Subtitled: I’m goin’ to Detox Mansion, in downtown Amsterdam. I’ll convulse without my joystick and copy of NBA Jam.
You knew it was coming; the American concept of a "clinic for every need’ that first blew westward to China has now circled the globe and hit the European continent
I’ll be the first to raise a sceptical eyebrow whenever I hear the term addiction bandied about. But when I read Nick Yee, Ph.D. claim:
Ten hours at a time? Do people have PCs in their bathrooms, or do they piss in a coffee can?
Pff - more video games are eeeeeeevil crap. While my longest ever single gaming session was a 5 hour run through Ultima Online, I’d never begrudge those who want to spend their whole lives in a game. As long as they’re not hurting anyone, who cares? Gaming nerds are harmless.
I once played Civilization III for nine hours with food and bathroom breaks.
I would not say I’m addicted though. I just did not have anything better to do for those nine hours. If I started to miss work or school to play one more level of Halo, then I would consider myself an addict.
Where did the “Smoke A Joint” part of the title come from? Just because the clinic is in
Amsterdam? Or is that what the “possible medication” refers to?
It’s not necessarily the videogames themselves that are addicting, though. I’ve forced myself to finish godawful videogames that I otherwise wouldn’t have bothered with because I’ve reached a point in the game where it’s more a matter of pride and/or stubbornness than any psychological need.
…although I did stay up for, like, three nights in a row when I first bought Disgaea. Man, that game was crack.