Gamers: Let's talk about addiction

[lazarus]

Are any of you addicted to a game, or have been in the past?

While I've played a lot of games, only one rose to the level of addiction: Magic: The Gathering.

It got so bad, I ended up selling all my cards. And I now avoid game shops just to avoid seeing the cards.

I can still reconstruct decks I built and won tournaments with 4 or 5 years ago. I was very, very good; probably better at that game than I've been at anything else.

But it just took hold of me. I was spending hours a day at the game shops, trading and playing. Going to tournaments all over the Southeast on the weekends. I finally quit when my daughter asked why I wouldn't stay home that weekend for her.

Bless her. She got me to quit smoking, too.

Every now and then, I'll think about getting back into it, but I avoid it out of knowledge that, within a week, I'd be right back to my old routine, and that's not fair to my family.

[qazplm]

1. I have been addicted to

four games in my whole life.

Gyruss as a kid (I could play for 2 hours on one quarter or really til I got bored).

System Shock II in law school.

Lately, Starcraft Brood War and CIV III have been my last two can't stop playing games.

[lazarus]

7. SSII

that is an incredible game. The only thing I've ever played that is like it is Deus Ex.

I despair of finding another game like that, though. They hosed up the sequel to Deus Ex, from what I can tell.

Starcraft is good. For some reason, I'm more inclined to play Red Alert, the latest C&C.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

13. Let's play Broodwar sometime. I'm still addicted. Have to take it off

the old hard drive once in a while just to give myself a break.

Some others:

Foosball.

Various other computer games like Doom and other shooters. But SC/BW is number 1.

[qazplm]

15. ah, the real fun

would be to challenge some freepers to a team game, see whether DU or FR would win in a Brood War battle!

[bigwillq]

2. I'm addicted to those touch screen video machines

that are common at bars and pubs. Can't get enough of it. I play all the games that they have.
At this one bar I go to a lot, I'm the champion in 16 of the games!

[leftofthedial]

3. Civ III

I never have time to play games, but over a holiday or other break, if I start in on Civ III, I'm screwed for at least two weeks.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

6. I'm the same way with "Alpha Centauri"............

I lose track of time playing that game. Damn you, Sid Meier!!

[Cannikin]

4. I know I'm a geek, but....

I got hooked on Tron 2.0 for a good while...amazing visuals and sound...and features Rebecca Romijn Stamos.

[RiffRandell]

5. I used to be addicted to Warcraft a long time ago

but since I had my son I never play anything anymore. My husband is addicted to Unreal Tournament---the latest one.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

8. UT 2004 rules...............

I've only played the demo, but I'm hooked! I love the Onslaught mode with all the vehicles.

[stinkeefresh]

9. you picked a good one

I am a game lover, and casual Magic player. (no tournaments, just playing with a few friends as blessedly nerdy as me)

The game is just unparalleled. Has there ever been another game where you prepare your strategy ahead of time and then pit it against your opponents unknown strategy? Has there ever been a game where no strategy could be so powerful that an opponent couldn't counter it, provided they know it's coming?

And now, somehow, I ended up with a part-time day-job that actually gets me working with the Wizards of the Coast guys! I haven't met them yet, but I can't wait. As a casual game inventor myself, I am so, so impressed with what that game.

As for addiction- video games are my habit. I have managed to avoid buying any new game console, and have no games on my Mac, but boy there was a year or two where my N64 and I were like glue.

[rucky]

12. Recovering MTG addict & now Puerto Rico (and DU)

also had a problem with CivII back in the day.

[Xithras]

10. Actually lost a job over Quake

A few friends and I locked ourselves in a windowless basement with food, beer, and a bathroom, with the intention of playing for a day or two straight. No telephones, no watches, nobody to bug us...it seemed like a heavenly plan to a gamer. Problem is, we locked ourselved in on a Friday night. By the time we emerged, it was Tuesday afternoon (we'd run out of food). It's really amazing how easy it is to lose track of time when you have nothing to reference it against and you're attention is focused on something else. We thought it was Sunday, and then freaked when we learned the truth. My boss wasn't sympathetic, and fired me.

I then wasted weeks of unemployment playing video games, and only started looking for work when my wife cut the keyboard cable while I was in the shower one day.

I really haven't improved much...I was up until 1:30AM last night playing America's Army, and had to be to work at 6AM. I was an hour late today :(

[Anarcho-Socialist]

11. The original Unreal Tournament...

Age of Empires II, Europa Universalis II, GTA Vice City.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

14. My wife is addicted to Star Wars: Galaxies. RPG's don't really appeal

to me at all. Yet I have the type of personality that I know if I somehow got into it I'd be worse than anybody. (Galaxies, Everquest etc.)

[7th_Sephiroth]

16. a few

Worms 3D, Starfox 64, Civ 2, the monkey island series, and yes, pokemon (got into it before it went all commercial)