The game is dangerous. People with little self-control are at risk the most. I've seen college students (from places like Harvard and MIT) drop out because of the game. I've seen people go for months, even years with part-time work only to get a place to rent, eat, and play online.
One reason it's so addicting is because it demands a lot from the player. You probably know the basics already- kill things to gain levels, then kill more things to get better armor/weapons, then kill more things with this armor/weapons to get the best armor/weapons, etc. One problem is to kill some of the monsters, you need to allocate something like 8 hours of playing time in one sitting. And to prepare for those 8 hours, you need to gather components and things on your own, which takes even more time. The reward? A sense of accomplishment, I guess, or the teamwork associated with killing things with 25 other people around the world.
He'll only quit when he realizes:
a) he's going to lose something that's more important to him than the game (I imagine he cherishes you more than some online char)
b) he realizes that an online game is no substitute for real life
c) he realizes that playing games is no way to raise a family, be a role model for your (future?) kids, and that it is basically ruining him
What hobbies did he used to have before he started playing? What did you use to do together? I'm sure there are many couples where someone is playing online games from time to time, but I'd say anything over 25 hrs per week is an addiction, and requires counseling.
I don't know if talking to any of his online gaming friends would help at all... like getting them to tell him, "hey, stop neglecting your wife, this is only a game" or eventually "hey, cut down on your playing or we'll boot you from the guild/group/whatever".
There might be some other reason he's playing... a lack of self-esteem or accomplishment, burned out at work, lack of friends or real life social contacts. But he seriously needs outside help/intervention, for your sake and for his.
One reason it's so addicting is because it demands a lot from the player. You probably know the basics already- kill things to gain levels, then kill more things to get better armor/weapons, then kill more things with this armor/weapons to get the best armor/weapons, etc. One problem is to kill some of the monsters, you need to allocate something like 8 hours of playing time in one sitting. And to prepare for those 8 hours, you need to gather components and things on your own, which takes even more time. The reward? A sense of accomplishment, I guess, or the teamwork associated with killing things with 25 other people around the world.
He'll only quit when he realizes:
a) he's going to lose something that's more important to him than the game (I imagine he cherishes you more than some online char)
b) he realizes that an online game is no substitute for real life
c) he realizes that playing games is no way to raise a family, be a role model for your (future?) kids, and that it is basically ruining him
What hobbies did he used to have before he started playing? What did you use to do together? I'm sure there are many couples where someone is playing online games from time to time, but I'd say anything over 25 hrs per week is an addiction, and requires counseling.
I don't know if talking to any of his online gaming friends would help at all... like getting them to tell him, "hey, stop neglecting your wife, this is only a game" or eventually "hey, cut down on your playing or we'll boot you from the guild/group/whatever".
There might be some other reason he's playing... a lack of self-esteem or accomplishment, burned out at work, lack of friends or real life social contacts. But he seriously needs outside help/intervention, for your sake and for his.
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