Nick Xenophon, anti-pokie senator, encourages gambling addicts to take the SOGS (South Oaks Gambling Screen) to identify possible gambling problems. He also believes video/arcade games that display gambling features could be a danger. But there’s no SOGS test for gamers – until now!
That’s right, it’s Kotaku’s South Australian Gaming Screen.
Here in the Kotaku office, we have no doubts about electronic media subtly influencing the way we think. In fact, we were just discussing that as we munched on our steak & cheese subs on our way to pick up Predator tickets.
But real SOGS is obviously made for gambling, so we’ve made a few modifications. It’s probably best enjoyed if you read the original first. Keep track of your answers until the end so we can see, once and for all, how comparable gambling addiction is to gaming, in this completely 100% most serious of surveys. Enjoy!
1. When you play an arcade game, and epic fail, how often do you go back to attempt a better score?
_______ Never _______ Most of the time
_______ Some of the time _______ Every time that I fail2. Have you ever claimed to be winning, but weren’t really? In fact you lost?
_______ Never
_______ Yes, less than half the time I lost
_______ Yes, most of the time3. Have you ever printed build orders, dungeon guides, combo lists, maps or other supplementary info from a work/school printer?
_______ No _______ Yes _______ Yes, in the past, but not now4. Did you ever play longer than you intended to, saw the time was 3am, and just decided to “push on”?
_______ Yes _______No5. Have people criticized your gaming or told you that you had a problem, regardless of whether or not you maintain 4:1 KDR? (Parents included)
_______ Yes _______No6. Have you ever felt guilty about teamkilling, or what happens when you AFK?
_______ Yes _______No7. Have you ever felt like you would like to stop matching gems in Puzzle Quest, but did not think that you could?
_______ Yes _______No8. Have you ever hidden Wiimotes, art books, receipts from the Steam sale, or other signs of gaming from your spouse, children or other important people in your life?
_______ Yes _______No9. Have you ever argued with people you live with over how you handle Raid encounters?
_______ Yes _______No10. (If you answered “yes”: to question 9) Have money arguments ever centered on your looting ethics?
_______ Yes _______No11. Have you ever borrowed gold from someone and not paid them back?
_______ Yes _______No12. Have you ever lost time from work (or school) due to a launch event?
_______ Yes _______No13. Which of the following have you borrowed money from to pay subscription fees? (check “Yes” or “No” for each):
a. From household money _______ Yes _______No
b. From your spouse/partner _______ Yes _______No
c. From relatives or in-laws _______ Yes _______No
d. From banks, or credit unions _______ Yes ______No
e. From credit cards _______ Yes _______No
f. From loan sharks _______ Yes _______No
g. You cashed in stocks, bonds or securities _______ Yes ______No
h. You sold personal or family property _______ Yes ______No
i. You wrote bad checks _______ Yes ______No
j. You have a tab at EB Games _______ Yes ______No
k. You sold your soul to Bobby Kotick for prestige _______ Yes ______No14. Finally, have you already wandered off?
_______ Yes , my attention span was too small
_______No, obviously if I’m still here
_______You just broke my brain
Any “Yes” answer (or anything resembling) is a “tick of concern”. According to the same standards employed by South Australian Independent Senator Nick Xenophon for problem gamblers, if you racked up 5 of these ticks, you’ve got a bit of a problem there, sport.
If you’ve got 10 or more, it’s probably time you drew back the curtains, had a shower, and reconnected with your family.
[imgclear] So, how did you do? What questions do you think would reveal a gaming addict?
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