Online game companies need to do more to prevent players becoming too addicted in order to avoid government intervention, a study has warned.
Researchers at Cardiff, Derby and Nottingham Trent universities said some gamers play up to 90 hours a session, developing a "pathological" addiction.
They claim while conventional video games have an ending, role-playing games do not.
But the gaming body Ukie said it took the health of users seriously.
It said it had a number of measures in place to ensure that games could be enjoyed safely and sensibly.
The universities' research warned if game companies did not create restraints for players and their games grew in popularity, Western governments might have no choice but to follow Asia and limit usage.
The study, published in the Addiction Research and Theory journal, has said Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) are an inexhaustible system of goals and success.
The character becomes stronger and richer by moving to new levels while accumulating treasures, power and weaponry.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-23576035
There's much more at the source. But I love the image they have chosen for the article.
Do not get addicted to that online Mario Kart.