Are Video Games Designed to Be Addictive?

A lot of people are quick to blame the person when the topic of gaming addiction gets brought up, saying that it's their fault for being addicted. But are they right?
In this video, I go into the details of a few psychological tactics and mechanisms used by the video game industry to keep you hooked, that just might help shift your beliefs on the subject.
Not enough manipulation for one video? Check out our article that contains a load more information and psychology for you to sink your teeth into:
gamequitters.com/video-games-...
If you want to quit gaming and get control of your life back, grab a copy of Respawn: gamequitters.com/respawn
TIMESTAMPS:
- 00:50 The current state of the industry
- 02:49 Skinner's Box
- 04:49 Variable reinforcement ratio
- 06:39 Discussing loot box targeting algorithms
- 07:44 Daily login bonuses and streaks
- 09:23 What can we/the industry to about the problem?
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#Addiction #Psychology #Gaming

[@mochamommyATX]

I agree with you. I remember games that had definitive endpoints and chapters. When I got my FIRST Nintendo. I could say, "after this level I can turn it off and finish my chores". Now there are ENDLESS possibility. I also think that video games target very vulnerable males. People who get poor grades, are not the best athletes, are underemployed and not very social. My hope is that they can get support to come out of additction

[@MusicJunkie37]

What if you only play those old games then? or new games that play similarly?

[@GameQuitters]

games never ending is a big part of it yep!

[@joezawinulreviewsandreacti2509]

True but I just read a story about how Mvp NBA players such as Tim Duncan were playing World of Warcraft til 3 or 4 in the morning. So it can hit the athletic and successful too.

[@itssozen]

This whole video really resonated with me, but you mention one thing in particular that was relevant to me when I was quitting WoW; I kept thinking about how much time and effort I had already put into it, and even though I WANTED to quit, it was a struggle to reconcile all the time, effort, and (yes) money I'd already spent on it. It became this cycle where I would feel strongly about quitting for the sake of my mental health, but I would also question whether that choice would essentially just mean I was throwing everything I'd worked for away. The tipping point was realizing that "everything I'd worked for" WAS just me throwing my time away. The rewards you get from gaming aren't tangible; they aren't real. Sometimes it's fun while it lasts, but more often it's just... this endless grind to get things because the game makes you think that those things have value. When you step away from the game for any real amount of time and start living in the real world again, you realize not only how meaningless it all was, but how the game steadily convinced you that this "loot" mattered.

[@GameQuitters]

Great share! Thanks :)

[@subliminalwarestudio7167]

You are beautiful person. Go on.

[@anires1195]

@@subliminalwarestudio7167 creep?

[@Satan666Official]

The part you wrote about (paraphrased) "stepping into the real world and realizing the rewards from gaming aren't real" resonates with me greatly. When my computer kicked the bucket, and my backup drives failed, I realized all that time I wasted. The love of my life is a victim of the cycle, and all I hope is he will free himself, and I'll be there to help when he is ready.

[@DougMarv]

@Satan666Official Live? Freedom? Help? Those words are definitely not on Satan's dictionary.

[@rezileesin3926]

oh my god . when i think how i was dragged in league of legends with this tactics makes me mad: 1. first game of the day reward 2. skin discounts based of how much you play each champion 3. events that need to play certain amount of games to pass or do something specific( they used to give all missions at once but now you have to pass them one by one . for example you played 5 games and you pass 3 missions , now you have to play 15 games) 4.reward system based on how you play the game 5. loos system is a disaster ... i am so glad that i found gamequitters and quit gaming , it was hard , it is hard , my mind is a bit busy thinking about gaming , but i am totally in the right path

[@GameQuitters]

Glad you found us too!

[@Zevoril]

I quit in mid december and i gotta say, my mental health has improved

[@GameQuitters]

well done!

[@Azami0001]

I remembered an interesting quote from Quora - "Addiction is something requires external force to get you off and Passion is where it requires hard work to get into." Or something like that. I do believe videogames are addictive and have relapsed a couple of times. Then again I'm also addicted to youtube on my downtime.

[@GameQuitters]

great quote

[@Silas-Inservio-Pax]

Thumbs up for another quora user!

[@dianet1659]

You Tube is educational and you can get news. Great excuse for not reading a book🙁

[@ismaelmarksteiner]

Just a couple days ago I realized that the entire game structure of the game I was playing was designed such that the player would think about the game as often as possible. I was playing RuneScape and it's a huge sandbox MMORPG. The things you have to do in order to level up your skills keep you in a never ending loop grinding. When I realized this I was just "Wow!" It's one thing to hear it in theory, but a totally different experience when one directly realizes it for one self. Thanks for sharing your insights! :)

[@GameQuitters]

Do you think video games are designed to be addictive?

[@MusicJunkie37]

Yes but so is going on youtube, using social media or listening to music. Something being addictive doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. I would argue that we, humans, are basically addicts by nature. If I'm addicted to creating music or drawing nobody would complain because that's considered being creative. I would argue that games are a form of art and the games you're mainly talking about that are considered addictive are multiplayer online games, not necessarily something like a single-player indie game with a great story and only a couple of hours long.

[@GameQuitters]

Some good points for sure. I talked about the fact that I'm generalizing a certain amount when it comes to which games I'm talking about, but I do mention that most of the games out there are amazing, immersive, and rich experiences created with passion - such as indie games. However, as the majority of people play mobile games or AAA games, that's what I decided to focus on. The difference between being addicted to gaming and addicted to creating music, is that you gain something tangible from making music. You can spend 5,000 hours in a video game and you'll have is a bunch of achievements, high level characters, and not much else. Also, gaming addicts tend to be recluse. They won't leave their room, take care of their health, or put time into their relationships. Not to mention it's almost impossible to play music for 16 hours a day every day haha.

[@icymiles]

I think video games are designed to be addictive because game developers want to make money by hooking people to pay for the developers other games/dlc's.

[@MusicJunkie37]

​@@GameQuitters Also good counterpoints. But even tho if you gain something from music then it doesn't really matter in my view if you're not gonna do something with it and instead just temporarily feel good, I do agree that in a social context you probably have something more to show for and it's a more useful skill for sure. And yes I appreciate that you acknowledge that there are amazing games out there that aren't evil like these greedy AAA online games with their microtransactions targeted towards children. It's certainly not impossible to play music for 16 hours everyday tho, although it's not as common. I definitely agree that it's way easier getting hooked onto video games, especially considering it's easier to get instant gratification compared to for example learning an instrument. I also wanna finish off by saying I've drastically reduced my gaming due to channels like yours and learned to be more mindful when I do actually occasionally play something. Keep up the good work!

[@TheRUSTchronicles]

@@GameQuitters How do you turn your brain around when you want to stop but you tell your self if i stop ive wasted so much time and money? Because to me. Telling my self i dont want to add more time and money doesn't work.

[@brendanbender7809]

I just quit gaming recently. I was addicted to a Minecraft world that I racked up about 500 hours on over the past 2 years. So I literally destroyed the world (yup I blew it up), then I deleted it. I felt freedom flowing through me as I did so!

[@GameQuitters]

Congrats :)

[@anires1195]

For those who only play one game It's not easy at all to get out of it, its very very dificult, you wont like this answer but, the only answer, which is not easily understood is, no matter how much time, no matter how much money you spent, if you stop playing that one game, then you are not investing anymore. You have to stop investing your time in money, otherwise you get that one game that you constantly play all the time, and you'll never escape, you get more and more into it, you get more achivements more rare items, you can't just stop? But it never ends, the sooner you stop investing, the sooner that game will stop plaguing you.

[@itssozen]

This is true. Good advice.

[@GameQuitters]

agreed

[@user-uk2df8mv1t]

Great video! That's exactly what I wanted to know about!

[@GameQuitters]

thanks glad it helped

[@harrietthespy2119]

I’ve seen this destroy lives, and the disorder usually started in early adolescence or even childhood, often after a person has experienced isolating factors such as bullying or lack of access to other activities with peers. I believe it is extremely important to have regulations and warnings galore around anything which starts to destroy lives, especially those of children and youth, as they do not know what they’re getting themselves into. Just like we put warning labels on cigarette packages and liquor bottles and age limits on purchase and use, all video games which are shown to cause addictive behaviors and substantial losses of important aspects of persons lives should be labeled and highly regulated, too! Thanks for your work!

[@omarmafia234]

I love your work! Thank you so much!

[@Prodigy0909]

So thing is I started playing a mmorpg (dragon raja) 6 months ago...and lemme tell u I am always curious about how game is designed coz I wanna be a game designer too....but something about this game kept me from looking it by the developers point of view ...but after I quit ( coz I realised I was wasting too much time ) my dopamine supply got stopped and I had too much time to think about it ....and now I know the thing that keep me hooked was each upcoming update where each new timely event or a gameplay mode was added whether it was for free to play players or play to win players....all modes/events that were added made sure that the competition is increased and each player gets his category where he/she can do better than others just to make sure that it gives a feeling of achievement and make them hooked to do the same thing again and Again and again

[@JasonSmith-dd2ms]

I have a theory there may be another way games are hooking people. When you said "streaks" I thought you were gonna describe how games either hamper or boost a player's performance to keep them playing. One day you're a god, next you're a rat, making you want to play more to get that god feeling. Might just be me, but my success charts up and down so drastically, even when accounting for things like bad team balancing or network connectivity. I'm thinking this could be done with recoil or aim assist in FPS games. I know for a fact that the recoil values in my guns on BF 5 vary dramatically week to week. And I've played hundreds of hundreds of hours. Def long enough to notice. Anyway, sad. I'm an adult so I'm aware of this stuff, but most kids aren't.

[@mayarmshmsha957]

Can we use this technique in studying, exercise or working?!

[@mahmoodalmahmood7014]

Your eyes look healthier than last video you were present in it. Keep going 👍

[@GameQuitters]

Haha thanks!

[@ironman41_58]

Crazy, I did not even know about this stuff before, good thing i know about it know.

[@heavenly5545]

Yes, if 2 years later any of you were wondering, the game basically uses the same IRL tactics: Stress out? Play for pleasure but wait plot twist, losing will cause stress therefore you play more to cope 🚶🏻‍♂️💀

[@ardihajrizaj]

Dont forget its not only video games but life it self in a world we live, u have to work on a job 8 hours for 100bucks !

[@dianet1659]

I agree they are designed to trap a player. I quit a game yesterday because I recognize my tendency. I was addicted to candy crush 2 times. I joined a game that is advertised heavily. I joined a group, quickly rose to the top as I grew this town. I spent money and the more levels I gained the more I needed to enlarge the barn. They added more and more different games within the game. I exited telling the team I did not want to develop a metropolis. Addictive true!

[@krishnaa.p7200]

Is it just me or the guy at 1:02 looks like the guy talking ?

[@jsohi0082]

There's nearly no doubt that video games, with its access to the digital realm, can leverage user data to customize the experience for maximum user engagement. Users don't have as much access; most play closed-source games so can't disable exploitative AI, and they probably don't have access to the terabytes of data in video game servers either. So, the one with more information (video game) is more responsible for the addiction than the user. We often believe that we can make choices, but if you're conditioned to make one particular choice to gain a reward or to avoid punishment, how would you be able to justify your free will? If you're in a relationship where the other has more power than you, you don't have as much 'free will' as the other. What matters, ultimately, is how the relationship itself works. When the video game industry can push so many of your buttons, the industry can also actually change and be a concerned developer. If the industry keeps on trying to make money now, people will speak out, and once they do, nearly every exploitative game will crash and burn. But in retaliation, just like the cigarette/gambling industries, exploitative games will be allowed to exist, probably just with a warning label on them. So what will finally stop video game exploitation is community commitment and accessible education for users to be more responsible gamers/consumers. So make your voice heard, and for every one person that ignores you, one will listen, and that'll be enough.

[@GameQuitters]

100%

[@fil_c7895]

I used to play Daily and couldnt really leave the games for no fucking reason. Now I only pkay from time to time, sold my Xbox and gaming PC to get a good laptop and save up Money for college.

[@dickvdberg]

I'm finding out that google and other advertising companies are "abusing" gaming addiction by keeping throwing game-advertising and video's to me. It's lucrative for them to keep me pulling back to gaming.

[@maxfrischdev]

Thank you

[@GameQuitters]

heya

[@Prodigy0909]

Oh a suggestion for u : keep ur camera a little closer and do emphasis on major words while speaking (helps audience to focus and gain maximum benefit ) not all ppl have same attention span u know :'(

[@passionatepiano8107]

Maybe I can play but only games with pause buttons. I hate putting my life on hold for this crap

[@GameQuitters]

let me know how it goes

[@orhoushmand85]

For me games should be addictive because I am very quick to be flooded with obsessions and annoying thoughts especially when I am bored. The more addictive the game is the more efficient it is to get me out of my annoying thoughts.

[@seansullivan6176]

You need to be veer strong willed to not get addicted to games/social media in mordern day I know me saying this in a KZbin comment is ironic but I don’t care.

[@marthabrits7582]

Heya, I just wanted to personally thank you for your video. I was trying to explain to my ten year old about why gaming needs to be limited. After watching your video he has now understands how these games can effect any of us if it is not controlled. You have also convinced me to delete some of my phone games.

[@GameQuitters]

Glad it was helpful

[@kxngcarti]

Is it worth it to buy in the game?

[@GameQuitters]

wut

[@heavenly5545]

@@GameQuitters why does this translate to fury 🚶🏻‍♂️💀🤣

[@mozzieconman]

nice

[@mannysamson4091]

I’ve spent over $800.00 on gaming somehow

[@GameQuitters]

💀 rip

[@DanielSilva-hl9qm]

For me competitive games or mmorpg games are addictive. We spend money or time.

[@GameQuitters]

me too - we did a video on singleplayer vs multiplayer if you haven't seen it. Also, hello! kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2PCk6JqbdGZiJY

[@joshuah3691]

I cant quit

[@mochamommyATX]

You can. It is only a matter of time

[@TheRUSTchronicles]

I feel you josh i am in the same boat.

[@GameQuitters]

follow the advice on the site and you can :) gamequitters.com

[@supersquare]

You can do it!! It took me almost 2 years of serious failure before I finally quit games for good. Just keep trying and you'll get there

[@d.m.3552]

but you can sell your pc

[@kufudokungfu]

I find mobile games Boring incant do mmos any more Fighting games stf 6i can only handle short bursts because of salt

[@takoyaki-gq1qj]

Not all video game. example most of car game isnt addictive

[@takoyaki-gq1qj]

@SeekerOfTruth how need for speed is addictive. when you done story and unlock all car, you lost thing to do

[@wrathgaming9894]

Let me know if i can join ur company 😇🤞

[@GameQuitters]

hope to have new openings soon :)

[@hughie2k]

Me: *looks at title* - ah, an interesting topic to watch a video about Me: *sees name of channel* ah, a boomer rant

[@HyBlock]

You sound bored out of your mind

[@kiddhkane]

Why show your face?

[@MrWnw]

*Life:* trades endeavour and pain for pleasure *Games:* give you pleasure for free

[@d.m.3552]

nothing is for free!

[@syahmspire2427]

you pay with time

[@MrWnw]

@@syahmspire2427 you pay time in both scenarios, so you can cancel it out

[@islambasiony4388]

i am not addicted to video games i just feel more alive in its world than real life (oh wait that is an addiction)

[@GameQuitters]

:D