FCC Names MMORPGs as Major Player in College Dropouts

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game: they first came to social forefront as players neglected their real lives for the siren song of Everquest, and they haven’t really gone away. In fact, to the contrary, they have only gained speed with even the more casual players as choice of games and playable options have increased. Millions play online every day (hence the “massively multiplayer” tag), and it can be more difficult for some than others to break away — and for some otherwise bright young college students, this can come at a heavy cost.

“One of the top reasons for college drop-outs in the U.S. is online gaming addiction,” according to FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate.

In a December 5 speech to the Practicing Law Institute, Tate singled out Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft, and its 11 million players, as key evidence of her claim that widespread intent access has been a detriment to students, reports GamePolitics.

Though the Commissioner mentioned a 2006 study in parental approval of college internet usage in statement, she failed to name any specific statistics for correlation between dropouts and gameplay. Is she exaggerating in her claims? Perhaps, she may have a bone to pick with the video game industry. Still, it may be a study that deserves a closer look.

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