Addiction

A games designer would want to make a game addictive so more people will enjoy it and more people will buy it gaining them more money and more success in the long run. An example of an addictive game that is very successful is World of Warcraft. One of it's main reasons for it being addictive is the social side of it, joining guilds, making friends, going on dungeon runs etc.


Game designers achieve this by giving the game a certain angle or a hook and other games don't have or that they can do better. This hook could be a great story, a competitive multiplayer or a certain great mechanic or even the user interface. A good example of the last one is Dead Space, the user interface in Dead Space is seen as completely realistic, your health is on the characters back, which is explained as their R.I.G. or how the ammo left in a clip is show by the side of the gun as it is being aimed in which is cannon to the game and the character can see it, not just the player.



Addiction is not always a bad thing, it could be because the game is so good they do not want to put it down or stop playing, but when the game starts to interfere with your real life or effect your health addiction is defiantly bad. What they person should do if addicted is to set a certain amount of time on the game they they must come off it, maybe a friend could set up parental controls or something like that.