Why do we like playing video games???

Hey Guys!!! Lets discuss Why do we like playing video games???

 

We don't, its just an addiction we can't escape.

Actually for me its mostly escapism. Its a world I can get into where the rules are easy and I have control. Sometimes real life doesn't give that.

 

Because in real life you can't ride a dragon

 

Escapism, taking part in a well crafted story, doing things with others in multiplayer that I simply can't do in real life.

 

Gaming for me is like dreaming while awake. I've been addicted to dreaming since around maybe age 9. Dreams are a wonderful use of consciousness.

 

Yes, exactly. I like being part of the story, especially in a multiplayer game.

 

Just because I've always loved playing video games, so creating it it's like a dream come true for my old thoughts when I was young and kept thinking "how did they get it done"

 

Why do we like watching movies? Reading books? Throwing a frisbee around? Playing football? Working out? Making progress... getting things done?

I think there are multiple reasons. The thrill of a new experience. The satisfaction that results from performing well and knowing we are making progress toward... well something better. The instant gratification of a tight feedback loop... we press fire and something blows up. The opportunity to challenge ourselves. The chance to be creative forming a strategy and the "rush" we feel when it works and we finally make it through that tough spot.

 

Explosions.

 

It's relaxing. Easier than making games that's for sure. And they're fun!

 

I see you're actually going through with that. You've gained my respect, haha.

That sounds awful contradictory to that other thread, 'why are games nearly always the same ol thing'

If you lower the fun and add in microtransactions, you've got freemium mobile games!

 

Valid point! I should have clarified that with the thrill of what we think will be a new or at least a different experience. I was actually thinking of it from the angle of driving a race car or a moon buggy or fighting monsters and so forth which is different from paying bills, mowing the lawn and all of the other stuff we normally do.

When I was a teen I saw games as being these really cool things that let us participate in cool adventures we would not have any other way. Games took us to the moon, mars and even out of the solar system. We could be a detective, a herculean like warrior or a powerful wizard. We could explore caverns or he depths of the ocean perhaps finding sunken ships loaded with treasure. We could command armies and conquer the world. That is what the promise of video games was to me. In that aspect I think they are very cool.

 

* Some people just like problem solving, and some types of games can provide that. They like to "crack the code" and try to deconstruct the systems (to dial in that perfect Diablo III build or Starcraft 2 build orders, etc) or just solve a puzzle.
* Some people like learning complex systems, like in a detailed flight simulator.
* Some people like the challenge of competition. That cycle of constantly iterating and improving in competitive online gaming. At its worst, they like the feeling of being superior to others in some way.
* Some people like pure escapism into another world.
* Some people like an excuse to hang out online with their friends, family, or even complete strangers.
* Some people like the sense of progression and completion that you can get from a game, but not real life.
* Some people only like games as a way to alleviate boredom when they've got nothing else to do (mobile gaming).
* Some people like the visceral "feel" of minute-to-minute realtime gaming, whether it's the feel of taking a turn just right in a racing game, getting a platform jump just right, or even just blowing something up with a missile launcher.
* Some people like to immerse themselves in the story and characters of a game and may feel more connected to those elements than they would with traditional books/movies/TV.
* Some people are compelled to hit the next thing in a game, and aren't really "having fun" at all.
* Some people like learning things that relate to something in the real world (Rocksmith).

And many people have a mix of ALL of these things.

 

I'm sure that was implicit for most people, I was just doing that thing I do

That sums up my thoughts on the matter. I like the equality in the experience as well. So long as you play games and not graphics, a lower middle class person will have the same gaming experience as a 1% crazy super rich trillionare. Sheldon Adelson and I would play the same minecraft - minus perhaps glsl shading since I find it unnecessary.

 

If the alternative is sh*t tv, ill take computer games

 

Good question.

 

To steal ideas get inspiration.

 

I play the ones I play to 'escape' the accosted from infliction of pain and suffering by the bad guys and very thankful that is a video game when I fail.

There are some that I've played, like an ancient freeware EGA version of Wheel of Fortune because it was fun playing them with friends and family.

 

To get points.

 

/ Most of us will have these reasons to play games to escape from reality.

 

I too thought the same way when I was around 10 or 11 because you can do whatever you want to do like playing a soldier, playing any sports or fighting.........

 

Doing things to others that I simply can't do in real life.

Like I'm pretty sure death matches are frowned on in the real world."

 

Not to mention, there's very little replay value in real life death matches.

 

One of the most beautiful sights I can recall in the record of my consciousness would be a dream I had in which I stood next to a field where some tall grass was swaying in different directions. The gravity changed in the field in sections that were in a16x16 grid. The field was endless (because dreams), and each section of the field contained its own set of physics haha. Touching the grass in 1 field caused a reaction that made the entire plant freeze. Plucking other grass made it burn from the roots up once exposed to 'air'. Touching some grass made it wilt away from my hand while other grass might try to wrap around it as support to grow taller. All whilst each section swayed and bent to a different gravity.

And no ticks!

 

It's a great question. The deeper I dig, the more fundamental the questions become.
Gigi

 

for me to throw out my anger at mouse and keyboard. And probably also on CPU because I know that this game will not work on high settings but still fore it

 

/ There is no end to our creative dreams while playing games. When I was playing Racing games I used to dream about cars and racing all time. Its just that what we think most of the time comes in our dreams.....

 

This happened with me when I used to play GTA 4 and many others.........I used to think how unlucky me..