We have to be very careful with terms, because a game that’s very immersive is Tetris, but there’s no sense that you’re IN the experience.

Aside from illustrating how varied and elusive definitions of immersion can be, the article highlights the role of the personality of the user. This is a significant issue for education in virtual worlds. If we base benefits on some notion of how immersive the environment is, then what does this mean for students whose personalities limit their sense of immersion in digital 3D worlds?

(This post somewhat painfully prepared on a mobile phone)

In his spare time Dr. Kourosh Dini composes digital music and performs in Second Life via his avatar Kourosh Eusebio. In his day-job, he is a psychiatrist with a keen interest in computer games and computer gamers. His new book Video Game Play and Addiction reviews the effects of video game play. It has balanced coverage – with a lot of detail on the potential benefits of game play, and a correspondingly detailed review of problem gaming:

“Games have lots of benefits, which unfortunately, parents aren’t always aware of when the only games they’re exposed to are the controversial violent ones targeted to more mature players,” says Dr. Dini. “Age appropriate multi-player video games can allow children to learn how other people think – a key aspect of empathy. Games can also help a child become more comfortable with new and ever progressing technology.”

…… Nonetheless, ‘problematic’ game play is covered here in great detail as Dr. Dini provides a comprehensive review of the warning signs, causes and consequences of such behavior. “To be sure, there are those who play problematically. Learning how to tell the difference can be critical toward promoting healthy development.”

Now reports just in (from f13.net forums, via Raph Koster’s blog) of recruiters being told to AVOID applicants that mention WoW on their CV’s:

…employers specifically instruct him not to send them World of Warcraft players. He said there is a belief that WoW players cannot give 100% because their focus is elsewhere, their sleeping patterns are often not great, etc. …  He has been specifically asked to avoid WoW players.

Sensible enough, and hardly controversial.

What got me though was the story related in one of the story’s comments:

I’m having that problem with my nephew. He’s 6 years old and tops the charts in Call Of Duty 4. His little hand is stretching across the keyboard to precisely pull off moves. The problem is that’s all the thinks about now. He hasn’t been going to sleep lately.

I don’t know where to begin.

Skewed coverage of academic report in the Dire Mail (sorry, Daily Mail) : Computer game addicts warned they could start behaving like autism sufferers. Of course the report warns no such thing, as discussed here at Spong: Daily Mail muddles cause and effect .

According to Spong, the original paper basically imagines a line ranging from ‘autistic’ to ‘not autistic’, and notes that game players (along with the likes of engineers!) are found closer to the autistic end of the line than non-gamers.

You can get the report here: Safer Children in a Digital World: the report of the Byron Review

The report has been fairly well received by the media and the industry overall – if not welcomed in its entirety. What I found most interesting though was that the review comes not just in two the usual summary and full report versions, but a third version for children to read themselves is also available.

I also finally got round to logging in to WoW – which I’ve avoided before as I know I don’t have the time to play it and because I know that I sometimes have difficulty controlling my own use of games once I get started – RPGs in particular, let alone MMO ones. One weekend later, and I’ve successfully proven to myself that I daren’t subscribe. I don’t want to turn into Cartman in that episode of Southpark.

I haven’t seen addiction to Second Life as a problem with my own small number of students. owever, I have known of cases where students developed problems because of the mount of hours spent playing MMO games. I’ve also chatted to people who claim to spend around 12 hours a day in Second Life (and not for real-life work either).

In respect of MMOs, I’ve had at least one student who failed his course and lost contact with all his real-life friends through an inability to self-regulate the hours spent in Eve Online. He neither came to classes nor socialised with any of his friends or room-mates. Instead he spent all day, every day, playing Eve Online.

At the same time, Eve is an incredible social space… there is no doubt he was engaged with other people and socialising. You might even be able to argue that he was learning stuff too – although clearly not what he had enrolled in university to learn. However he was also isolating himself in the real world and putting his future well-being and health at risk. Am I wrong to think that he had a problem gaming habit?

Do people think that similar problems are not possible with SL? Re the phone analogy (someone had posted a question on whether we would consider someone to be addicted to the phone if they spent a long time using it). If someone spent so long on the phone that they were unable to hold a job or maintain a significant in-person relationship then I would think they have a problem.

June 2007 PC Gamer (UK edition, Issue 175) has an extended feature on problem gaming, well worth a read. Given that one of the leading games magazines can conclude that “Denying the existence of, or ignoring the consequences of gaming addiction can only harm those who suffer”, I don’t think we should deny the possibility of similar problems with SL. It doesn’t mean that problems are common, likely or typical… but for some they do exist.