I came across an article on foxnews.com entitled Does Online-Game Design Hook Users? It turns out that all the references were to WoW or Blizzard; and those references were not complimentary. Here are some examples:
Quote:
The jury is still out in the mental health field over whether or not video game overuse equals
addiction, but some say if users do get hooked, it's a result of something other than their own
personal tendencies.
The games that are most often cited as having addictive qualities to them are massively
multiplayer online games (MMOs), specifically the popular World of Warcraft game.
And
Quote:
Experts blame the reward structure that is intentionally implemented by game designers.
"Before long, one-click rewards disappear and players find themselves spending dozens of
hours trying to obtain a new sword, or spending 'just a few more minutes' to reach the next
level,"wrote Nick Yee and Nicolas Ducheneaut of PARC in one of their many studies on
MMO's.
Games like World of Warcraft have "just the right combination of challenge on one side and
reward on the other," said Hilarie Cash, a counselor who specializes in video game addiction.
In addition to the reward structure, WoW players find it hard to peel themselves away from
the game because it literally never stops online.
"The game is designed to make a person kind of dependent on the game because the world
goes on without you,"said Sherry Myrow, a former addict and founder of
GamerWidow.com. "I loved playing the game because it's a wonderful game but I hate it
because it just sucks your time."
