Are video games intrinsically addictive? An international online survey

Introduction: Gaming Disorder is a new category in the ICD-11 despite mixed evidence supporting its validity. In order to determine if this is a distinct and separate category of addiction, it is necessary to demonstrate a link between the inherent properties of video games, and problematic symptoms. The current study aimed to evaluate this link by examining differences in problematic video game use (PVGU) across different video game genres. Materials and methods: Participants (N = 1958) aged 14 and above were recruited internationally through online English language video game forums and completed an online survey 10-30 min in length. Results: When controlling for participants' age and self-rated impulsivity scores, there were no overall differences in PVGU between genres (i.e., Role Playing Game, Action/Adventure, Shooter, Strategy, Simulation), or across different proportions of social play. Self-rated impulsivity and frequency of playtime were uniquely and positively associated with PVGU. Conclusion: The current study does not support the assertion that the type of video game played is related to levels of problem use, challenging the idea that video games themselves are 'addictive'. Future research should explore whether, when controlling for impulsivity and social play, online only or Massively Multiplayer Online games are predictive of PVGU.