Game Addiction

I’ve been following the escapades (you’ll see the pun momentarily) of ExtraCreditz for some time now. They’ve been posting hugely informative videos about all kinds of aspects of gaming that aren’t often coveredby mainstream gaming media.

Unfortunately, The Escapist decided they’d screw them over after Alison, their animator injured her shoulder.

There was a fundraiser to help cover her surgery as the insurance company – something that terrifies me about the USA – said they wouldn’t pay because it was a ‘pre-existing condition’. The response from the public was overwhelming.

After they got the money, The Escapist felt entitled to 75% of the funds raised to cover Alison’s surgery. So they packed up and moved to Youtube.

And now, the meat of the matter, as it were.

Game addiction is a phenomenon that is not very well-understood at all and has been in the news occasionally as yet another teenager in South Korea collapses after playing Starcraft II for 72 hours straight. Yet, the hype and hyperbole mask the real issues beneath it.

In this three-part series, Daniel and James dig through the issues underlying the monster and James shares his own experiences during his teen years.

Very much worth watching.