Most games are (or used to be) designed as quick yet satisfying forms of amusement, taking a minimal chunk of time for the sake of entertaining individuals in moments of high stress, agitation or exhaustion. Most folks play video games to simply have fun, though every now and then we'll see games that have a sort of addicting quality, almost like it's some form of pixelated crack. But what makes a video game addicting? Is it the general flow of events, or repetitive grinding methods that seem to make one feel "stronger" with each lasting step?
Some titles are more addicting than others, most being MMO games like World of Warcraft or Everquest. Regardless of exact circumstances, lengthy RPG's are usually among the most addicting genres out there, many times because of different tasks players are assigned, or the long grinds endured in between. Other unique titles may even pull you in with more personal attachments, whether it be cute and ferocious creatures in games like Pokemon, or a diverse cast of interesting characters from titles like Final Fantasy or Persona. Even FPS titles have excelled at keeping players hooked, with rewards systems and achievements outside of the already mad quest for improvement of a player's general accuracy and response time. When it's all said and done, time spent in these specific worlds will really make us feel as if it's a highly important part of life in itself, a routine that just can't be pushed aside for something else.
This is all good and fine when played in (still hearty) chunks, but how long can one stay hooked until a single game becomes an actual problem? Sometimes a game can completely stop feeling like an activity altogether, and more like some kind of repetitive chore you're just subconsciously inclined to take part in each day. From personal experience, there were times when other games got chopped off my backlog, all for the sake of absorbing myself deeper and deeper into other titles that shall remain unnamed. Now I'm not implying that any game played over a certain amount of hours is horribly addicting in a deconstructive way, but I'm sure most seasoned gamers probably have an idea of this breaking point I'm referring to -- the moment where like a long, drawn out relationship that lost its magic some years back, just doesn't feel as exciting and fresh anymore. Some gamers will simply get bored and know when to move on, while others remain almost trapped to the point where they have to consider full fledged game and account deletion.
On a more positive note, the advancements we've seen in the complexity of games has really paved the way for many heavily involved titles to feel brand new every time we play them, offering wonderful new experiences or modes with every path we follow. Some addicting games have even reached folks who probably never even thought they'd be so involved with a video game, let alone play one for more than an hour (We're looking at you, Peggle). Who knows, we may someday see a game that keeps practically everyone hooked for decade after decade, never getting old and always evolving in order to incorporate new players every day, while also keeping veterans hooked as if it were brand new.
-Seandood