People understand the brainwashing potential of movies. They don't understand the brainwashing potential of games(even e.g. chess has potential to radically change your mind).
I refuse to aid the gaming industry continuing quest for "improving the formula" for more addicting games. It wouldn't do any good to the world.
>>12 You're mistaken. I am not against gamers:
Its uncomfortable for gamers to understand their hobby is compromised and fully controlled on the level incomprehensible to them. Game mechanics are build to create dopamine bursts for associations with virtual reward. Like a Pavlov's dog - gamers rewire their brain, cell by cell. Purely reflexive thoughts, easily manipulated by visual cues(detected as threats or rewards instinctively) and fragile trigger-happy psychology of average gamer.
I thought at first, aren't retro games more benign(as the popular feeling of them being less addictive and comfy)? Turns out the visual shell of a game doesn't matter:
its the game mechanics that matter, they program our minds and they addict us.
So inventing new game mechanics or improving games in general -> More addicts -> More escapism -> people losing themselves in games, neglecting real life affairs.
It also extends to most board games: people getting insane and obsessed over chess are videogame addicts of yesterday. All aspects of video gaming, the hypercompetitive drive and level of stress that occurs in every game is the same brain mechanism that chess encourages at every step.