Video game addiction can become an issue. Video game addiction for a developer is worse. I'd know I've been there and I'm debating the return to writing for the second updated version of the same game as a developer right now. Part of me wants to go do it, I enjoyed the challenge of writing, I enjoyed the satisfaction of seeing my writing online in a game.

However it did quite literally become something I had to play every day and whenever I was on a computer be it in the library, college, friends etc I would play this game religiously for the time it took for me to at least burn my turns with a master and survey that my character development was going to plan. Because I worked on the game there was a distinct situation of no escape, I worked and played the game (I was a player first and frankly addicted prior to working on it) as a developer I needed to play the game to test features and quests out but as a gamer I found it to be excellent since this allowed me to keep a couple of test characters as well as my own characters thus allowing me to play 3 or 4 characters a day compared to the 1 - 2 allowed under the rules. The game literally affected my life, socially and romantically I had girlfriends get jealous of the game and try and ban me from playing several times and each time it would fail depending on the outcome of that attempt the relationship would also fail.

The situation of the above paragraph is one I don't wish to see a return to. The newer version of the game if anything being more developed and balanced is actually even more addictive. I've begun playing the game though I am trying very hard to get sucked in to it (though that isn't kinda helped when I got the original creator asking me my thoughts and opinions and if I want to write and one of my best friends playing the game is actually one of the former developers of the original version who worked with me and he has taken the offer of helping to administrate, test and develop the new version). Even if I do accept the position I need to find a way to enjoy the job, the game and not to let it affect my work or love life.

In my opinion if you reckon you have trouble with gaming addiction and are concerned about the idea of developing your own game you're probably in the right, being concerned is what I would be. Game development can seriously wreck homes and destroy lives. As a freelancer or a independent developer you have to remember that games development is a time consuming role often bound with strict deadlines which can make the difference between earning the full value of your contract or nothing at all and independents often work unpaid financing their very expensive server and net connection speeds and the wages of any staff members working for them out of their own money until the game is completed and launched.

Spend some time playing a beta/alpha online mmog such as Black Prophecy or even try the game I am currently wrestling my own conscience over which can be found here, Curse of Backdraft. get involved in the feedback and ideas sections of the developers forums, get to know them and see how they feel about the game. Often they will love the game yes, however they will also hate many things about their job such as dealing with cheaters, it has to be done but these players sometimes are people you get to know, they can be nice guys but they broke the rules and their end user agreement. Doesn't mean we take relish in dealing with them for that. Who knows, prove yourself worth the interest and time and maybe someone will let you trial as a game admin/dev and see what you can do. Don't jump off in to the deep end of game development before you've walked at least 1000 miles in the shoes of a developer.