An online game similar to Dungeons and Dragons has some parents wondering when their child will hit the off button and step back into reality.

World of Warcraft is an online game with no ending. The game allows player to play alongside 8.5 million other users from around the world, and new challenges keep players coming back for more.

"I played from 12 to 12," said 14-year-old Dallas Nichols, who let News 8 tape him over a 24-hour period while he played online. "So, that's 12 hours, [and] 12 to 5, that's 17 hours. [I] probably spent an hour, maybe two, off the computer, so probably a total of 15 to 16 hours."

Dallas' mom, Deborah Nichols, said her son's obsession with Warcraft has hurt his grades and the family's dynamic.

"He didn't want to leave," she said. "He didn't want to leave to eat. He didn't want to leave to be with us.

Victor Godinez, a technology writer for The Dallas Morning News said Warcraft programmers try to keep gamers playing by constantly adding new content to the game so it never ends.

"The game actually encourages people to play because most people play in groups with other people and you kind of stay at the same level as your friends," he said. "So, you all have to play together and you don't want to fall behind."

In a written statement, the company that makes Warcraft encouraged parents to use built-in parental controls.

"A person's day-to-day life should take precedence over any form of entertainment, and it's ultimately up to the individual game player or his or her parent or guardian to determine how long he or she should spend playing any game," the statement read.

Dallas and his mom agreed the he will cut back his time on Warcraft , and eventually quit altogether, which is something his friend Robert Peinado has already done.

"I'm happier," he said. "I go outside more, a lot more. I hang out with friends more. I feel more free. I'm not controlled by some little game."

But as games such as Warcaft increase technology and quality, some worry of their increasing grip on childhood.

In response, a new informal movement has sprung up that is sometimes referred to as "Leave No Child Inside." It's an effort to connect kids with the benefits of getting outside.

"We know that being out in nature reduces stress tremendously among kids and among adults," said Richard Louv, an author who wrote "Last Child in the Wilderness."

Louv's book has inspired people in communities across the country and the state to get outside, including the Coppell Independent School District.

At a nature park designed and built by students, Coppell students work together to create a new, outdoor classroom.

"It's just fun to be outside," said Tara Ferguson, a Coppell student.

Dallas and his friend Robert said they are also trying to bring a balance of outdoor activities into their lives. They have recently organized a school trip out West.

"We were brought up with internet," Dallas said. "We like everything electronic, everything easy."

Warcraft has proved popular overseas. In Korea, televised tournaments are broadcasted and there are endorsement deals for all-star players. In China, the government freezes out players who spent too much time playing the game.

E-mail dschechter@wfaa.com