Video game addiction

What makes video games addictive? Is it the graphics? The narrative? The gameplay? The competitive nature? Or is it… everything? Video game addiction is no joke, and can seriously affect a person’s mental and physical wellbeing.

One of the best ways to combat game addiction is to understand what elements lead to it and which kinds of games are particularly addictive.

Our recent podcast guest, a veteran game designer and well-known game educator, touched up on addiction and predatory games in our conversation.

Five game insights we think will pique your interest!

If you feel that you’re addicted to video games, then don’t worry, because these famous people who had video game addiction also caught the same bug. Really, who would’ve thought that Nick Offerman from the Parks and Recreation TV series was addicted to Banjo Kazooie of all things?

Well, enough of the doom and gloom. Video games, when played in proper moderation and with a healthy mindset, can actually be beneficial for you! No, really! There are cognitive benefits to playing video games, such as decision-making and memorization.

Games aren’t just good entertainment—they’re also great for improving hand-eye coordination. Better hand-eye coordination leads to better productivity and response time, and based on this Harvard article, video games count as both fun and good for self-improvement!

The good sides of video gaming don’t stop there. Aside from the tangible benefits to your brain, games are also well-known for being an instrument in assisting people in their fight against depression. Granted, it’s all subjective, as there are some who enjoy difficult video games like Dark Souls, while others enjoy the slow pace of games like Sudoku or Story of Seasons.

Video games are amazing, aren’t they? While it is true that there are certain risks of addiction when one goes overboard with playing, the good parts of it greatly overshadow those problems. Video games aren’t perfect, but those inherent flaws and how they resonate with us are just some of the reasons why they continue to attract more and more people. The beauty of games and the complex human mind—a perfect pair.

And now that video games have interwoven with modern society and the lifestyles of many, this quote from Steven E. Jones, American physicist, is now fitting:

“Video games are the quintessential social texts of our present cultural moment.”

That’s it for this week! Be sure to check out our podcast for more interesting game content that is sure to hit a note with you. We’ll keep trying to give everyone quality stuff, from brainy gamers to aspiring game developers.

And if you want to learn more about what we’re up to at Hey, Good Game, you can find out more right here. 

Imagine being the very first players of Pong and sharing the world’s first coop video game shout of:

Hey, Good Game!