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When Nerd Love Dies

Tue, 02/19/2008 - 8:08am by geeksugar
999 Views - 30 comments

And I thought money was the number one reason couples fought! A California couple is divorcing after the husband developed an all-encompassing addiction to World of Warcraft. Jocelyn and Peter had been married for six years when she bought him the multiplayer game and he became quickly obsessed with it.

Jocelyn said Peter spent several hours every day, from 6:30 p.m. to 3 a.m., playing World of Warcraft after work instead of spending time with her. He couldn't even make time for one half-hour show to watch together, Jocelyn said. Peter even stopped paying bills and doing his part of the housework, and predictably, Jocelyn eventually kicked him to the curb. Where's Dr. Drew when you need him?!

I can actually see how this could happen — people can form legitimate addictions to anything, it seems, and technology only provides a whole new slew of options. I've been barked at by my boyfriend to stop playing with my iPhone or laptop and I've sniped at him in kind. Has anyone else every had relationship problems caused by their gadgets or games?

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30 Comments Add a Comment

  • Mormon_Princess's picture
    Mormon_Princess
    1

    My fiance hates it when I answer my phone when we're on a date. So we've compromised. ^_^

    It does make people annoyed though. I don't like it when he's on the computer when I'm over his place. LOL.

    A date is a date. If you're married, spend time with your SO. ^_~

    39 weeks 2 days ago Report Comment
  • kitkatherine's picture
    kitkatherine
    3

    my boyfriend - a lover of all things video games and what not - has never really ignored me for video games. i remember when gears of war came out, i was afraid that for like a week he wouldnt talk to me. instead, he played maybe an hour a night, and had me cuddle and watch him (which i like doing). he played wow before he dated me, and played from now and then when he dated me, and i just made fun of him - but then he got me to play! (i like the blood elves... sorry) but it was boring.... addicting because we had this friend person and i got new dresses, but i couldn't play like most could, i got bored after about an hour, and then just kind of went and did sit ups while i put my character on the "follow" command, aka, my character just ran where ever my boyfriend's did.
    but we have a mutual love for gadgets, but also each other and our work. games and fun come after work and us time, and sometimes us time is playing a level of halo together, because team work is the love.

    39 weeks 2 days ago Report Comment
  • Ikandy's picture
    Ikandy
    4

    my fiance is pretty good with his games...clearly hes addicted, but he pulls himself away to spend time with me.

    39 weeks 2 days ago Report Comment
  • gab6784's picture
    gab6784
    6

    Ha, I remember when my husband (then bf) use to play Dark Age of Camelot all frickin day, every day!!! It use to piss me the hell off so I decided to try it out so that we could at least do something together and now we are both addicted LOL. So I say if you can't beat em' join em'!!

    39 weeks 1 day ago Report Comment
  • laura220's picture
    laura220
    7

    This happened with my ex.

    That's why he's an ex.

    It got so bad that after a month of literally not hearing from him more than once a week, I dumped him. Of course, after about two weeks I got so annoyed I just forgot to call him, and then when he finally called I broke up with him.

    L0L

    Fun times.

    39 weeks 1 day ago Report Comment
  • x_juicyfruit's picture
    x_juicyfruit
    8

    No, this hasn't happened to me, and I don't think it will.

    However, if I was in that woman's situation, I would've done the exact same thing. That's a bit excessive.

    39 weeks 1 day ago Report Comment
  • Pentox's picture
    Pentox
    9

    I've been addicted to WoW in the past, but in my opinion if it's so dominating that it causes you to ignore your SO/GF/Wife/etc. that's a bit much and well, you probably don't deserve to be with them. In my opinion she deserves your attention if that's what she wants. But that might just be me though.

    39 weeks 1 day ago Report Comment
  • ocpinay's picture
    ocpinay
    10

    These are the kind of articles that make me glad my husband is not into games:) His TV gets a lot of attention, but at least he likes me to watch shows with him.

    The types of addictions people have these days can be quite scary!

    39 weeks 1 day ago Report Comment
  • TidalWave's picture
    TidalWave
    11

    I would a million times over have my bf addicted to video games than tv.

    Kitkat: "and i got new dresses, but i couldn't play like most could, i got bored after about an hour, and then just kind of went and did sit ups while i put my character on the "follow" command" -- It really doesn't sound like you played the game at all, imo!! lol @ dresses!! they don't even exist in the game! i guess i know what you mean, but yeah, definitely sounds like rpg's are not your thing.

    this is all about priorities. some people have them in check, some don't.

    39 weeks 1 day ago Report Comment
  • komler's picture
    komler
    13

    I definitely think that it would have made me reassess a relationship if my boyfriend wasn't paying attention to me - at least to a certain degree - in his spare time. Sure, he should have time for his own things, but if we don't do things together, what's the point in spending time together?

    39 weeks 1 day ago Report Comment
  • i am awesomeness's picture
    i am awesomeness
    14

    HAHA! That's so ironic because this morning in my public speaking class, we had to do informative speeches about a topic of our choice. one student chose video games, and he mentioned World of Warcraft-- how it has been described as so addicting that it has become (jokingly, I hope!) known as a birth control! lol

    39 weeks 1 day ago Report Comment
  • JovianSkies's picture
    JovianSkies
    15

    When my bf and I were going out, he'd play games sometimes, but always included me in some way, so I was never neglected. He'd stop playing because he felt guilty anyway, though I never actually had a problem with it.
    We're pretty laid back people Smiling

    39 weeks 1 day ago Report Comment
  • 7bits's picture
    7bits
    16

    I would say the majority of gamers that break up are because the relationships they build IN GAME. IE: spending more time with players than your SO.

    39 weeks 1 day ago Report Comment
  • colormesticky's picture
    colormesticky
    17

    Hubby and I are good about getting off the computer or shutting of the XBox when the other starts to feel neglected, so we've never had a problem. My sister, on the other hand, just dumped her boyfriend not too long ago over WoW.

    39 weeks 1 day ago Report Comment
  • kissmesteph's picture
    kissmesteph
    18

    I personally haven't, but I know couples who ignore their family and friends (and kids) to play WoW. It's kind of ridiculous. People need to learn self-control.

    39 weeks 1 day ago Report Comment
  • pandatron's picture
    pandatron
    19

    My ex was addicted to Halo. I'm a gamer myself, so I understand the addictive aspects of games and what it's like when you're really into something. But you have to draw the line somewhere. You can't let it interfere with reality.

    He didn't want me to come near him when he was playing, he was overly aggressive during and after playing (it literally took him about an hour to calm down after a Halo session). The worst part was that he did it late into the night, the console was in the bedroom, and he would yell constantly while I was trying to sleep. And whenever I said anything about it, he would turn to me and yell at me like I was the guy that just killed him in the game. So loud, in fact, that we got the cops called on us and almost got evicted for all the noise complaints we received.

    Needless to say, I didn't last more than 6 months in that apartment with him.

    39 weeks 1 day ago Report Comment
  • missbanana's picture
    missbanana
    21

    hah. funny. ive heard alot of couples (friends of mine) breaking up over this

    39 weeks 1 day ago Report Comment
  • Phasekitty's picture
    Phasekitty
    22

    My bf runs an online community and it drives me crazy when he devotes long hours to something that's not his job, doesn't pay him, and eats up the very little time we have together (we both work jobs with super long hours). Whenever we're planning on doing something (watching tv, eating dinner, etc.), I have to tell him that he needs to get off 10 minutes in advance because it takes him forever to pull himself away. It drives me nuts, but we both understand and he doesn't completely ignore me.

    39 weeks 1 day ago Report Comment
  • Random's picture
    Random
    23

    Thankfully, it hasn't happened yet. My boyfriend used to text people during movies or dinner, but stopped after I told him it really bothered me (I know, but I'm one of the people who puts my phone on silence in restaurants, movies, etc. and won't look at it until we're out the door). A couple I know are both addicted, and it's kind of sad. Neither of them keep any kind of real job, and spend all their free time playing WoW. It got to the point where she pretty much dropped out of school because of it, and the few times I was over at her place, she didn't bother to look up from the computer screen.

    39 weeks 1 day ago Report Comment
  • freegracefrom's picture
    freegracefrom
    24

    My boyfriend will get really into a game for a week or two. It's pretty rare though and doesn't last forever. When he gets into that mode, I just devote my time to something else. It only irritates me when he makes us late for something because he doesn't want to stop playing.

    39 weeks 21 hours ago Report Comment
  • Alia Miller's picture
    Alia Miller
    25

    My boyfriend was addicted to this game!! And I mean REALLY ADDICTED!!! His gaming buddies were more important and it almost cost us our relationship!

    Well actually, I was giving up on him and found myself a toy-boy. Haha. Anyywaayyys to cut things short, he found out and he realized that it was HIS ADDICTION that drove me away.

    And now he's FORBIDDEN to touch WORLD OF WARCRAFT or ANY games that can destroy our relationship.

    39 weeks 14 hours ago Report Comment
  • LadyAngel89's picture
    LadyAngel89
    26

    One word... Everquest.

    When we both used to play, it was a fun pasttime for the both of us to share that didn't cost a lot of money. But now that I don't just work part-time anymore and he still does I've quit playing and he plays more than ever.

    I don't have time anymore to keep up the house like I used to, and instead of picking up a little slack the house goes to a shambles because he would rather play. Sometimes he would stay up all night while I slept and sleep all day while I was at work. Nothing would get done.

    He still plays, but we've taken months to work out the issues. It most certainly is an addiction, and is hard to deal with when you're the one that is being put on the backburner.

    39 weeks 4 hours ago Report Comment
  • sparklestar's picture
    sparklestar
    27

    This happened to me!
    I lived with a guy and he would play Guild Wars/Civlisation/World of Warcraft CONSTANTLY.

    He would get up around 10am (after I'd gone to work) and play til around 3am/4am. He even cancelled attendance at one of my family's events because he'd promised somebody he would be in a certain place at a certain time to carry out a raid!

    WTF??

    I broke up with him soon after the family event cancellation. I think I kind of ended up cheating on him but he also kind of deserved it for ignoring me for the last 12 months.
    =P

    38 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • sparklestar's picture
    sparklestar
    28

    Oh I run a big online community but if somebody asks me to unplug then I do. They don't pay me enough to be online 24/7. =P

    38 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • magickalrealism's picture
    magickalrealism
    29

    Absolutely. My marriage was the victim of Playstation - my ex husband would rather spend hours on it than go to school, talk to me, or engage in the fun parts of marriage. It lasted 31/2 years, and that was all I could take of being ignored.

    38 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • lilwildone1202's picture
    lilwildone1202
    30

    my man used to be addicted to world of warcraft-- well addicted might be pushing it but he would play all the damn time. when we were long distance, i didn't care if he played all night bc usually i'd be on instant messanger talking to him..but man oh man when i moved in with him it was an on going battle when he'd raid four nights a week and then come to bed at 1-2 am. i used to freak on him. but then he started playing less and less and then finally he got bored of it. but..yeah sucked

    38 weeks 4 days ago Report Comment

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