It is 2-3 am in the morning and gamer are still wide awake online completely lost with their eyes and fingers glued to their cell scanning target to attack rival camp. The game here in focus is CoC/Clash of Clans.
Clash of Clans/CoC is an online video game, where players build villages, strengthen troops and raid and destroyed villages to ravage their resources. CoC has become so popularly addictive that an estimated 8.5 Million people are playing it on daily basis. CoC is currently the top ranking and highest-grossing ($5.5million/day) App in the App store today.
The game revolves around the idea of fortifying a base, defending it from invading player and their clans, and raiding the base of others to gain resources and start the whole process all over again. The game is incredibly addictive; it involves creativity, military strategy and even worse....... It's online and everyone is connected.
So enchanting and alluring is CoC fragrance that it has permeated into every demographic-from kids, adult, adolescence, young adult or event adults are hooked without the players even knowing it. The ramification is manifold as gamers are deprived of sleep, balance growth of health, study, money time and sound relationship with family and friends. Segregation themselves from the virtual world.
Once into the game CoC players are so busy in attacking and looting rival camp that they fail to acknowledge there are also human around them to chat and socialize. Coming across hundreds of CoC players, CoC shadow can be felt everywhere whether in Street, Schools, Office, Meetings or Social events. One common trend is the level of anxiety and tension CoC players exhibit to catch up with their clan members. Due to this anxiety and tension it invariable create friction in personal life, failing in official deadline, connection with the outside world get diluted. Personal work becomes secondary. Depriving oneself of engaging with the society.
Games are designed to help boost mental intelligence but when that same patent created to further our mental strength destroys our creativity, health and relationship, which is core and vital for individual growth, what value will it have in Town Hall(TH) 6,7,8,9...... It is a unique experience to be in the midst of CoC players to witness the level of concentration and military manoeuvring while attacking rival clan is impeccable, serious face, eyes fixed on target, communication is out of question even if 10 friends are in the same room. I get a feeling now of the quote 'so close yet so far.
CoC gravity can sometimes happen in most unlikely place where in one instance one Teacher who is a CoC enthusiastic wrote the name of his CoC clan in Blackboard and ask his Students to join the clan; while some teachers eagerly waits for their off period to go into battlefield. That is how powerful CoC can have affect in professional life.
P Achumsi Sangtam Kiphire
