Gamers Anonymous

I’ve never had a really serious game addiction. I’ve certainly dabbled. There’s been some games that I have been completely ensorceled by, and have spent solid days of my life utterly transfixed.

The first was an LCD handheld game where you caught coins then played a poker machine. My parents kept taking it off me, I kept sneaking into their room to take it back.

My first NES had me shooting up Duck Hunt, and chasing the Double Dragon 2, which was also the method my brother and I used to resolve punch ups.

My Playstation brought with it Kula World. Best. Game. Ever.

I still dabble occasionally. I would play for days at a time.

Then came the PS2, Tekken and Gran Turismo. My brother and I would work shifts on GT, completing levels, acquiring new and faster cars. We’d swap spots at the end of a work day, there’d be junk food, a briefing for the incoming player, and the player that just completed his 20 hour stint would shuffle off to bed, dreaming of the perfect exit to that corner on the really long track that meant you’d be going 55km/h faster at the end of the straight.

If GT was an example of geek co-operation, Tekken was war. Bitter, savage, cruel war. My brother is a naturally gifted freak at games. I could do OK at racing and puzzle games, but everything else would be an exercise in demonstrating my inadequacy. He’d unleash a maniacal laugh as I threw my controller away in disgust – obviously he had the good one, and mine clearly wasn’t working properly.

It’s been a long time since I have been hooked, though I’ve had many dalliances.

Sabian and I were having a chat about this on Watchmen night – I hope he tells his gaming problem story on his blog soon [EDIT: he has - in an alarmingly rapid response... and it's brilliant] – I’ve never needed Gamers anonymous.

The very existence of it intrigues me.

For example;

• Are the twelve steps something like: ↑, ↑, →, ←, □, ○, x, L1, R2, ↑+□, R2+x, ↓ …?
• Do they introduce themselves using their handle/avatar, “I’m Draganslya44 and I’m a game addict”?
• If you get caught using a cheat, do you finish the program really quickly, but not get a button?
• Do they need to stay away from pretty much any electronic device because that would be an enabler?
• If they fall off the wagon three times is it game over?
• Does the program you can get from Bali actually work just as well, so long as you’ve been modded?

SO many more questions…

If you have a gaming problem, and have been supported through it, I’d really like to know these things. Comments. Go.