Gamasutra Member Blogs: From Horror Game Failures To Gaming Addiction

In highlights from Gamasutra's Member Blogs, our bloggers write about diverse topics, including why games may fail to scare us, the problems with random loot drops, and the possibility of gaming addiction. Member Blogs can be maintained by any registered Gamasutra user, while invitation-only Expert Blogs -- also highlighted weekly -- are written by selected development professionals. We hope that our blog sections can provide useful and interesting viewpoints on our industry. For more information, check out the official posting guidelines. Here are the top member blogs for the week: This Week's Standout Member Blogs - Will There Ever Be A True Horror Game? (Dave Feltham) Many games emulate the tropes of classic horror films, though few games actually capture the true elements of horror they strive for. Dave Feltham examines some recent horror games and explains why he believes they often fail to elicit true horror in players. - Games, Stories And The Creation Of Meaning (Anna Tito) Anna Tito explores game narratives, and argues that games have become culturally relevant enough to warrant serious examination of their content in a larger social context. - Improving Random Loot Drops (Luke Bergeron) Dissatisfied with random loot drops in MMOs, Luke Bergeron suggests that the chance to find certain items should fluctuate based on player behaviors. - The Age Of Legends In Videogames (Michael Arean) While many games that follow the narrative structure of a classical epic often perform very well, Michael Arean suggests the industry strive to move beyond this form of storytelling to evolve games as a medium. - Video Game Addiction: The Facts And The Confusion (Shoshannah Tekofsky) Is it possible to become addicted to games? Shoshannah Tekofsky takes a look as the clinical definitions of an addiction and examines evidence regarding whether gaming should be considered an addictive habit.