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posted by mattie_p on Tuesday February 25 2014, @02:11PM   Printer-friendly
from the games-watch-you! dept.

siliconwafer writes: "An article in The Economist raises some interesting points about addiction to video games, drawing from psychology and sociology to describe why certain people prefer certain types of games, and why they might become addicted to them. It is suggested that to discourage addiction, game designers could have their games recognize addictive behavior and respond to it by encouraging gamers to take breaks. Do game designers have any responsibility to recognize addictive behavior, or does this responsibility fall solely on the gamer (or the gamer's parents in the case of a minor)?"

 
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  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by scruffybeard on Tuesday February 25 2014, @02:27PM

    by scruffybeard (533) on Tuesday February 25 2014, @02:27PM (#6618)

    I don't believe that the game maker has any responsibility in this regard, and that many games are designed to addict you in one way or another (I'm looking at you Candy Crush). Many games already recognize when the player is trapped in a loop, and while it would be nice for the game to suggest a break, most just offer you a cheat, for a price. In the end, it is the gamer's (or parent's) responsibility to manage his behavior, and learn when it it time to quit.

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