Most people think of video game addiction as something that has existed for many years but it has only recently been recognized by the world health organization this past December of 2017. In fact, the American Medical Association hasn’t even recognized it as a disorder. So why the recent change? What’s recently happened to make it such a major issue in today's world?

It’s important that we take a little trip down memory lane and examine some important milestones in video games to shed some light on why video game addiction is so prevalent today. If we look back on the early days of video games we can see that perhaps PONG might not have had too much of an addictive bend to it. Even early arcade games such as Pacman and Street Fighter II, whilst addictive in a desire say to “win” or “beat a high score” did not prove to create long term addictions. Why is that the case? Studies on video game addiction during this time were limited and inconclusive, and only involved focusing mostly on arcade game play (which makes sense).

There are many theories of course surrounding why this might be the case but the early game design, graphics and interactivity might provide some insight into why that might be. Looking closer at Street Fighter II we can see that there are a few characters to select from, multiple rounds to play through and an endpoint to the game. There is a similar play mechanic to Super Mario Bros. the classic platform game we all know and love. You play as Mario, you beat a few levels, win the game. Replayability is limited with both of these games. Street Fighter II has increased replay because of the two player option and desire to complete it with another character.

While I don’t want to get into a deep discussion of the actual history of games, mostly because I know some people would be able to tell me I’m wrong on certain facts, there is a point where 2 major things happen that change the face of gaming into a more addictive endeavour. The first one is the introduction of online play. Online, mass adoption of play starting with games like Quake, Unreal Tournament, Counter-Strike and others ushered in a new type of open play type games. These games have no end level per se and usually end goal. You can literally play for hours refilling those dopamine receptors and reward center for the brain.

The other major development comes from mobile gaming where huge increases in addiction are becoming apparent. Mobile gaming has ushered in a combination of games with no end, multiplayer support/interaction and push notifications that literally light up your brain center to give you a hit. Game developers keep you hooked by using strategies designed to increase a player’s dopamine levels. Freemium games are a leading driver behind mobile game addiction, which are free to install, but give you the option to make in-app purchases that allow you to progress further in the game. We all know games like Candy Crush or Clash of Clans.

These games and most modern games are designed to keep you hooked.

Which games do you find yourself hooked on?