When the amateur designer embedded his own version of Bejeweled, not so cleverly called Besharded, into the World of Warcraft, he created a digital disturbance in the force. A self-prescribed WoW junkie, Fromwiller claimed, “The addictive game was often boring,” so he designed a mini-game to be played during Warcraft. Welcome to the age of video games within video games.
Bejeweled was launched as a puzzle game in 2001 and, 200 million downloads later, has spread into our pockets on the iPhone. Known as a “match three game,” a single player earns points by forming horizontal or vertical chains of identical gems. What did PopCap Games do when they heard Fromwiller had illegally cloned their game? They gave him a job. Apparently someone’s gems were in a line.
Enter World of Warcraft—the most popular video game in any world. With over 10 million subscribers paying $15 a month, the WoW community now ranks in the top 90 most populated countries on Earth. Of course this universe is a MMORPG, massively multiplayer online role-playing game, where everyday citizens form alliances, battle and live vicariously through their own troll, gnome or blood elf.
It’s also extremely addictive. Just ask Dr. Maressa Orzack, the clinical psychologist who estimates that 40% of players show addictive behavior. The onset of game addiction for teenagers has even led to several suicides in connection with World of Warcraft, prompting China to enact a 3-hour limit for online gameplay.
Internet addiction is a relatively new and controversial phenomenon. Dr. Kimberly Young has been the leading lobbyist for its official recognition as a disorder and created an online test to measure one’s dependence. In the coming years, our generation will continually realize that, like almost anything, our online habits have behavioral side effects if not moderated.
Am I raging against the video game machine? No. I’ve stood in line for the new console with the best of them outside Wal-Mart at 4 a.m. I was born whistling the Mario Kart theme song. Still, I have concerns about my own compulsive email checking, my Pavlov’s dog reaction to hearing my phone vibrate, and the lame disappointment that comes with seeing no friend requests on Facebook. A healthier balance is needed.
When the first Internet addiction clinic opened in Beijing in 2005, 20 patients were admitted with malnutrition, depression and sleeplessness. Their first treatment? Each was given rooms of large windows of sunlight, a vase of flowers, and a bright Winnie the Pooh bed comforter. Sounds like the dream room of all gnome players in the World of Warcraft. Perhaps this will motivate the next Michael Fromwiller to create a mini-game within Warcraft called “Breathe.” The object? Open your front door and walk out…
Tyler Jones is a staff writer for TC magazine.
