Parents Sue Gaming Companies Over ‘Video Game Addiction’, Because That’s Easier Than Parenting::Video game addiction. Sigh. Big sigh, even. Like, the biggest of sighs. We’ve talked about claims that video game addiction is a documentable affliction in the past, as well as the pushback that claim has received from addiction experts, who have pointed out that much of this is being done to allow doctors to get…
Okay I understand that kneejerk “Be a good parent” reaction. But IMO that ship has sailed. And the more we tell parents to “be good parents” the more they think that means attending the local book burning.
Also, no sympathy to game publishers that make their games into dopamine casinos. Back in the good old days, video games (like all other media) was an art form, and the profits came from being a good work of art. Now it’s a fucking nightmare capitalist cash cow milking machine (like all other media).
Remember arcades? I love video games, but there’s always been a scummy element pumping out games designed to make cash foremost alongside the actual works of art. There are also still plenty (mostly indie now) of developers making games for the sake of gaming, but the schlock peddlers have gotten very good at their jobs, too.
To be completely fair, in the old days most arcade cabinets were made specifically to “steal” all the quarters you had in your pockets. Still, I’d prefer to play the most difficult\unplayable arcade game instead of any shitty modern mobile game.
Honestly, some people I know are just fish in a barrel compared to some of these mobile game ads. I used to think it was a character flaw, and for most it is. For them I don’t have much sympathy. For a small few, those dopamine casinos are irresistible. It’s a compulsion to play, just like a gambling addiction. These are “The Whales” mobile game companies talk about. They’re the fish in a barrel.