Is it really just a game?

The global video game industry is a billion-dollar business and has been for many years. In 2024, the revenue from the worldwide gaming market was estimated at almost 455 billion U.S. dollars, with the mobile gaming market generating an estimated 98.7 billion U.S. dollars of the total. This figure is more than the music and movie revenue combined!

The big names such as EA, Microsoft and Nintendo release new games on franchises yearly.  This year we have had or will have additions to Borderlands, Grand Theft Auto, WWE, Final Fantasy and Call of Duty.

Here lies the catch, not only can you spend hours on these games, especially when they first come out but as you progress through the game you can find yourself spending a small fortune on upgrades, skins, coins, players, etc.

This gaming lifestyle is now, slowly, being recognised as a serious problem.  The Mindful Gamer has focused on FIFA22 as they are now seeing the results of a phenomenon called gaming addition.   As with any new game the pressure to play it is tangible, especially if you play online with other teams or groups. Pressure to have downloaded it the minute it hit the market and to be playing or even to have completed it first is intense.

World Champion Heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua revealed that his addiction to FIFA almost cost him his boxing career. He explained that he was so hooked on the game that he would stay up until 5 in the morning playing and then have to make it to training at 7. The game completely derailed his rest and recovery schedule which is essential to the life of any athlete.

He further explained that he had spent hundreds of pounds on FIFA Packs claiming that it’s not healthy at all and he knows how it feels. Obviously, he has since made the healthiest decisions for his career and has cut down on the game. [taken from The Mindful Gamer]

This addiction can have a serious effect on an individual’s lifestyle.  Spending hours, even days, on a console is unhealthy for your diet, your body and your mental health.  An individual can find themselves not eating, drinking, sleep patterns are disturbed, social life is  upended, connections to family deteriorate, lack of exercise or bad posture can cause aches and muscle pain, you can become detached from reality and of course you can spend a small fortune on upgrades etc., without realising it.

A middle-aged man reportedly filed complaints against EA Sports after developing an addiction to FIFA Ultimate Team, which led to him spending close to £13,000 on the game. For those who are unfamiliar, Ultimate Team is a mode where players can buy, sell and open packs containing football players in order to build their “Ultimate” football team. Players use virtual currency in the form of gold coins which can be earned in-game. However, the alternative is to buy FIFA Points for real money which is the solution for those who haven’t time to grind out gold.

He explained that his purchases initially started small with £10 at a time to improve his team. But slowly he started to become more invested in his team as they improved and the money went in. Over three years he calculated that he had invested over £13,000, a few thousand shy of a house deposit, on Ultimate Team. [taken from The Mindful Gamer]

Read the full article here https://themindfulgamer.com/fifa-addiction-how-to-overcome-your-gaming-problem/

There is help out there if you or family members are concerned about gaming addiction.

https://www.ukat.co.uk/addiction/behavioural/gaming/

https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-a-z-mental-health-guide/gaming/ 

https://www.gamingaddictsanonymous.org/

https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/national-centre-gaming-disorders

https://hampshirecamhs.nhs.uk/issue/gaming-addiction/

As with all addictions the first step is recognising the addiction but with help, support and awareness there is a solution out there.

#veteranssupportingveterans #gamingaddiction #gamingdisorders #addictionawareness