MMO addiction is a hot topic these days, and there are plenty of “experts” out there who want to “help.” British Psychiatrist Dr. Richard Graham is among these brave few heroes, and he’s so concerned about the wellbeing of so-called game addicts that he wants to provide therapy within the game itself.
“We will be launching this project by the end of the year. I think it’s already clear that psychiatrists will have to stay within the parameters of the game,” explains Dr. Graham. “They certainly wouldn’t be wandering around the game in white coats and would have to use the same characters available to other players. Of course one problem we’re going to have to overcome is that while a psychiatrist may excel in what they do in the real world, they’re probably not going to be very good at playing World of Warcraft.
“We may have to work at that if we are going to get through to those who play this game for hours at end.”
Graham has already contacted Blizzard, asking them to let him play World of Warcraft for free. I’m sure that, since it’s totally in the name of science and selfless dedication to mental wellbeing, nobody will dare accuse this man of simply trying to score a free WoW account like a dirty cheapskate.
Published: Jul 29, 2009 05:00 am