Health Risks and Conceptual Flaws in Raiding
Although relative to differing levels of content difficulty, raid design in most MMORPGs often requires players to play for extended periods of time.
There is much academic discussion about the concept of raids as currently implemented in graphical MMOs. With growing concerns about the addictive nature of MMOs, the fact that raids require 3–4+ hours of constant gameplay leads some to believe they are inherently (and physically) unhealthy. A 2003 study by the National Institutes of Health found that playing MMORPGs for more than 20 hours per week correlates to obesity and nutritional imbalance as well as an increased propensity for bone loss and muscle atrophy.
China has addressed the issue by trying to implement national limits on how long people can play MMORPGs. The measures will impose penalties on people who play MMORPGs for more than 3 hours per day.
Some game developers believe that the way raids and raid guilds can dominate a player's life (recruitment, planning, guild drama, etc.) could potentially give people a false sense of accomplishment that impedes their ability to care about real life goals and accomplishments
Additionally, many players have expressed concerns over the predominantly vertical progression found in most MMORPGs. Major content releases may increase an existing level cap, rendering previous raid gear and end-game content obsolete. In return, players may feel forced to complete the latest game content in order to keep up with the curve.
Read more about this topic: Raid (gaming)
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