>>10024182They offer an alternative reality in which people can make it regardless of real-life accomplishment. Other people playing the game cannot see you on the screen, but can only face the avatar on the display. In this manner autistic flaws are being obscured; anyone can play a brawny warrior or sexy priestess and even be respected by other players after investing serious time.
If we are going to speak in terns of conditioning, you have to keep in mind that intermittent rewards are most effective in establishing addictive behavior. Low drop rates of coveted items can get a fanatical player to "farm" for weeks or even months. Like the slots machine an individual is performing the same behavior over and over again to acquire that reward: "Surely it is my turn of luck now", in ignorance of basic rules of probability. It is just a more sophisticated version of the Skinner box.
Interaction with other players likewise serves to reinforce MMO addiction. Everybody wants to win, have nice gear, and attain top level. With others around you, this becomes even more important. Nobody wants to be perceived as a newb scrub n00b, so work has to start for that new outfit. Once you have done that, you may as well clear out the entire area and finish its quests. On days that you do not feel as motivated to play, you are being baited in the game by daily rewards: no playing today, no bonus. And do not forget the raid that your guild planned this Thursday.
After a couple of years when most game goals are accomplished, psychological conditioning loses its charm. At this point all the incentives that have held the player in the MMO simply lose their power and the player will realize that he wasted thousands of hours on a mediocre game. This person closes the game thinking that maybe next week he will have another go. But it becomes 5 years fr him to log in the game again only to be surprised that he actually liked this pos.
