What Makes Free Multiplayer Games So Addictive?

Posted by alisonreid29 on June 4th, 2014

Most of us have gone through a phase in our lives when we might have become addicted to many things. It is a known fact that free multiplayer games, online strategy games and other like PlayStation are addictive. The addictive nature of these games is not seen as being serious since they are not as harmful like smoking, drugs or alcohol. In spite of not having any chemical additives, these games are still addictive. There could be several reasons for this and may be an in-depth research in the matter would bring forth some of the reasons. One of them is the lack of definitive end.

Online strategy games, free multiplayer games or other computer-generated games have no end. A mmorpg has no definite end, meaning you can never come to a point wherein you can say that the game over and you beat it to the last level or hideous monster you had to defeat. The level-up system also makes them more addictive. You start with a very basic character with basic knowledge, strength, power, intelligence and so on. Within minutes, you complete the first level and immediately all your skills are adjusted to a higher level with more capabilities. As the game progresses, so do your abilities and the game goes on.

It fulfills the need to have a social circle where you “belong”. This sense of belonging is fuelled in free multiplayer games with groupies and clans who speak your language. Online strategy games create a world that is reality to you. Many times, you cannot place a face to a name, but definitely to his avatar. The reality is also that these cyber relationships have a negative effect on real world interactions. You also have to be a team player and advance with the team. Should they require traveling to another galaxy and this has certain prerequisites, you would want to go along. It is this fear of rejection that leads to addiction.

Rewards are set on variable intervals with free multiplayer games. The player knows that at times it may take six attempts for example to achieve the particular reward and at other times it may take up to 15 attempts. However, the knowledge that the reward is coming, no matter how short or long he has to try is also there thus propelling him to keep on playing. Online strategy games use in-game currency. As in the real world as you gather more wealth you have more power, influence, respect and buying power, the same rules apply for online games too and all players long for the same things.

Online strategy games do not reward short or unscheduled play. The longer you play the bigger the reward. Free multiplayer games are enhanced on a regular basis through expansion packs that opens up a completely new world to the gamer. Just as he thought he is becoming bored, this new world is made available to enhance the addiction further. It is a user-generated world and as such, the same emotions as in real life occur here. War, jealousy, drama, love and all other emotions play an important role in the game environment just as how you will experience it in the real world.

A point that has almost become synonymous with online strategy games is that they lead to severe addiction. Several reasons could be attributed to this but probably the most pronounced is that free multiplayer games they offer an alternative world wherein anyone is accepted without any pre-conditions being placed.

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alisonreid29
Joined: January 30th, 2014
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