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| ~ ~ ~ Notes from Paper Lane: a GNE weblog | |
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| ~ ~ ~ Notes from Paper Lane: a GNE weblog | |
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For any of you with a subscription or an open-minded local library - I found a bit disturbing the article on page 93 of the March 2003 issue of Playboy.
“Online Treachery; Net gaming has become a sinister playground for lukers and assholes”.
“Shawn Woollery was a 21year-old video-game fanatic - until he shot himself. Playing online games like EverQuest and Ultima, he’d run into grief players - gamers who use the forums to make their opponents’ lives miserable.”
And goes to explain MMORPGs, grief players, and other “bloodthirsty” games such as Eve Online, Lineage, Dark Age of Camelot, and Anarchy Online.
The sad part; in this particular case the game (EverQuest) took over someone’s real life, ending in his death by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
I give blessing to the peaceful existence that is GNE. And hope our own addictions will remain harmless (except for a few cases of carpal tunnel) and only a short amusing diversion out of our real lives. Peace.
‘squeek’
Interesting, kona… EverCrack has so many players that I wonder if the percentage of suicidal people there is similar to that of the world at large.
Here’s a passage that struck me, from Wired’s coverage of the story, http://www.wired.com/news/games/0,2101,51490,00.html:
Shawn got involved in the game in 2000 and by 2001 it had consumed his life, Elizabeth said. He’d quit his job and played almost non-stop, eventually being evicted from his apartment and moving in with his mother, before leaving her home and then being put in a group home for addictive behavior.
He was diagnosed with depression and a schizoid personality disorder and put on medication. Residence in the group home was voluntary, however, and he left. He then rented his own apartment, over his mother’s objections, where he resumed non-stop playing.
I also enjoyed this Salon article about a staged player suicide in EverQuest: http://archive.salon.com/tech/feature/2000/11/21/virtual_suicide/print.html
Huh. So the wired coverage would make it seem more like he just had an addictive personality, and it could’ve been anything, not just EQ.
I guess some people do read Playboy for the articles. ;) (Sorry…the joke was just waiting to be said)
“I guess some people do read Playboy for the articles. ;) (Sorry…the joke was just waiting to be said)”
Cover to cover (although I skip the sports and most all the music coverage).
Curses upon carpal tunnel syndrome! CURSES!
man…..Softcore sux u need the hardcore stuff LOL
The article ‘Online Treachery’ is actually perfect for an essay I have to write at University.
I doubt however that my Lecturer will believe me when I say that I read this issue purely for the article in question!
On another point if anyone knows what page number/s the article was on it would be much appreciated.
(page numbers are required for the bibliography)