Messages By: tawnee69

Thank you so much for doing this show. 

I joined GamerWidow in Nov 2005 after my partner started playing Wow in May 2005.  By then it was already too late.  He was hooked.

He would play about 80 hours a week and had trouble holding down a job.  He resorted to stealing money from my credit card ($800Aus) to buy wow gold in a 3 week period.  He needed his fix.

In the end he resorted to physical violence to stop me bugging him about the game.  If I got hit when I mentioned the time spent on gaming it doesn't take long to figure out not to bug him.  But sometimes working 50 hours a week and having 2 kids and doing all the housework got to me and I complained.  And I got hurt.

This game is addicting.  It was designed that way.  The small rewards, the time sink, the social content.  Be a loser in RL but dominate in Wow. 

The last line is the important one.

Us widows are not talking about 1 hour playing...that's a hobby.

We are talking about doing NOTHING else but gaming.  Ignoring your spouse, job, responsibilities and children.

Yes, some gamers out there ignore their kids. And just because other things are addictive doesn't make gaming any less so, or less damaging.

I have been abused by gaming.  Marriges have broken up, children feel neglected and worth less than a game.

Is this right? Is this ok? Hell no!

I understand needing to relieve stress.  I have a very stressful job.  However I deal with my house, my yard and spend quality time with my kids and when they are in bed then I sit and read.

Gaming to the point that you neglect everything else is NEVER ok!

After living together for a year my partner went visit his parents and came back with wow.

After a year of being together and no sign of gaming, he jumped straight to 8 hours a day.

He got sucked.  We tried scheduling play, we tried certain days, then times, however promises were always broken.

Even his best friend would bitch about the amount of time he spent gaming and then lo and behold my ex got him sucked in too.  They are both now hooked.

So yes, it can start just like that.  Maybe don't mention things like that unless you know for a fact.

As long as people can come to an agreement about play time, who gets to play "first" while the other watches the kids and so on. I can't see how it is a bad thing.

Wow (no pun intended) that says it all!

You choose and discuss who gets to play "first" over looking after and spending time with your kids.

Your children should NEVER come second to a game and don't think that they won't realise.  If they are too young now they will when they are older.  You are choosing to spend this precious time with your kids on a game.

At least both wait until they are asleep.