China appear to be recognising the growing social problems related to internet gaming in this burgeoning online nation, and have opened the first official clinic designed to combat internet-related addictions. Apparently, most initial patients will be treated for obsessions with MMOG titles. The clinic is made up mostly of 14 to 24 year-olds currently, who are being treated due to online gaming addictions ruining their lives: either by making them unhealthy, fail school, antisocial or simply unable to do anything other than play games. Problems related to games - almost exclusively online titles - have been on the rise in the Peoples Republic, as the popularity of said titles grows. Indeed, in the last year we have reported on several deaths, suicides and one murder which directly resulted from MMOG playing.

The clinic recognises the need to address this addiction, and whilst the costs are high (about two-and-a-half-times the average city dwellers salary per week) results are said to be positive. One gamer from Beijing being treated at the new clinic, who used to play Diablo for ten hours every single day, commented: "I wasn't normal. In school I didn't pay attention when teachers were talking. All I could do was think about playing the next game. Playing made me happy, I forgot my problems."

More on this as we get it.

By Luke Guttridge

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  1. MMORPGactivist Unregistered 3 years ago

    There is absolutely no direct correlation between MMORPG's and addiction. This needs to be looked at in the view of any other "addiction". Addiction is mainly hereditary, and alcohol doesn't make people addicted, people become addicted.

  2. JMoor Unregistered 2 years ago

    Still, There are many extremists in their Gameplay. Friend of mine plays WoW 12 hours a day, that Aint Normal m8.