by Matt Remley

Created on: April 04, 2009   Last Updated: April 06, 2009

Over the last decade video games have become increasingly popular around the world. They have helped form our cultures, taught our kids valuable lessons, and even been part of some of the greatest debates of our time. However, do these virtual worlds lead players to massive amounts of stress?

At the moment, we're talking specifically about multiplayer online games, which is fairly new to the gaming industry due to technology limitations when video games were created. Through the invention of the Internet, video gamers can now player their favorite games with people from around the world in an instant.

First Person Shooters

Being one of the most popular forms of multiplayer online gaming, first person shooters are games were a player controls a character from the first person viewpoint as if they were that character. Typically these games involve shooting the enemy as quickly as possible, and this can lead to some serious stress issues.

It should be noted that video games aren't just for the average nerd anymore, tons of people play them, and some even play them for a living. Think about it, when you play the games for a living, you want to be extremely good at them, but if someone is better then you then there will probably be some trouble.

That's usually where the stress issues start and end for people that play these games. Not every part of the game can be beaten with skill, so luck is sometimes an issue that gamers face on their way to the top. No one wants to be the guy playing the game and seriously losing as if the other person was unstoppable, which is the ultimate stress causer for first person shooters.

MMORPG

Another popular form of multiplayer online gaming, massively multiplayer online role playing games, is a genre where players control a character and basically grow with them. Most of the time in these games, players grow by battling monsters. However in MMORPG's, players will find that the games are completely endless and can be updated by the developers at anytime.

Often times MMORPG's are expanded upon by the developers to keep people interested, one of the best examples of popular MMORPG games is World of Warcraft. When it comes to stress, these games are probably some of the highest causes of it in regards to gaming.

Players of MMORPG's force themselves into sitting down for long periods of time, collecting items in these almost endless games. In these games, how players communicate with others can potentially be your downfall and cause massive amounts of stress. If a player group doesn't like you, then they will most likely show it.

Aside from that, the quests and adventures the players character is forced to go on to progress through the game are often times very extensive. Sometimes, a player has to do quests that can last up to eight hours or more to get a special item. The stress of having to do everything perfect or be forced to start over, and add all of the pressure from peers in the game, and you have a virtual stress factory.

Of course these two genres of gaming aren't the only stress causing multiplayer online games, but they are the biggest causes. Sadly there is pretty much no to cut back on the stress besides for telling yourself that it's only a game. As gaming continues to become popular, people will find new ways to become stressed by it, so buckle up and remember to just have fun.

Learn more about this author, Matt Remley.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.