作者：Yaniv Nizan

人们一直说游戏是一种严重的上瘾行为。报纸上已经出现了许多有关需要干涉青少年游戏行为的文章。这里是否存在某些物质会从化学上影响人类的大脑？可能没有。这里还会发生一些其它事。优秀的游戏会模拟现实生活，从而让用户开始混淆虚拟世界与现实。这也是人们为什么会在游戏中购买虚拟商品，会因为与部落隔离开来而绝望并沉迷于获胜的主要原因。

这种情况也出现在我身上。我会下载一款游戏去看看它到底有何乐趣。毕竟这也是我工作的一部分。几周后，我所写的内容会逐渐减少，错过截止日期，并变得不爱社交。在从头开始创建一家公司时，我什么都负担不起。而以下是我从这一过程中学到的一些经验教训：

addictive（from gamasutra）

你在等待生活/燃料去填满空缺

大多数成功的游戏都带有基于能量的机制，将限制持续游戏玩法的数量。对于非上瘾用户，这将作为一种现实检查。你玩了15分成的游戏。是时候开始做些其它事了。如果你上瘾了，你将发现自己会不断注视着手上的设备，并等着能量栏充满。

你设置了一个闹钟

让我们假设你只是在自己的土地上种了西红柿，你将在8小时内进行收成。有些游戏整合了这样的机制。如果你设置一个闹钟，这便意味着游戏已经渗透到你的心里。

请求好友的支持

你是否曾经让好友在游戏中提供帮助。需要一个生命？想要一起组建一个部落？如果你想要在现实生活中过着正常且丰富的生活，这将不会是一个好现象。

在可消费商品上投入升水货币

大多数游戏都具有升水货币。这是你不能频繁通过普通游戏玩法所获得的稀有货币，除非你为此投入真钱。特别关注于你是如何消费这种类型的货币。如果你购买的东西是最有可能被消耗的，那么你很快便会购买这些货币。

将其他人带进游戏

你是否会告诉朋友自己发现的一款优秀游戏并尝试着说服他们去尝试这款游戏？你会声称“这真的能够帮助我保持大脑的清醒，”以及“我只会在等地铁的时候玩这款游戏。”如果你会这么做，那就说明你被吸引住了。足够上瘾的你就会将这种瘾性推向其他人。

你将会“喜欢”，发送tweet或下载其它应用

为了获得成功你会走多远。你可能不想要付钱，但你也许会选择“喜欢”，发送tweet，观看广告或下载其它应用。这是一种滑坡效应。

你正在为某些内容存钱

对于那些游戏中你真的需要的特殊道具，你是否会为了获得他们而节省虚拟货币？你是否会计算自己需要花多长时间才能积攒到足够的虚拟货币？在现实生活中我们总是会鼓励人们攒钱。而如果你在游戏中也这么做，就说明你真的上瘾了。

你的电池半天就用光了

在你的脑袋发现很难去追踪自己为游戏投入了多少时间的时候，电池便是呈现答案的最佳仪表。比起平时，你的电池是否更快用尽？游戏是否总是会渴求更多能量并要求屏幕始终亮着。

边盯着屏幕边与别人说话

不能将眼睛从屏幕上移开去与别人说话？就为了在时间耗尽前完成某一关卡而错过了地铁？

刷任务

游戏中是否有哪一部分内容让你觉得就像在工作似得？你是否会因为能够获得虚拟货币仍然继续玩它？许多成功的游戏都带有这样的组件。这是让你将反复任务变成虚拟货币的特殊方法。一旦你愿意为虚拟货币而劳作，它又与现实中的金钱有何区别？

（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

10 Signs You are Hooked on a Mobile Game

by Yaniv Nizan

People have been talking about games as seriously addictive. Newspapers have written articles about teenagers needing an intervention. Is there a substance in them that chemically affect the brain? Probably not. There is something else going on here. Good games are simulating real life and the user start confusing the virtual world with the reality (let’s leave Matrix like conspiracy theories aside). This is how people end up paying for virtual goods in games, this is why people can get depressed if they were banned from their clan and get obsessed with being the best and winning.

It happened to me as well. I would download a game to see what the fuss is about. After all, that’s part of my job. A few weeks later I would start writing less, miss my deadlines and become less social. Not something I can afford while starting a company from the ground up. Here is how I learned to detect and preempt:

You Are Waiting for Life/Fuel to Refill

Most successful games have energy based mechanics that limit the amount of continuous game play. To the non addicted user, this serves as a reality check. You played 15 minutes. Time to do something else. If you are addicted, you will find yourself waiting with the device in your hand and waiting for the bars to add up.

You Set Up an Alarm Clock

Let’s say you just planted tomatoes in your field and they will be ready for picking in 8 hours. Some games have this kind of mechanics built into them. If you set an alarm clock it probably means the game got under your skin.

Asking Your Friends for Favors

Have you ever asked a friend to give you a hand in a game. Need a life? Want to form a clan together? Not a good sign if you want plan on actually having a life in the real world.

Spending Premium Currency on Consumable Goods

Most games have premium currency. These are the coins that you can’t get with normal game play regularly but are extremely rare unless of course you pay with real money. Pay special attention to how you spend this type of currency. If you buy things that are being consumed most likely that you will end up buying these coins sooner or later.

Getting Others Into the Game

Do you tell your friends about the great game you discovered and try to convince them to try it? “It really helps keeping my brain sharp” you claim and “I only play it while waiting in the subway”. If you are, you might be hooked. Hooked enough to push the drug to others.

You are Willing to Like, Tweet or Download other Apps

How far will you go in order to get ahead. You might not be willing to pay yet but how about liking, tweeting, watching video ads or downloading other apps? It’s a slippery slope from there.

You are Saving Up for Something

Are there special items in the game that you really need and are willing to save your virtual currency in order to get them? Do you find yourself calculating how long will it take for you to accumulate enough to by Nitrous Level 4? In real life we encourage saving up. In games it’s a good sign you got confused there for a second.

Your Battery Runs Out Mid-day

While your mind finds it hard to track how much time you actually spending on playing, your battery meter is a good indication for that. Does your batter start running out sooner in the day than it used to? Games are usually power hungry as they require the screen to be lit all the time.

You Talk to People While Your Eyes are Glued to the Screen

Can’t take your eyes of your screen to talk to people? Missed a station at the subway to complete the level before time runs out? These are not good signs.

Grind Work

Is there a part of the game that feels like work after a while? Do you still do it because this is how you get virtual coins? Many successful games have a component like that. A special way for you to turn a repetitive task into virtual coins. After all, once you are willing to work for virtual coins how different it is from real money?（source：gamasutra）