When Do Games Become Too Obssesive?

If your reading this blog, then I’m assuming that you enjoy video games and like myself, feel an unquenchable desire to obtain every scrap of knowledge you can on an upcoming release because you’re so excited *cough, splutter Uncharted cough, Skyrim*, it’s a constant battle for us. But finally the day arrives, you’ve booked your time off work, called in sick or merely seised to exist in society, because finally that game you have been patiently waiting for what appears to be as long as the completion of Demons Souls, has arrived. The door’s locked, the curtains are drawn and the phone is switched off, for all intents and purposes you are a hermit seeking comfort from the warm glow of your HD tv (or 3D tv if your really posh), rather than natural daylight, we’ve all been there, and I know I will be again soon. But is this a problem?

Do we become so consumed with trying to achieve in-game goals and trophy’s that everything else in our lives becomes obsolete? Can a game and in some instances, a virtual alter ego, dictate how we exist in our everyday lives and effect our perception on reality? From my own bouts of obsession with various video games, I can categorically give a resounding NO to all of the above. It’s purely a form of escapism, created for our own enjoyment (and yes, money), and just because we choose to spend what may seem like an inexhaustible amount of time indulging in our distorted, pixellated worlds, doesn’t necessarily mean with have a problem. It’s just sometimes we want to forget the drudgery of our lives for a time, however fleeting, so we can delve into a world of adventure and relax at the same time. But I’m interested in what you guys think, when does gaming transform from entertainment to obsession? If it does?