Oh, lol, I wasnt' aware. I just assumed they updated it. Do they plan on releasing another version or something? I'm sure they've made some breakthrough in the last 14 years, haha.
DSM-V is scheduled to be released in 2012. They do simple text and organization revisions as needed, but major revisions happen around every two decades. I wouldn't classify a video game itself as an addiction. Usually, when one has an unhealthy obsession with video games, they are used as an outlet for underlying problems.
I'm not trying to ruffle anyone's feathers here. I am a gamer myself, though lately I don't have much time for games as I am working three jobs and also trying to write. I've also been a heroin addict before and known people who were, and been around addicts of one type or another. A non-drug-related addiction such as gambling (which is after all gaming, just not VIDEO gaming) is still considered an addiction, and the addict is considered ill. A schizophrenic may be perfectly healthy to all appearances and even to a medical checkup--but he's still sick. You just can't see his illness. I know lots of people who love video games, just as I do, and who spend lots of time gaming. However, there's a huge difference between a guy who will interrupt his game so that he can sit down and eat dinner with his family--even though he might be thinking about the game the whole time--and a guy who will miss the birth of his child because he's about to level up. (And yes, it does happen!) The guy in the OP is obviously obsessed with WoW. Your point that none of us knows him personally is a valid one, but from the evidence presented, it kinda seems like he has a problem. If it was a drug that he was spending so much money on, or shoes, or racetrack betting, people would AT THE VERY LEAST be condemning him for wasting his time and money, whether he could afford it or not. xoxoxo
I agree, it think it's likely for him to have a problem. I hope he doesn't and he's just a quasi-rich guy having a lot of fun. I'm sure they are , but I don't like the idea of people condemning for wasting his time and money. It's his time and money. If I wanted to spend 7000$ on shoes, nobody better condemn me for it. (Unless it is a psychological problem)
Spending $7000 on shoes might give the economy a boost. I say go for it. Whether or not something is a problem is not determined by the amount of time of money someone invests into it, but by the impact that it has on his/her life. If the fantasy world of gaming is keeping you from face to face interaction with friends and family, it is a problem. If the games take more priority than your job, and you are facing disciplinary actions or termination, but can't stop playing, that's a problem. If you can't stop playing long enough to eat, drink, or sleep, that's a problem.
I own 1 WoW account, and I play probly about a maximum of 2 hours a day, so not bad. I actually take 5 month breaks every now and then. It's a fun game, but damn is it addicting. I knew a guy that played almost 40 hours a week, he had a part time job and wow and that's it. I couldn't do that, I have school, work, friends. I have a life besides WoW
The berserk gamer is ignoring his studies,verily ignoring,apparently too indolent.The gamer is under duress to spend his money on games,too unfeasible.Wouldn't this gamer spend the money on studies?Well,probably the gamer's family is affluent. If that addictive gamer hankers for this,let it be.I abhor playing online games,be it cliche or novel.Well,when did I quit playing games?On this year.Precisely and candidly,I quit as I do not know why,I do not know why I behave the way I am?But it is laudable to relinquish playing games,I now spend my whole day reading and assimilating the enigma of doubts.
Where is everyone getting the $7000 a month from Anyway, people spend more money and probably just as much time with other hobbies without being labelled as "sick", as the guy tries to say in the article. I would call him "sad" by my standards, as im sure most people would. Maybe he is "sick" if people want to put a label on it, but who can really say that simply based on the fact that he likes WoW and his family is willing to spend too much money buying him computers...
I played Lord of the Rings Online for a few months, mainly because I loved Lord of the Rings as a kid, and I was amazed at how much time people are willing to put into MMORPG's. Some guys who you would see logged in during the morning would still be there late at night (15 hours later) without taking a break, eating at their keyboard, and that's no joke. They were doing this day after day, and some of them even had kids. As far as I'm concerned, there's a form of exploitation at work. These people hungered for the in-game kudos (armour, ranks, titles etc) because they got respect and esteem in-game for them that they seemed to lack in real-life. The game developers would turn their game into a repetitive time-sink (grinding and raiding) to keep these needy individuals hooked for longer and longer, paying subs all the while.