Usually, in this little space, I'd make some smart comment, but I'm at a loss for words. I don't really know how to argue against the possibility of MMORPG addiction when I'm right now sitting here, typing this, and I already can't wait till I can make some more time with Phantasy Star Universe. So what does the article have to say about MMORPG addiction?

From the article:

Online interactive role-playing games such as EverQuest and World of Warcraft draw millions into their byzantine realms and complex social orders. Some become so enthralled that mental-health professionals are seeing patients who play as much as 70 hours a week, neglecting school, work, even marriage.

What is an innocuous passion for many players is coming under increased scrutiny by therapists, and even gamers, as a potentially dangerous addiction.

Maressa Hecht Orzack, director of the Computer Addiction Studies Center at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., hears from five or six people a day looking for treatment or information related to obsessive online game-playing.

They are "so used to living in a virtual world, they don't know how to connect" in real life, said Orzack, who is on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. "I've seen more and more people who are so involved in this that they can't put it down."

Read the rest of the article over at philly.com