I wasn't really going to take part until I read this and other posts calling to into question the implications of some of these games.
1. Indeed, non-gamers are weird? I scoff. The world got along plenty fine without games and gaming culture. Why should we be expected to acquire this habit and devote hours to it in order to be considered, "normal"? As I understand it, the woman in question spent 22 hours a week, when she was actively participating. I don't like to impugn others for what they choose to do in their leisure time, especially as I sit here on this forum. There are many who don't understand the pleasure in that, but I will say, when I've watch the kids gaming in my home, they are less given to being distracted, like when people are talking to them. They will not quit easily until they've gotten to a particular point so they can quit without losing whatever they've "accomplished". This alone, puts it in a different class than TV, movies, books or even board games. Those can immediately be set aside, but the inability, almost universally, of a player to just walk away at any point lest they give something up in the game, troubles me.
2. Yes, I'm going to go there, violence. Full disclosure, I owned a Colleco console as an adult. I played until I had kids, not every day or even every week, but now and again. My first, and only computer game was Wolfenstein. It came with my first computer. I thought it very violent, but then I reasoned, they're Nazis. I didn't last long on that and it was over for me.
Over the years, I've watched the games on the computer, PlayStation and XBOX, become more and more personally violent. Grand Theft Auto, "if you shoot the hooker, you can get your money back", and others that give the player the chance to completely abandon all social mores without consequences, alarm me. Spending hours in these "worlds" where one is encouraged to kill, steal and the like, or in one case, it was explained to me won't allow you to protect the innocent. I can't remember the name of that game, but if you do, you die, period.
I, personally, would get no enjoyment from spending hours killing. I'm not more moral or anything, it just goes against my nature. Endlessly considering how to kill things and then do it, by very violent means, is distasteful for me. So I wonder, why do others like it? Is it healthy? Do they feel even the smallest twinge when they kill the hooker after wards to get their money back? Steeping oneself in violence for hours at a time, it must have some kind of effect. Over and beyond what has been discussed about movies, TV, books and board games.