Video+Game+Addiction+(Leric)

 Overview
The landscape of video game addition is changing. With it, questions of who is addicted, what games are addicting, and what kind of addiction are being raised. The evolution of video games from an esoteric past time to a popular hobby is the answer to these questions.

In the early stages of video gaming, the arcade was the dominant form of video games. During that era, video game addiction, although it wasn't necessarily identified, was spending an excessive amount of money in the arcade. Nowadays, what child doesn't recall pouring quarters after quarters during the game over screen.

With the advent of the Internet and the PC, video gaming took another form. Gamers no longer needed to make expeditions outside their home. Instead, Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games became the new face of video game addiction. Most commonly, World of Warcraft almost single handedly became responsible (Everquest can be considered a competitor). The popular MMORPG boasts over eight million subscriber during its heydays. Accounts of WoW addiction became common across discussion boards on video game oriented websites. Here, the sense of community (through clans and guilds), endgame content, and sense of achievement and progress made video game addiction real.

In its current phase, video game addiction entails playing Call of Duty 24/7. Improved functionalities of online gaming in the last few years, with robust leader boards, extensive customization, and game organization, allowed video games to reach the masses. The increasing accessibility of these games are diffusing into the mainstream, changing the landscape of video game addiction entirely. Video game addiction became excessive online gaming, not just with MMORPGs. In other words, the FPS gamer is joining the basement gamer. Another form of video game "addiction" I also consider is constantly playing casual titles on iOS. This is evident on the UVM campus, with students playing Angry Birds and the sort during lectures. The difference is that the basement gamer is driven by attachment to the virtual world and toon, whereas the casual addict is driven by sheer boredom.

In my experience, video game addiction is real but entirely avoidable. It doesn't need any more help than just a little discipline. I went through a phase myself, with a certain game that's embarrassing to admit (it boasts over 100 million players, it's free, it has archaic graphics, and it's a // BB //MMORPG). Upon realization of addiction, I purposely allowed someone to hack my account then quit.

**History**
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**Opinion**
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**Future Trends?**
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