[mickronome]

There might be a difference that's worth noting. There are game designs that are clearly engineered to create either outright addiction, or at the very least, cravings. Porn, at least superficially, doesn't seem to attempt to engineer addiction in a similar way, maybe because they don't need to?

While the end result might be the same, there seems to be a much clearer intent to create addiction in some parts of the game industry, especially where gaming and gambling meet.

[wutbrodo]

I'm not sure that distinction is as clear as you're describing it. Pretty much anything that creates positive feedback has the potential to create addictive behaviors, and (most) porn certainly isn't going for a realistic depiction of a healthy sex life. The design of porn sites, like most content websites, are oriented around continued usage. Trying to get people to use your product more doesn't seem technically distinguishable to me from "engineering to create addiction", and it's not clear to me what you think makes the two examples you describe distinct from each other.

[tlb]

Cigarettes, at least around WWI when they originally gained wide popularity, weren't engineered to create addiction. It was just a built-in property of tobacco, enhanced by the instant gratification of pre-rolled cigarettes. Would you make the same argument there?