10 Addictive Video Games That Will Ruin Your Life

Video game addiction is one of those ailments that a lot of people still refuse to take seriously, even though in its most extreme cases it has caused people to lose their jobs, have relationships break-down and even in a few really bad instances, it has been the cause of some deaths. Granted, I wouldn't begin to put the problem on the same level of pervasiveness as something like alcohol or drug abuse, but video games, through their nature of rewarding certain "behaviours", is a far more addictive commodity than any other form of entertainment out there. Within the confines of control, an addictive game is a great thing, but if the game manages to take hold on someone with a truly addictive personality, it can ruin their life. Here are 10 games with life-destroying powers...

10. The Sims

There's a sure irony in the fact that it's a game about simply living your life that ends up taking some people's away! I imagine you have to live a pretty dissatisfied existence to disappear within the idyllic dream-world of Maxis' The Sims for hours on end, but I will give the developers credit; they have given players a wealth of mechanics to play with, meaning that it's easy to whittle away an entire day just building up your family, getting a job and trying to move up in the world. It'll ruin your life by causing you to lose perspective of your own; a true addict will be more excited about the 78th expansion pack being released next week rather than their own wedding anniversary, and by doling out this steady stream of additional content, Maxis and EA are able to enslave people forever more. And really, this applies to just about any game with the word "sim" in the title; the mere wealth of possibility in the latest SimCity game, for example, is pretty damn boundless, especially with the new online modes.
 
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Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.