World of Warcraft: the 'Cocaine of Gaming'

Fantasy game involved in nearly every case of game addiction, foundation says

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 27, 2009 4:45 PM CST

(Newser) – World of Warcraft is the most addictive video game on the market, the Local of Sweden reports. WoW is the most popular of the online multiplayer fantasy games—by far the most addicting game genre, according to a study by the Swedish Youth Care Foundation.... Read full story »

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

You need to Log in to Newser to comment. Don't have an account yet? Sign up now!

10 comments

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

What's Popular Now on Facebook

'Serpent Pastor' Dies of Snake Bite

Miami Face-Eater Identified

The Local (Sweden) (Source Grid »)

World of Warcraft boasts 11M players worldwide, developer says
Daily Mail (UK)

Online gaming mag blasts study's cocaine comparison
Massively

Technology • Entertainment • Money • Science

cocaine • World of Warcraft • MMORPG • multiplayer games • crack cocaine • online gaming • video games

More Newser Stories

Sony Aims to Power Up Online Gaming

Games developer seeks to reach new markets with innovative scenarios

(NEWSER) - Sony is seeking to boost online gaming to the next level with a pair of new adventures in the pipeline. The company's 1999 EverQuest was the first massive online game to rocket to popularity, but rivals like World of Warcraft have since taken the lead. With spy shooter game The Agency and the tweener-targeting Free Realms, Sony hopes to get back on top. More»

Study: Video Game Addicts Aren't Nerds

'Problem gamers' may be unhealthy, but they're not lonely geeks

(NEWSER) - The stereotype of the hard-core gamer as a friendless geek may be as outdated as Pac-Man, Reuters reports. An Australian study looked at "problem gamers" who spent more than 50 hours a week playing and discovered that less than 1% had poor social skills. The findings contradict statements from the American Medical Association suggesting people hooked on games like World of Warcraft struggle to cope in the real world. More»

Shakespeare Game Much Ado About Nothing

MMO game hoped to be social experiment - instead it's 'no fun'

(NEWSER) - Edward Castronova’s Arden: The World of Shakespeare was supposed to be a revolutionary academic experiment, a massive multiplayer online world where players learned about Shakespeare while Castronova tested economic theories on them. There’s just one problem, Technology Review reports: “It’s no fun,” says Castronova. Focused on research, developers produced a dull game. More»

Vivendi to Buy Activision

Get ready for World of Tony Hawk's Pro Guitar Warcraft

(NEWSER) - Vivendi, producer of mega-hit World of Warcraft, today announced plans to merge operations with Activision, forming an independent video game behemoth to rival EA. Vivendi will buy 52% of Activision for $1.7 billion and $27.50 per share, the Times reports, a premium on Friday’s $22.15 closing price. Then Activision, re-dubbed Activision Blizzard, will take in all Vivendi’s game operations. More»

To Prep, Breivik Studied al-Qaeda, Played Call of Duty

He also read more than 600 bomb-making guides

(NEWSER) - Anders Behring Breivik "trained" for his shooting massacre by playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, studying al-Qaeda, and reading bomb-making guides. The best-selling military game let him practice his shot using a "holographic aiming device," much like the one he used when slaughtering 69 people at a youth camp last summer, Breivik explained yesterday. "You develop target acquisition," he said. The court also heard that Breivik spent a year between summer 2006 and 2007 devoting 16 hours a day to playing World of Warcraft, the Guardian reports. Breivik described the fantasy game as a "hobby" that isolated him from the world. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

World of Warcraft: the 'Cocaine of Gaming'

Fantasy game involved in nearly every case of game addiction, foundation says

cocaine • World of Warcraft • MMORPG • multiplayer games • crack cocaine • online gaming • video games

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Sony Aims to Power Up Online Gaming

Games developer seeks to reach new markets with innovative scenarios

Study: Video Game Addicts Aren't Nerds

'Problem gamers' may be unhealthy, but they're not lonely geeks

Shakespeare Game Much Ado About Nothing

MMO game hoped to be social experiment - instead it's 'no fun'

Vivendi to Buy Activision

Get ready for World of Tony Hawk's Pro Guitar Warcraft

To Prep, Breivik Studied al-Qaeda, Played Call of Duty

He also read more than 600 bomb-making guides

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?