Online games have fascinated people ever since the first ARPANET saw the light of day in the University of Essex. Since then the online games have evolved, as did the ways that we play them.
Unlike before when several players had to connect through the same network in order to play the same game, the Internet is now accessible to people worldwide. Putting it simply, we now have servers that allow websites to host thousands and thousands of players at the same time. So it comes as no surprise that online gaming has become a crucial part of our modern culture and social lives, as it continues to fascinate both the players and those working in this industry.
There is one specific phenomenon that includes online games, which has caught the attention of psychologists worldwide. And that is their impact on the players’ psychology. In this article, we’ll examine the idea of achievement and addiction that has been connected to online games.
Main Features of Online Games
It is believed that the main features of online games are the reason why psychologists connect them to both achievement and addiction. However, there are several different types of online games, so not all of them share the same characteristics.
For example, online casino games work on the reward and luck principle, which can be connected to the feeling of achievement. Some of the best online slot sites in New Jersey offer entertaining slot machines and give amazing bonuses to their most loyal customers. Whenever a player gets one of these bonus rewards, he or she can have the feeling of achievement for being such a committed player.
Other than special bonuses and a great number of different titles, there are also some online games that have very strong social features. Titles like WoW and Counter-Strike, encourage socialization and cooperation. And even though this can be a good thing for players’ social skills, it can also lead to addiction, since the player can learn to depend on others but also get the feeling that the entire mission depends on him or her. This is especially noticeable in World of Warcraft where players are lured into this virtual world by constantly being rewarded in order to feel achievement, and at the same time, their brain becomes addicted to that very feeling.
Moreover, people tend to visit https://chiefcasinos.com/ and other similar online casino platforms that offer a wide selection of different titles. On websites like these, they can choose between many different games that offer them a chance to win a prize and get the feeling of the ultimate achievement.
Building a New Identity
There is still the unpopular opinion that only games that involve real money gambling can cause addiction. However, recent studies have proven that online casino titles can be as harmful as any other genre that is played in reasonable measures. Online casino games can indeed bring the player a great sense of achievement. However, during their time on gambling platforms the player rarely experiences that feeling, in comparison to other genres like MMORPG that are jam-packed with the reward feature.
Online games that allow the player to build a character from scratch and, basically, live inside that virtual world, can make the person feel achievement when they are in front of the screen. That is why many games that are played online are constantly being upgraded with new content and new missions, that can make the players feel like they are needed but also remind them of the unique sense of achievement that they had once they completed the last mission. But, instead of satisfying the player’s need for high-quality entertainment, these games are actually feeding their addiction for the sense of achievement inside the virtual
