While I’ll be the first to admit that WoW and similiar games can be dangerously addictive, the fact is that MMORPG’s are a social activity. This is something that gets overlooked when all you’re seeing is your son sitting at the computer playing a video game. When he says he needs a moment to interrupt his playing, keep in mind that there may be four other people on the other end who are dependent on him being there and who are also being interrupted. When he makes plans to spend all night raiding with his guild, there are either 9 or 24 people who expect him to be there and who he is going to be spending his evening talking and interacting with.
The internet has become a powerful new way to meet new people. Personally, I find it much more satisfying then hanging out at a bar, drinking bad beer, and listening to music so loud you can’t hear yourself think, let alone talk.
I’m not going to deny that video gaming can be an addiction, but spending a lot of time with a game doesn’t mean a person’s addicted to it.
WoW is designed to be an everyday experience. The big quest dungeons take several hours (and many people) to finish and require practice and coordination, and often, weeks of preparation. If he likes dueling other players, that also takes practice. Most people will be auctioning their loot and needing to check on their sales regularly. There are some skills that can only be used every 24 hours, so if he’s trying to advance he needs to log in regularly and do that. WoW (and all online games) are designed to require regular activity. It’s how the developers pay their bills each month.
So spending hours at the game everyday doesn’t necessarily mean he’s addicted. It might just mean he’s enjoying himself and trying to be good at it.
(Nitpick: Warcraft is a whole different game than World of Warcraft. The nickname for World of Warcraft is WoW. If he’s playing Warcraft, well that’s much harder and takes even more practice, although the matches are shorter.)