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WOW: Addicting Computer Game Ends Marriage

world of warcraftVideo games can be, well, addicting. God knows how many late nights I spent trying get out of that one dungeon, or unlock that one sword, or kept saying to myself, “Just one more level…” Still, I draw my limits on things like World of Warcraft.

In case you aren’t up on the MMORPG (that’s Massive Multi-player Online Role Playing Game) front, World of Warcraft is the most popular MMO out there, with well over six million – yes, million – players.

I know people who are hopelessly addicted, people who have no social life, people who dropped out of school so that they could spend more hours playing Warcraft. So when I read about a married couple of six years that divorced because of this game, I could only say one thing: WOW.

Jocelyn and Peter had been sweethearts since they were 13. They got married in 2002. in 2004, Jocelyn decided to buy Peter WoW for Christmas. As time passed, he got predictably more hooked. They reportedly starting having real issues in May. Issues like the fact that as soon as Peter got home from work, he got straight on the computer and didn’t get off until it was time to go to bed.

Issues like him not doing his share of work around the house or even so much as paying bills. Issues like the time when Jocelyn tried to set aside a meager 30 minutes to watch TV with her husband, and Peter couldn’t dare pry himself away from his computer.

Jocelyn moved out in September, and even though they’re split, Peter still plays WoW, even though he reportedly is weaning himself. I don’t buy it.

I refuse to play WOW. It isn’t the fact that the game upsets me, and I’m sure if I played it, I’d adore it. My issue is that I know how quickly and easily I get addicted to video games. I was bad enough with MapleStory, a free, more cartoonish version of WOW, and the only reason I quit that was because the server it uses is blocked on my campus.

The server WOW uses isn’t blocked, because so many people play it. I know quite a few people who play, and though some of them still have healthy social lives – like R. and A., two friends of mine who are a very happy couple that play WOW together – some are clearly hopelessly addicted.

I, however, will not be touching World of Warcrack. I have nothing against the people who play it, don’t get me wrong. Still, I know I’d get hooked. People who are easily addicted would be wise to stay away from any MMORPG, and may want to find safety in a game that does eventually end.

As for me, I’ll stay away. I wouldn’t want to danger any of my relationships because of a video game. (And hell, my girlfriend already hates it when I play Guitar Hero; I’m pretty sure she’d drop me like a hot potato if I signed up for Warcraft.)

8 Comments on "WOW: Addicting Computer Game Ends Marriage"

  1. Ricardo says:
    Sun, 24th Feb 20081:09 pm 

    I played WOW for like 2 Months. I got to level 60 in a few weeks as a newb. After reaching level 60 I was like, damn what am I doing here. It is the same thing, all and over again.

    Then I stopped. I dont get people who spend their entire lifes arround a virtual char.

  2. Liz says:
    Mon, 25th Feb 20081:16 pm 

    Hates it when you play guitar hero? Wow that’s too bad. This is one wife who loves guitar hero and has even gotten better at it than her husband! Maybe more women need to try some games and see the fun in them in moderation of course.

  3. mjkbk says:
    Mon, 25th Feb 20082:07 pm 

    Maybe WoW (or any interactive game) wasn’t Peter’s problem. Just maybe it was his need to ‘escape’ from real life.

    In which case, ANY escape would do. Stop blaming the escapist fare (which is everywhere around us), and start acknowledging the escaper’s problem BEFOREHAND. He needs help.

  4. Tim says:
    Mon, 25th Feb 20084:01 pm 

    As of now, I think it’s 9 million total, not 6.

    I played WOW for the first 6 months it came out, and quit. Once you realize it gets repetitive, it makes quiting a whole lot easier.

  5. Jeff D says:
    Tue, 26th Feb 20082:37 pm 

    Yeah, I’ve lost many friends to WoW. All those hours spent playing, and what do they have to show for it? At least high-level characters fetch decent prices on Ebay. I refuse to play for the exact same reasons.

  6. chichita says:
    Wed, 27th Feb 20088:06 am 

    My 3 year relationship with an ex ended when PS2 went online. Between Medal of Honor and the Navy Seals game (dont’ remember the name), I began to fade into the background - which is no place for a loving woman like me - so it was over. I can’t say I hate video games, we used to play some together, but he would play every night including the weekends, when he lost his job he would just play all day and not look for a new one, and it got so bad as to him waking up in the middle of the night to play. This is crack for real.

    Now I got a great boyfriend who is more into movies and not at all into video games - hey, at least we get to go to the theater!

    Everything in moderation I say….

  7. Ratt-man says:
    Sun, 9th Mar 20084:09 pm 

    Well i can understand al the failing relaitionship because of w.o.w, but am a single dude,thank god i don’t have a naging girlfrend, or wife, to tell me what to do. Yea it is an escape from the real world becouse this world is full of crap, i would get lost in w.o.w any day.. I love w.o.w.

  8. tedbundy says:
    Tue, 8th Apr 200810:42 pm 

    I played WOW for well over a year, mostly smoking weed and drinking beer to numb the repetitiveness. It was fun while it lasted, but by the time I got a second character to cap, I felt like I was back at square 1, where I’d have to do all kinds of repetitive crap to “gear up.” Now that I’m not smoking or drinking as much, grinding up all that crap sober isn’t as fun…

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