Daniel Cook has written an article on the addictive
nature of games, comparing the psychological stimulus received from
a game to that of the chemical stimulus a drug user receives when
getting high. More specifically, he details what he calls a “genre
addict” (people who refuse to play other genres), and explains how the
publishers, marketers, and developers feed - and profit from - an
unhealthy addiction.

It’s a very good read which explains the current drive in the video game
industry: feed the addiction by pumping out massive numbers of the same
genre. Heck, it even explains why online play is so crucial to feeding
this addiction: being “king of the hill” against a computer is good, but
being the best against human opponents is even better (which would
explain why I like to yell “eat it, monkey boy” at LAN Parties… or
maybe I’m just odd).

Unlike movies or books, games are unique in that you can make quite a
bit of money by simply repackaging an old successful game with better
graphics, slightly tweaked levels and an additional power up. The
majority of money in the game industry is made from either direct
sequels to successful games or games that are minor improvements on
existing game designs.

This is not an accident of history. Exactly why this happens is due to
the fundamentally addictive nature of games.

[Continue reading My Name is Daniel and I am a Genre Addict ]

[Jason at Geekstreak]