The new rewards system appears similar to other MMO titles, and it is obvious Blizzard realise this is an area where they can improve. That said, we've no official word yet, and given the hidden nature of this feature in the alpha it still seems dubious whether achievements will definitely make it into the final release.

There are plenty of reasons for WoW addicts to keep coming back for more. There are always new raids to run and better loots to acquire. However rumor has it that Blizzard may be implementing something else to help distract you from the real world. Achievements.

Yes, we've all seen achievements on our Xbox 360s among other places, so they're nothing new to the gaming community.I've always been a little torn on the subject of achievements.Sure,I get a warm fuzzy feeling inside when I complete something,but after a while trying to unlock them all starts feeling more like work and less like fun.I'm not really sure that this is something WoW really needs.Honestly there are going to be a lot of low-level achievements,or ones that will take a long time to accomplish (such as the 2,000 quest one depicted above) that longtime veterans really aren't going to feel like completing.I seriously doubt that they'll go back and give you achievements for things you've already done in-game.

I totally agree that internet addiction is real. I have personally met people (one in particular, who lost 3 jobs and all his friends over wow) that have totally destroyed their lives over video games and or internet addictions. I think there are a few things that aren't mentioned in the artical that are worth thinking about. Mainly that most of the people who end up like this didn't like their real lives in the first place, and like other addictions such as drugs, they are using it as an escape from their lives. Only when they realize they don't have an option to go back to the lives they once knew do they seek help.

Seems to me that it is psychologists who should be ashamed. Ashamed of the vague and sweeping generalities that they have the affrontery to call medicine.