Personally, I have no interest in the types of games described in this article. Virtual Skinner Boxes are always pretty apparent to me and something in my brain just rejects them on sight. Never got into WoW, hate F2P games, don't do flash or mobile stuff.
Much rather play a real game that has an end and move on to something else.
Same for me, but I've been noticing there was an addictive quality to trophy hunting in a lot of my recent gaming. And I'm excited for a Batmobile skin that is technically useless. lol
I've always preferred story-driven games, but I did think about some Animal Crossing-loving folks on here and how the addictive mechanics in that game sounded kind of tempting to me. I guess I'm saved by my shallow preference for AAA titles, since those cost so much to make they pretty much have to end at some point (and outside of Arkham Knight Season Pass, which I'm still not sure I should've jumped on just cause I love the series, I'm not much for DLC).
But at the same time, all games employ some variation of these techniques, not just these "types" of mobile/Warcrack games. I bet a lot more people than who will admit it have chased after useless shit in a game and convinced themself it was because they genuinely liked the rest of the game and wanted to spend more time in it when really they were just goaded into being a completionist. This is especially true for JRPG grinding, which is a genre I bet a lot of the atmosphere/story crowd have admitted to doing. Maybe you don't like grinding, but you do it to get to something you do like, which is absolutely a kind of Skinner Box tactic described in the article.
I've played many games the article describes, but honeslty never stick to them more than a week or so. Even still, I prefer games for story and atmosphere than easy rewards and achievements, and actually, I never got onto the achievment bandwagon. I also schedule my gaming time to condition myself to stop. In short, you can play games as entertainment in place of TV, movies or whatever in a responsible way and still have a normal life. However, psychologists are used as advisors to help develop these rewards systems so I can see how this can trap some people. It really depends on the person. I think slot machines are more hazardous.
This is very true. Limiting the time you have with a game definitely reduces Skinner Box factor. But I think you can still be tricked into doing something you don't enjoy to receive a useless award. Even if you only give yourself an hour after work to play games, I think you can be duped into doing something overly repetitive and boring for a meaningless award. Not everyone, but more people than who will admit it.
I've occassionally fallen into these traps myself in games like Metroid, where I don't enjoy going on an item hunt, but I want 100% completion. True, I've been able to say "ok, I have the story ending, I really don't give a shit about 100%ing the game now" after I get bored with it. But the fact I tried is a testament to useless item hunts being apart of otherwise critically acclaimed AAA titles.
Similar thing with Arkham Knight platinum trophy hunting. I'm telling myself it's because I love the game and want to spend more time with it, which is true. But it's also true that if I were being rational, I'd accept I'm only doing it cause a game I paid $60+ for ran out of its main draw of content for me a while ago and this is a tedious way of "getting my money's worth." Which I feel I already did, but why not go after this addictive side game bullshit? I'm enjoying it in a sense, because I'm still playing a game I really like, but I'd be lying if I said I'd be anywhere near as interested in trying this if I had another AAA game to play or there wasn't a trophy system. Since you've not gotten on the achievement bandwagon, this isn't a problem for you, but it's still something tied into pretty much every game now regardless of type, hence my skepticism most people can completely avoid Skinner Box gaming.
I don't think I'm an addict, but I definitely recognize some addictive-type habits in my gaming and I think a lot of people are less immune to this kind of thing than they like to believe. Then again, I've always been the type to say if I'm done with the story, I'm basically done with the game, so I've also known myself to avoid addictive bullshit. I never cared about the Chao gardens in Sonic Adventure and only played non-Sonic levels to beat the game and unlock levels I actually enjoyed. But hell, even those non-Sonic levels were useless bullshit I did to receive an ultimately meaningless award, even if the award was main game completion and other shit I actually wanted to play.
You make good points. I don't identify with the people addicted to item hunts or whatever, but like I've heard people say that if you play a game like Mario, that if you try to get all the coins, like the hard to get ones actually test your skill in the game and so thats rewarding, but then there are item hunts that dont test your skill or anything it's just padding to keep you "In It" longer. I honestly just main line the game and then move on. I know there's an achievement culture, but I dont follow it. I just don't think I have an addiction problem. Coffee, now there is an addiction I cannot kick! I love it! And it loves me too! 
Okay, maybe I am addicted to games like coffee. This an AA meeting now. My name is asreal, and I have a Batman problem. 
Haha I have the exact same Batman problem. The Arkham games hook me in easily. I pretty much enjoy it though, but I'd be lying if I said I never found Riddler trophies tedious yet found them anyway.
I'm playing guild wars 2 right now, and have been for about 300 hours. I'd say this article is true. Games do have addictive qualities, and done right, I don't think that's a bad thing.
How many hot pockets have you eaten?
And I'd agree it's not necessarily a bad thing. I don't hate myself for going after trophies. But at the same time, I realize it's padding. But it's padding I guess I'm ok with. yup.
I have never ever eaten a hot pocket. I don't eve know what one is.
Do they make Jim Gaffigans in Australia?
Nope.
What "useless reward"? I get a nice shot of pain reducing chemical inside my brain every time I hear that achievement sound, or the trophy sound, or anything cool in a game. I'm playing cookie clicker right now. . . wait . . . one more cookie. . . and loving every brain-candy moment. Yippie! I can buy another grandma!
Your grandma tasted like cookies? MINE IS DEAD!
Mine too, and neither baked any cookies, but in Cookie Clicker, I can live the dream.
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