Search the Community

The World Health Organization (WHO) wants you to put down the controller. "Gaming disorder" is officially making its debut appearance in a new version of the U.N. org's International Classification of Diseases. What's gaming disorder? It's when gaming becomes so addictive it affects relationships and rational behavior. So basically, a drug. And just like a drug, gaming addiction can lead to anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts, according to the WHO. Not to mention the economic burden of being a "gamer" On the extreme end of the spectrum, there's Daigo—a 31-year-old with severe gaming disorder: he spent $70,000 on in-game purchases for Sony's popular Fate/Grand Order game. And then there are casual gaming addicts. They occasionally drop out of college and can't hold jobs. If they hope to receive therapy, it can cost up to $30,000 for the first 7 weeks. That's not a problem for everyone Gaming is more than a social outlet—it's a profession and a land of glorious economic opportunity for a select few. Forget esports and gaming tournaments (where the world's top players earn $200,000 a year) and meet Ninja—an incredibly successful Fortnite player. He makes $500,000 a month. How (you ask as you hand in your 2 weeks notice)? Because millions of users pay Twitch—a live streaming service for personable gamers—$4.99 a month to watch Ninja play. Ninja splits that revenue. But Ninja's one in a billion Actually, 2.6 billion—that's the number of people around the world who play video games (one-third of the global population), while only a couple hundred are making over $100,000 a year in prize money. That said, the gaming industry could grow 30% to $180 billion in the next three years. There's clearly increasing demand, but expect the WHO to play the parent as the industry grows up.