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Reconciling Game Addiction with Christian Gaming – BKewl

BKewl

Member

Posts: 144
From: St. Charles, MO, USA
Registered: 07-10-2002
Hello everyone,

I agree with everything this site stands for and is about, and I'm really looking forward to seeing a *quality* Christian gaming movement emerge that leads the gaming industry and doesn't settle for being a simple Christian (low quality) "alternative" to mainstream secular titles.

Recently, though, I've been struggling with a gaming addiction and my eyes have been opened to this vital issue that we, as creators of games, need to address. Namely, what kind of stance do we take regarding it? The issue: good games often suck much time from the lives of players, even to the point where the players neglect responsibilities in their real lives because they devote so much time to the game. In the "secular" gaming world, this kind of problem is accepted, even applauded. People play their lives away to master a character, be the best player out there, or whatever. What is our response to this problem?

At this point, I can only give you this question. I myself am trying to reconcile this issue with being a creator of Christian games. Please give me your thoughts on this potentially dangerous area of gaming.

-BKewl

Mack

Administrator

Posts: 2779
From:
Registered: 01-20-2001
Is there really anything you can do? You can't control the player, the only real thing you can do is encourage breaks. At loading times maybe have a message doing so, or after so many clocked hours, a little message would pop-up saying "you've been playing for X amount of hours, it's recommened to take a break".

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http://www.twoguyssoftware.com

BKewl

Member

Posts: 144
From: St. Charles, MO, USA
Registered: 07-10-2002
This is true Mack. It's unfortunate, though, because in trying to build brothers and sisters up through our games, we could inadvertantly be a huge stumbling block. Am I the only one who feels a greater need for some sort of support in this area? It just seems that games too easily consume people in an unhealthy way.
CobraA1

Member

Posts: 926
From: MN
Registered: 02-19-2001
That's a tough topic, especially for a Christian game programmer. I guess you make sure the player can save the game at any time, or at least be able to save often. I'm not too fond of RPGs that have save game points; it forces you to play the game to at least a certain point or risk losing a lot of stuff that took time to get.

It's ultimately up to the player how much time he spends playing, but I suppose posting a message every so often in a long game might help.

Making the game shorter, but replayable might help.

Yes, this is a topic that we have to face. Games do take time; time that could easily be misused. Other than ensure the player can take a break or save and quit at any time, I'm not sure much can be done. The player has to make sure the time isn't wasted.

nfektious
Member

Posts: 408
From:
Registered: 10-25-2002
...

[This message has been edited by Nfektious (edited November 26, 2002).]

BKewl

Member

Posts: 144
From: St. Charles, MO, USA
Registered: 07-10-2002
Is this a big enough issue that there would be interest out there in this community for forming some sort of group for responsible gaming? We could encourage developers to have a little warning message that reminds people to play responsibly, etc. A website could discuss the dangers of game addiction, and a forum/e-mail list for support and to get help from.
D-SIPL

Moderator

Posts: 1345
From: Maesteg, Wales
Registered: 07-21-2001
quote:
website could discuss the dangers of game addiction, and a forum/e-mail list for support and to get help from.

I think a webpage would be good idea. Although i can't really relate to game addiction problem, yeh i've played games for hours at a time, but i was never addicted. In fact i haven't played a computer game for at least 4 months. I just don't find them appealing anymore.

--D-SIPL

graceworks
Member

Posts: 455
From: Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Registered: 03-03-2001
Okay, I'll be the odd ball this time!

I pray that we have some compelling Christian titles that are causing the problem that BKewl is describing! Amen?

Then we could deal with it ... or rather be forced to deal with it. Perhaps that would be a good poll for Krylar. How many players are currently addicted to secular games? That could be a good indicator for Christian titles.

Confession time - I am addicted to multiplayer Renegade! The last Christian title I put a lot of time into was Ominous Horizons, beat it and actually made it halfway through again.

Are there other addicts out there?

BKewl - I was raised around Jeff City, went to Rolla for college.

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Called by God. The passioned plea of a father. The journey awaits at Jarod Journey's.

D-SIPL

Moderator

Posts: 1345
From: Maesteg, Wales
Registered: 07-21-2001
quote:
Are there other addicts out there?

Lol, not me!!

--D-SIPL

InsanePoet

Member

Posts: 638
From: Vermont, USA
Registered: 03-12-2003
quote:
Originally posted by BKewl:
I agree with everything this site stands for and is about, and I'm really looking forward to seeing a *quality* Christian gaming movement emerge that leads the gaming industry and doesn't settle for being a simple Christian (low quality) "alternative" to mainstream secular titles.
[/B]

I agree and that is one of my goals that I attend to accomplish im my games.

Games are like wine. In moderation they are good, but to excess they are VERY dangerous. If you drink too much wine, you'll get drunk.

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Victory Infinitum

Mack

Administrator

Posts: 2779
From:
Registered: 01-20-2001
quote:
Originally posted by InsanePoet:
Games are like wine. In moderation they are good, but to excess they are VERY dangerous. If you drink too much wine, you'll get drunk.

Good saying! I guess it's sorta like the basis "even too much of a good thing can be bad for someone?"

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http://www.twoguyssoftware.com

InsanePoet

Member

Posts: 638
From: Vermont, USA
Registered: 03-12-2003
When you find honey, eat only a little, eat too much and you will vomit

Have a LITTLE wine for your stomach's sake

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Victory Infinitum

paulo

Junior Member

Posts: 7
From: charlotte, nc,usa
Registered: 08-04-2002
Yes, Christian gaming should uphold Christian ideas. Spending hours of mindless computer time is not Good, therfore, our games must allow the user to open new doors for their lives. Note just gaming, but life changing. I beleive the God we serve has great new ideas for the PC, only if we (the builders) will let Him tell us what to do. Don't follow SAGA, follow Jesus for new ideas.
lostreflections

Member

Posts: 131
From:
Registered: 05-29-2002
Hmm... This is something I never really considered. I have always been against any games with violence and always strived to do "Family Friendly" games, but I never considered that regardless of the game content, there is still the potential for addiction problems. I can remember as a kid, getting Raiders of the Lost Ark for the 2600 for Christmas. I literally played that game every waking moment for a couple of months. So even "simple style" (by today's standards) games are not exempt.

I am not sure if any more games lie in my future, but this is definitely something I will take into account if I do any more games...

As a parent/retired programmer, I would approach it this way... I would make it an optional "parental control" that could be turned on or off by the parents. But I would allow the parents to set a time limit on how many hours per day that the game could be played. When that limit is reached, it would automatically save the game in progress, inform the player (with a custom message set by the parents), and then exit and would not start until the next day. I would also allow the parents to set the hours of the day that the game could be played (like 6pm-8pm) so that the kid could not play the game when s/he was supposed to be doing homework, or sleeping, etc. It would be pretty simple to make this secure enough so the kids could not bypass it.

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Regards,

Brice

Lost Reflections -- When your life comes crumbling down around you, can you count on the one person who has never been there for you? Lost Reflections is a heart warming story of personal redemption and second chances.

MaxX

Member

Posts: 77
From: New Jersey, USA
Registered: 07-30-2002
I think a message telling you to take a break would only serve to irritate the player. If he has a problem with addiction, that's his problem, not yours. Even praying/reading the bible in all day and all night isn't good. And some people do that (exempting the ones that have been called to do that), but the Bible doesn't say every 20 chapters, "You've read enough now, go do some work!" But it does say to avoid anything in excess.

I admit I do have a problem with game addiction. But hopefully God will help me overcome it.

I am currently addicted to Half-Life and an older FPS series called Marathon.

If you think about it, playing too much is mocking people around theworld who are starving and have no homes. Those people would love to be working hard while you are spending your free time playing stupid games!

InsanePoet

Member

Posts: 638
From: Vermont, USA
Registered: 03-12-2003
"Family Friendly", interesting...

It seems to me that "Family Friendly" is nothing special. Does not the world make non-violent and family friendly games. I beleive that a Christian games should proclaim the necessity of Christ as Lord and savoir.
The world beleives in non-violent games, but only a Christian beleives that Jesus is Lord and Savoir.

reducing the quality of our games in order to make them less addicting is a bad idea.
If a kid has a problem with game addiction it is his parents' problem to get his butt on the machine, not the designers problem that he made is game too fun.

The Christian gaming industry isn't going to get anywhere if we make our games "alternative" and ultimatly lesser.

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Victory Infinitum

InsanePoet

Member

Posts: 638
From: Vermont, USA
Registered: 03-12-2003
Here's what I did to kill my games addiction.

I sold all my games, every one.

I went cold turkey for about 4 months.
If you think you can handle it, then buy a new game.
This worked for me, I can't say the same for you.

And remember, don't buy too many games. addiction is a lot easier to handle if you only own 2 or 3 games.

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Victory Infinitum

homer

Member

Posts: 106
From: sydney,nsw,australia
Registered: 07-22-2002
dude i played gta from start to finish in like 4 days non stop....its bad for you lol

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HoMaH :P

lostreflections

Member

Posts: 131
From:
Registered: 05-29-2002
quote:
Originally posted by InsanePoet:
"Family Friendly", interesting...

It seems to me that "Family Friendly" is nothing special. Does not the world make non-violent and family friendly games. I beleive that a Christian games should proclaim the necessity of Christ as Lord and savoir.
The world beleives in non-violent games, but only a Christian beleives that Jesus is Lord and Savoir.



I am not a Christian, so I will always stick with "Family Friendly" games. Last I checked (cruised the PC game isle today) the world really doesn't believe in non-violent games. Most games are riddled with unnecessary violence and lewdness. A non-violent game is a rarity. Sadly, even Christian games are often filled with violence

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Regards,

Brice

Lost Reflections -- When your life comes crumbling down around you, can you count on the one person who has never been there for you? Lost Reflections is a heart warming story of personal redemption and second chances.

InsanePoet

Member

Posts: 638
From: Vermont, USA
Registered: 03-12-2003
Not a Christian... too bad for you.

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Victory Infinitum

lostreflections

Member

Posts: 131
From:
Registered: 05-29-2002
I will never lose any sleep over it

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Regards,

Brice

Lost Reflections -- When your life comes crumbling down around you, can you count on the one person who has never been there for you? Lost Reflections is a heart warming story of personal redemption and second chances.

InsanePoet

Member

Posts: 638
From: Vermont, USA
Registered: 03-12-2003
Well if your sure about it. You better be right, mistakes are very dangerous.

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Victory Infinitum

CobraA1

Member

Posts: 926
From: MN
Registered: 02-19-2001
Actually, a few "family-friendly" games are out on the secular market, and were (and are) surprisingly popular!

-Maxis seems to specialize in non-violent games. Sim City, etc. (although "The Sims" probably has some moral issues)

-Myst and Riven are popular puzzle games, although magical elements are common.

-Sports games (basketball, baseball, racing, etc.) are popular for consoles (I don't know about PCs).

-I've played an old game called "Transport Tycoon." Although it didn't become too popular, it's fun to put together train networks and try to keep them working. At least I think so.

Anyways, family friendly, non-violent games do exist (and are even popular). Sports and simulation seem to be the most popular non-violent games.

You'll still want to be aware that even non-violent games may have issues. Some have moral and/or magical issues, it seems.

lostreflections

Member

Posts: 131
From:
Registered: 05-29-2002
quote:
Originally posted by CobraA1:
Actually, a few "family-friendly"

Key word being "few". I think the last PC game we bought was either Safari Kongo or Disney's Atlantis the lost empire. Both great games, by the way.

I was lucky to be employed by a company who mostly turned out family-friendly games.

Without a ddoubt the family-friendly games can be popular, just look at Croc. Still one of my fave PC games of all time.

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Regards,

Brice

Lost Reflections -- When your life comes crumbling down around you, can you count on the one person who has never been there for you? Lost Reflections is a heart warming story of personal redemption and second chances.

CobraA1

Member

Posts: 926
From: MN
Registered: 02-19-2001
quote:
Originally posted by lostreflections:
Key word being "few".

Unfortunate, but true.

Ascent
Member

Posts: 64
From:
Registered: 01-20-2001
There's an interesting article on slashdot about game addictions, written from a secular perspective.... actually, there's a link to an article, and several hundred comments from people.

I've recently wiped out all my games and am trying to decide if I should break em all, sell them back to EBX or whatever...

Anyway, I found the comments more interesting than the article, and thought people here may want to read them. The article isn't so much of an expose' on gaming addictions as much as... well, here's my summary of the article:

<summary>
I knew someone that I never saw who I saw and found out he was addicted to a game. My fiancee' was playing a lot of games, so I decided to see what the big deal was with MMORPG's and I tried one, and I love it, and after playing it a year, yes, maybe I'm addicted, but hey, it's better than being addicted to crack or alcohol.
</summary>

Anyway, I'd recommend reading the comments instead of the article, because it's a really long article and I just saved you 30 minutes

The link to the /. postings is:
http://slashdot.org/articles/02/12/08/2023204.shtml?tid=127

-Ascent

Mack

Administrator

Posts: 2779
From:
Registered: 01-20-2001
Hey ascent, if you want you can send some of those games my way, e-mail me with the list that you have.

quote:
maybe I'm addicted, but hey, it's better than being addicted to crack or alcohol.

A common saying. I think this is funny, because any addiction ultimately leads up to some sort of demise for yourself, no matter what it is.

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It's not seeing is believing, it's believing and then seeing.
http://www.twoguyssoftware.ca