Some thoughts about online role-playing games (and players). Identity and addiction.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33898/rdp.v19i73.796Keywords:
Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, MMORPG, addiction, identity, motivation, Internet Addiction Disorder, IADAbstract
The number of online role-playing users, especially those engaging in the so-called Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG) increases from year to year. The scientific literature has not yet overseen all the factors and varieties related to this phenomenon. In the present article the main characteristics of this type of games are described, as well as some questions related to the identity of these gamers and to possible phenomena of addiction. There are different motivations for the users to engage in this type of games, one of them being the possibility to represent themselves with a new identity in a virtual environment. The possibility of developing addictive behavior is low, but it is not necessary to suffer from a previous mental or personality disorder in order to become addicted. The degree of the individual’s vulnerability is crucial, and the addiction can appear especially in those players who are neither aware of the time they spend engaged nor of the consequences of their behavior.
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