Slashdot linked up this detailed account of what it's like to be a hard-core Warcraft gamer, what it requires, and why this person had to stop. I, too, know people who have screwed up their lives over gaming. For awhile, I was one of them. I do still play games, sometimes for hours, but nowadays I also walk away from them for weeks at a time. It's getting to the point I'm not sure if I'm going to upgrade my computer any time soon, since the time I invest doesn't really seem to justify the money it would require.

Not sure if that means I'm growing up or not. I don't judge people who have this problem; I'm convinced everyone can get addicted to something if they're not careful. But if your life looks like the WoW parody on Southpark, maybe it's time to just walk away from it for awhile.

Update: Not surprisingly, getting your blog linked by Slashdot tends to result in an interesting follow-up article. I think, ultimately, I don't play these kinds of games for the same reason I don't try a lot of things I know I might be good at. I'm so competitive I don't want to just be good, I want to be the best. If being the best requires more effort than I want to put in, I just don't start.