In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

June 18, 2008

Parents and Vietnamese government officials are concerned about addiction to online games, according to a story in the Thanhnien News.

Describing an Internet cafe in Ho Chi Minh City, the report features interviews with players who are hanging out and neglecting their schoolwork:

They play online games day and night, and many ignore their studies. The phenomenon is also growing among college students, who can access the Internet in the dorms... without the supervision of their families.

The report also notes that the government's Ministry of Information and Communications controls online gaming accounts, automatically logging players off after five hours:
 
 

Most game players have figured out surprisingly simple ways to circumvent the system. The most common way is to simply reset the playing hours, meaning that after the player completes their regulated hours he can exit and then log in again. Minh, a game player in Hanoi, says he can play 24 hours a day, seven days a week thanks to tricks that can be found on game suppliers’ websites.

 

Comments

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

No mention of which game suppliers? Maybe some links to said exploits?

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

The more you restrict something the more someone usually wants it.  Human nature last I checked.

That along with your kids are usually more educated than you are. 

-Loudspeaker
"Volume helps to get a point across but sharp teeth are better."

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

"Ministry of Information and Communications controls online gaming accounts, automatically logging players off after five hours."

"Most game players have figured out surprisingly simple ways to circumvent the system."

I would say that by limiting the number of hours that a person can play, it is likely causing the exact opposite affect from what their government wants. It is possibly a link between the rush/thrill of 'breaking the rules' and associating that small endorphin rush with online games. Note that I'm not saying the games themselves are addicting, but that the players are getting a kick out of circumventing the orwellian laws and becoming "addicted" (such a strong word , maybe 'inclined' is better?) to that. But that is just a theory.

My other guess would be that people want to play online longer because it is a form of escapism, and they want to enjoy their online lives as an relaxing break from their real-life duties.

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

Compulsion is a better word.

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

Isn't Vietnam a communist state

*checks*

yes it is.

I recall reading an artical on why the communist states are so concerned over MMO addiction, would love to find it again.

 

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

Yeah, I noticed their's not a lot of non-communist countries with this problem. All this proves is that people in Vietnam have escapist needs far beyond ours. As the veterans said, Nam sucks.

 

-If shit and bricks were candy and tits, we'd all be livin' large. For information on games and psychology, look up:

Jonathan Freedman (2002)

Block and Crain (2007)

Grand Theft Childhood, a book by Harvard Medical School researchers Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl Olson

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

Its not communism as much as culture. Ex. South Korea

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

Story: They lack DISCIPLINE!

JACK THOMPSON: You're an old spaz who can't seem to talk in the first person and you are about to be disbarred. Have you ever won a single goddamn case in your life? Please, just name ONE case!

 

-If shit and bricks were candy and tits, we'd all be livin' large. For information on games and psychology, look up:

Jonathan Freedman (2002)

Block and Crain (2007)

Grand Theft Childhood, a book by Harvard Medical School researchers Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl Olson

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

John Bruce has won plenty of cases. Just never any that involves the video game industry.

E. Zachary Knight
www.editorialgames.com

 

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

We should all just ignore old Whacko - as soon as September rolls by he'll become increasingly desperate for attention, so just IP ban him or delete all his comments, let him know we don't give a shit about his failed life.  Only way these freaks learn.


 

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

It doesn't really work, dude. We've tried it. It just makes him scream even LOUDER and think that we're afraid of him and stuff. It's a whole 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' scenario. So we might as well stick our hands into the lion's cage when the lion inside it doesn't have any teeth or claws.

And he's already been IP banned. He's proxy-hacking (apparent from the many backslashes in his posts) to post here, and even then, Dennis only allows comments as he sees fit, so it doesn't really matter.

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

Maybe Dennis could implement an MMO style "ignore" list.  We could all put his name on the list.  Jack would be happy because he'd see all of his vitriole, and we'd all be happy because we'd never see his acidic, hate-filled comments ever again.  Best of both worlds!

I know, tons of work-arounds for him that he'd no-doubt try, but hey, I'm too distracted by my gaming addictions to come up with any better ideas .

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

But it's FUN to counter him! XD

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

I agree, I look forward to seeing his posts -_^

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

So the troll strikes again...

These are COLLEGE ADULTS, they are not kids anymore.  What they do with their life is their problem.  If they want to slack off and play games, let them.

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

But if they play games all day then they can't work for the state.

 

Communism is only as strong as its inherently flawed principles.

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

I've always joked with my korean friend about the steretotype that asians play these games a lot more than anyone else (he brings it up more often than I do in case anyone's wondering), I can't WAIT to show him this.

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

I haven't heard Jack talk about addiction, just the violence in the games.

Jack, does it ever get old pretending you're right all the time   

What's up with him putting a slash in you're?

Anyway, if they aren't living by themselves yet, it should be the parent's responsibility to keep their playtime in check instead of the gov. That's pretty much the gov. saying "You suck at parenting so we'll do it for you."     If they're at or out of college, that's their choice to play for more than five hours. It's a good intention to stop people from just slacking off and playing games but when they try to FORCE the player off, that's taking it too far. It's their life, and sadly some choose to spend it foolishly, but that's their choice.

And besides, isn't it just going to make people want to break the "rules"?

 

 

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction
Of course not, since he's addicted to his own ego. Why do you think he still trolls here? He wants the attention and persecution because it makes him feel important and one step closer to being Christ, even though we all know that he's closer to the dirty bums that preach on street corners in major cities.

 

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

Getting past the checks allows them to play 24 hours a day, seven days a week? How many people did this, and for how many weeks, before they collapsed from exhaustion/starvation/thirst/burst bladder?

Typical hack journalism: Anytime doesn't mean all the time.

And who hasn't pulled an all-nighter in the past? :)

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

Jack...wow.  Thank you for reassuring me that stupidity still reigns supreme.  Yeah, I thought you were about violence, way to go on changing your crusading platform to suit the case. 

ANYWAY, yeah this story is funny, and who hasn’t pulled an all nighter? I think my record is like 28 hours strait...not a world record or anything but im proud of it ^_^ And seriously, if it is their desire to waste their lives then who is anyone to stop them? Im going to quote Yukko from xxxholic.  She said that if someone chooses fortune or misfortune and that is their wish, then wouldn’t they be happy in their own right?  What ever anyone does in life they will have to take the outcome, in this case they are ruining a chance for a degree and their hygiene and a successful career in the real world.  That is their choice and if they want to do it, they will.  You cant help the helpless, it takes them actually wanting to change for the change to happen.  And the gov forcing them to stop? Yeah, good idea. All anyone can do is tell and show them what will happen if they continue to neglect their duties.  And some people it actually takes them screwing around before they learn their lessons, the saying that the best lessons are the hardest to learn holds true.  It took me being addicted to wow for three years and still working at Wal-Mart as a college drop out before i decided it was time to move on and not play 10-12 hours a day anymore and focus more on my school and career.  Just part of growing up ^_^.

Oh yeah...Jack? September is so close but not close enough.  Kthxbye.

 

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction
I'll agree with a previous poster that this is more a cultural things, however since it is also the People's Republic of Vietnam then there is a control issue to this as well. Since the government sees that these people are circumventing the restriction that the Party has set upon the population (see China Google controversy), they see it as a possible threat to the ordered, obedient structured lifestyle that they have set out for the population. Like with China, internet communication has opened up possibilities of sharing information that the government of both nations wish to limit. For example, you cannot search for any information regarding the Tianamen Square Massacre through any search engine in China, even though it was widely covered by news agencies around the world.
 
As for our favorite Jack-ass. Maybe you should go make thinly veiled threats to a federal judge about killing 3000 people again, they'll elect you Pontiff of cell block D for that.

 

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

I'm curious, what is it about far east culture that seems to give rise to this sort of thing?  I mean, you never hear about somebody in africa or even here playing 24x7 - 7 days a week. Was it Korea that one dude played for like a week and they found him dead in the bathroom?  Never having seen these places, I honestly don't really know, but I wonder why the owners of these internet cafes don't make a couple extra bucks by selling sandwiches or something.   When games are in the news here, it's usually something to do with violence or sexual behavior, not playing them too long.  Wonder what that says about the various countries...

As for Jack, I don't actually want to be disparaging today, but he's just being a douche because he hasn't had a headline of his own in a couple days. I mean, looking at that post...does he even have a point or is he just trying to piss people off?  It wouldn't surprise me if he didn't read the article.  In short Jack, yea, it does get old being wrong often, but I try to use that as incentive to learn from my mistakes.

 

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

Wow, JT is such a child. Video game addiction is no different than TV addiction, internet addiction, or porn addiction. They all are not "physical" addictions, as in doing them will automatically hook your body on them, yet they can be pshycological addictions, as in a weak minded person can easily become hooked on them for whatever reason, yet it's not necessarily the "fault" of the product, as such people simply have addictive personalities, and thus would be addicted to peanut butter given the circumstances. Again, Jack Thompson is an idiot, the gist of my post.

Re: In Vietnam, Concerns Over Online Game Addiction

The companies producing online games need to take more responsibility for their gamers and warn of addiction and health risks. Sadly it’s down to the colleges to remind students to do their studies. 

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Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
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Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
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Posted 11/07/09 at 10:03am
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:56am
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Posted 11/07/09 at 09:45am
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Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:30am
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:44am
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
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