21/1 DMF Why Video games are addictive

As a person who has played video games for many years I had never thought of the act of playing as an addiction or even an disorder, but from articles that I have researched and read this could possibly be the case. Sure the disorder isn't as hazardous as gambling, drugs or alcohol, but there have been some pretty extreme and serious cases of "Internet Gaming Disorder" and even "Video Game Addiction".

Here are links to online articles I read to understand the addiction with video games:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/media-spotlight/201308/are-video-games-addictive
http://www.video-game-addiction.org/what-makes-games-addictive.html
http://www.techaddiction.ca/why_are_video_games_addictive.html

What seems to be an increasingly more dangerous addiction is internet gaming. The cause is that games now can undergo updates and never come to an inevitable end. The first article bullet points a brief list of associated behaviours that people suffer from that indicate potential signs of the addiction. I fall under some of the behaviours named and could have potentially been a video game addict when I was younger. All articles suggest that this kind of addiction is experienced by young boys.

Studies mentioned in the articles suggest that this behaviour does not simply pass away. It sticks with the person exhibiting it and becomes more dire as the person ages. I cannot remember what exactly made me stopping playing games less, it may have very well been my interest into film or my studies, but I came of a point where I acknowledged that I couldn't play games like I used to.

The 2nd article bullet points a list with brief descriptions about the attachment felt by gamers to game. I agree with the attachment felt by gamers but if these sense of attachments were to be transferred into the film, the feeling would result in a film that is as addictive as game. The limitations of a game have been released with the inclusion of online, but how can the inclusion of online interaction be included in a film project?

Change of thought

A notion just came to my a head, if the approach to a film was to be of that, which takes onboard the time-image proposed by Deleuze. A film without end could be achieved. It would have to be a film that loses it beginning and end, maybe even repeat till the meaning is lost due to simulations. This could then invoke the theory of the hyperreal that Baudrilliard explored and produce a film with no end.

As this maybe too difficult for this project it will only be a thought, but the main aim of this module to create a product that utilises transmedia.

Not to overwhelm myself if the film can contain these elements: A High score to beat, a main objective to beat, allow gamers to customise the characters and a world to discover. This would be a great place to start for the perfect recipe to an interesting and addictive film.