueness and encouraging him to develop himself, where it starts off Andrew's journey to find his humanity.

‘Little Miss’ Amanda Martin – She helps Andrew develop his emotions and compassion and is one of his closes friend. Through her do we first see concrete proof of his uniqueness when he carved a wooden horse to replace her broken glass piece. It is by her death in the film that he realizes the pain of immortality where everyone he loves dies and begins his research to create biomechanical organs that would eventually bring him closer to being human.

Portia Charney – Love of his life and the person who helps him realize his emotions such as jealousy and love. She would be the driving person in the final moments of his life where she teaches him to make mistakes is to be human. By her decision to die, Andrew realizes to be human is to forsake his immortality, in which he does so. She loves and stays with him to the end and dies together with him.

Rupert Burns – The scientist who aids Andrew in his quest to be human. It is through him that Andrew has the organs and appearance of a human being. He sets about the transformation of Andrew from a machine to a almost biological robot. He would eventually perform the blood transfusion that will allow Andrew to age and die, the eventual climax of the film.

Galatea – She would be the object of his search that leads him to Rupert Burns. She serves as the comic relief of the film and plays an important role at the end where she is the nurse who cares for Andrew and Portia.

5. Were there any script flaws and how will you address them? Or how would you improve the film if you were to do a re-make?
- The elder sister

The show:
How she dislikes presence of Andrew and tried to kill him.

Changes:
Addition of acceptance of the whole family, the relationship between them, not just the sir and the little miss.

- Changing of scenes

The show:
You have to take note of the appearance of the people and environment for the amount of time passed.

Changes:
It would be cleared if there is a state of how much time passes as the changing of the scene.

6. Explain how the filmmakers employ different techniques in visual effects to enhance the story-telling of the film.

The movie makes use of several visual effects techniques to enhance the story-telling. One of the more extensively used techniques is puppetry. As Robin Williams is wearing a suit, facial expressions are manipulated through puppetry to portray Andrew’s emotions.

Another visual effect used is background CGI to create the feel of a futuristic San Francisco where there are hover crafts flying in the air. The effect illustrates the time transition and as Andrew gets older, it shows the city changing and becoming evermore futuristic.

Advance makeup technique is used to simulate the aging on the human actors and does an excellent job in portraying the passage of time. In fact, it is through the aging effect that we know how much time has passed.