Nick Yee's work does extend far beyond addiction. He has studied gender issues, how relationships develop in MMORPG's, why people play MMORPG's and various other aspects of the games we play. I really think he is trying to take an objective look at the psychology behind the game and its players, and yes, that does include some people who are letting RL slide in favor of EQ, but unlike "48 Hours" he isn't just sitting there bashing the game or the players without trying to explore the whole picture. I'd highly recommend anybody who is interested in the psychological/intellectual aspects of the MMORPG revolution to check out his site.
--Shasa Celestar
Nick Yee Unveils Daedalus Project, Two New Surveys
Nick Yee, who has studied various aspects of MMORPG's for over three years, has unveiled a new website called The Daedalus Project, where his work has been collected in an easier-to-access format. Yee has surveyed over 25,000 MMORPG players on subjects ranging from MMORPG addiction to gender issues online and the "common theme" of altruism that most players find in the MMORPG world.
Yee's site offers the results of his varied surveys and presents two new ones: the Phase 6 questionnaire covers demographics and online personalities and behaviors, while the Exit Survey is designed to analyze the motivations of those who have quit playing an MMORPG. Yee, a psychology student at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, has been interviewed for MMORPG-related articles by CNET and The Washington Post.