Like it or not, mobile gaming is just a part of life now. People play games on their commutes, waiting in line for food, during chores - some people even play games in the bathroom. It's become such a part of people's day that gaming is the norm. That being said, for some people, mobile gaming can become addicting. The 'one more try' design approach works extremely well, and some people get hooked way too hard.
According to Rusty Kuntz, the Kansas City Royals' first base coach, that's exactly what happened.
Earlier in the season, the Royals fell into a slump, and a bad one at that. It's not an uncommon occurrence; many teams fall into a mid-season slump, and as long as they find out what's behind it, they can usually pull out of it in time to end the season right. For the Royals, the mobile RPG Clash of Clans was the culprit.
"At that time, in that situation, it's really disappointing. You just got to a point where you go, 'What's the priority here? Is this just three hours out of your time, spent away from what you're actually being interested in?," Kuntz told the Kansas City Star.
The problem began during the summer months, where the athletes began playing the game during their downtime. One introduced it to another, and before long, many players on the team were locked to their iPads. It became such a distraction that the team suffered a bad losing streak, though their addiction wouldn't become their season's downfall.
Both the coaches and players noticed the trend, and after a meeting following a major loss to Boston, the team refocused. More time was spent on training and less time was spent on the game, and changes came about almost instantly. The team started winning again, and Kansas City came back. Out of the following 19 games, the Royals won 16 of them.
"Their priorities...have changed." said Kuntz.
It goes a long way to show that everything in life should be used in moderation. Too much of anything is never good, though 'too much' usually doesn't apply to an entire Major League Baseball team. Thankfully, the Royals have managed to recover and are now headed to the World Series.
Game 1 of the World Series begins tonight, as the Kansas City Royals take on the San Francisco Giants.
