Metaverse Health

The UK’s Telegraph newspaper has run a very interesting article on the issue of addiction and World of Warcraft.

The key quote for me from the article, from Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Richard Graham:

He has called on Blizzard Entertainment, the company that makes World of Warcraft, to waive or discount the costs associated with joining the game so that therapists can more easily communicate with at-risk players in their preferred environment.

It’s not an unusual perspective in addictions, but I have some doubts in the efficacy of it in relation to World of Warcraft. If the aim is purely initial engagement, then this could be a successful approach. It’s unlikely the intention is to provide actual treatment, As mentioned by Dr Andrew Campbell in his recent interview with me, there’s not a lot of evidence to support treatment within what is the primary stimulus for the issue.

At the end of it, it’s also hard to imagine Blizzard coughing up a bunch of free accounts for practitioners – it’d potentially be a PR nightmare. Also, the health professionals may stand out a little if they don’t understand the dynamics and social etiquettes of the game. Of course, the only way they can do that is by spending time in-game. Perhaps there needs to be a Blizzard-sponsored WoW training program for health professionals?