This article came at a time when I recently developed a very unhealthy habit of playing a Role-Playing Game (RPGs). The name of this RPG is 'Dragon Age: Origins'. A great game developed by BioWare, a company which has some award-winning RPGs to its credit like Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic, and the recent award-winner Mass Effect. Now all these games I've never had the privilege of playing, but after reading a lot of good reviews about 'Dragon Age: Origins', I finally downloaded it and played it. Now that I've played it, I have to say, its an amazing game! With great graphics, art design, musical score and a compelling story, it has me gripped.
The problem with the game is just how huge it is! Till now, I've clocked in 50 hours of gameplay and have only completed 25% of it. This game will take an eternity to finish! I am certain that this can't be healthy for me. But the only thing that has me coming back to it is the story. Now 'story' is an important factor for me. It actually gives me a sense of accomplishment. When I'm done with a game, the completed story give me an assurance that I have haven't wasted all my time and that I've actually learned or experienced something by living through the story on screen. Which is the main reason why I don't play RPGs.
RPGs to me always seemed pointless. The story-less games where you just clocked in enormous hours to develop a character that has no meaning has always lead me to question, "why?". Why would someone do something that is so pointless? But now I understand. Although the pull of 'Dragon Age: Origins' isn't like 'World Of Warcraft' (WoW) which is actually a Massive-Multiplayer-Online-Role-Playing-Game (MMORPG), it uses those same sneaky techniques WoW uses.
I never play those MMORPGs just because I've heard those game-addiction horror stories of people losing their lives or even dying due to exhaustion like the guy who played WoW for 72 hours straight and then died. Also why I don't play FarmVille or Mafia Wars. Although, these 2 examples aren't as fatal as the previous one but they're still on the same lines.
After reading the above article, its given me a reality check as to how fine the line is that divides the addicts from the normal people. It gave me a clarity of how careful I should be of my own lack of control.
