Making a Video Game Addiction Work for You

Like too many other people, in late 2008 my husband lost his job. I started working part time to help cover expenses and at least have some entertainment money. It wasn't long after my husband was at home all day, and all night, with the children that he needed something to do.

We were watching television one night when a commercial came on. I heard the distinct voice of Ozzy Osbourne, and whisked my head around in a hurry.

'I've been the Prince of Darkness since nineteen seventy nine', I hear Ozzy blurt. Followed by, 'Get your free trial at World Of Warcraft dot com.'

I asked my husband 'what the heck is World of Warcraft?' We both laugh at the fact that neither one of us knew and went about our business. Later that night I had to go to work, eleven to seven, oh the joy!

I arrived home the next morning around 7:30 as usual. My husband is on the computer, very odd. I asked him what was going on and he told me he downloaded the trial to that game we saw Ozzy talking about. I shrugged it off and went to bed.

Three months went by. ALOT of arguing went on. The laundry was neglected, the house was neglected, and I was finding it hard to keep up with working my odd hours and take care of everything else. We started fighting very often.

I remember at least 100 times that I would catch him playing WoW and ask him if he washed my work clothes, or did he make supper, or do anything. He would give me a blank stare and tell me that he had to finish the quests for the area he was in to get this or that achievement. All I really heard was blah blah, blah blah, and blah. Then I would turn around and remark cockily. 'Yup! World of Warcraft!' Then stomp away, slamming doors.

At one point we discussed separation, and possibly divorce. Great, he found something that interested him, but it was causing issues because that was all he wanted to do, and I just didn't understand. I would literally get up at three in the morning, find him at the computer, and tell him I was going out. Most of the time I would get little or no response.

One day he finally said that I should download the trial on my computer and try it. He said if nothing else, at least then I would know, and maybe understand, what he was doing. It took a while, but I downloaded the trial.The ten-day trial was more than I needed to pay for the game. I was addicted, although, not as bad as he was. It seemed like it took forever to get to level 80, but my retadin holds her own. It wasn't until I reached that level

of honor that I understood what my husband was talking about when he said. 'the game only starts when you hit eighty'.

Now we play side by side. I moved my computer from the bedroom to the living room, right beside his. We are in the same guild, and our toons have all the different professions. When I get new tier 7.5 gear, he can enchant it. When he gets new epics, I can make the high level gems he needs to socket.

World of Warcraft is called an MMORPG, but it is more like a virtual reality: if you can overlook the fact that you don't really kill enemies in reality, at least normal people don't.

The auction house works like eBay, and just like an eBay seller, you are constantly checking to see if you have bids or sales. When you get mail you can't wait to run to the nearest mailbox in Dalaran to see what sold, or who it is that sent you a new goody. The WoW economy thrives on gold, and to be the best of the best you will rely on other people, with other professions, and other abilities.

Just like in the real world, you have friends, your guild is your family, your professions earn your gold to move forward, and everything has a price. Dungeons and raids earn new achievements, and Wintergrasp lands you some honor points. The more you play, the more you earn, the better you get.

My husband and I have found something we can both enjoy in this game. For $15 a month for each account we can entertain ourselves. The only downside is in a dungeon or raid when one of us does something that the other don't like, we may exchange words, much like doing something stupid in real life.

In all the years we have been together, we have never found something that we both can do, whenever we want, can, or have time, do it together, have fun, and only spend $30 for an entire month.

Healthy relationship? Or overgrown, video game playing children? You can decide, but for us, it is a great way to spend time together that was lost before.