Why do you play videogames?

[CaitSeith]

Usually when I ask this kind of questions I make a poll with several answers (including the obligatory "Who cares? I just want to play videogames"). But this time I realized the answers can be as diverse as the gaming genres themselves. I mean, the reason that games as different as Minecraft, The Sims, Call of Duty, Assassins Creed, Borderlands, Punch Out, Animal Crossing, Final Fantasy, Fallout 3, Super Mario World 3, Dead Space, League of Legends, Goat Simulator, Skyrim, Zelda, Madden NFL, Candy Crush, etc..., are bought is because somebody is playing them (and they must have a reason). So this time is an open question:

Why do you play videogames?

PS: For those who answer "because they are fun": *slow clap* Joke aside, then why do you think they are fun? What do you find fun in them?

 

[MysticSlayer]

I guess my primary reason is that they can provide entertainment while not forcing me to just sit back and watch/read something. That's not to say that I don't like books or movies, but games' interactivity does a better job at engaging me than other entertainment. And with such a diverse array of games, I can easily find an experience that fits the situation whether I want to sit back and relax, experience a wonderful world and story, and/or spend time with friends. They even manage to appeal to my competitive side, and many of them also appeal to my puzzle-loving, problem-solving side. Overall, games really just bring most of my hobbies and interests together into one medium.

That at least gives a very general overview of why I play games. My answer gets much more complicated when we start talking about specific games, but I don't really feel like spending hours covering all the examples I can think of.

 

[Phasmal]

Oh, loads of reasons. For one, I've pretty much always played video games. I don't really remember ever NOT playing games for any length of time in my life.

I enjoy escapism. I like exploring new stories and worlds and such. I enjoy being the hero that everyone loves and saving the world. But on the other hand I enjoy being an unstoppable badass who will paint the walls with the blood of those who try to fuck with me.

I'm a bit competitive, but not hugely, and I tend to be competitive about weird stuff.
I enjoy challenges, so when I was challenged to defeat Dark Souls and complete Doom on Ultraviolence, I had loads of fun proving that I could do it. And it's a nice sense of satisfaction at the end.

Spoiler: Basically me + videogames forever

So... those are just the reasons I can come up with right now. Not very eloquent but I feel it's the right sort of thing.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I was born in them. Molded by them. I didn't see the light until I was already a man and by then it was nothing to me but BLINDING.

 

[SonCamKu]

I play video games because it is a literal escape from reality. I don't have to be the 16 year old kid who has to watch lecture after lecture in school about things I don't even plan to major in, or even study. Instead, I can be an ass-kicking warrior, a Super Saiyan, The Dragonborn, or whoever I want to be. Video games are great because you can practically do whatever you want, whenever you want, being whoever you want. Everyone needs an escape once in a while, and for me, video games does just that.

 

[Mimic]

Various reasons really depending on my mood. A lot of it is escapism and the craving for adventure like I used to get when I was a kid. Sometimes it's to experience the creativity and lore behind a made-up world and get invested in a good story. Games can be a good way to relieve stress as well, either through relaxation such as with Journey or through violence, like a virtual punch bag, such as Unreal Tournament.

Aside from that games can have a bit of an addictive 'just one more go' quality to them and having grown up with them they are just as natural a go-to medium as a book, TV show, or film for me.

 

[go-10]

I work 10 hours a day, 6 days a week, I think I deserve at least an hour of relaxation and losing myself in a world different from my own, even if for just a moment video games provide an escape from an otherwise stressful existence

so that's why I play, because I want a break from the real world

 

[sageoftruth]

I have a very active imagination. Nothing gives me fodder for creating and living my own story (except maybe writing a story) like playing videogames.

 

[Spanglish Guy]

I like to play games to just relive any stresses I have. Also yes I play to have fun, I enjoy a good videogame like I would a film only that in a game their is player interaction which is why I personally prefer videogames to other forms of entertainment in most cases.

Some games can immerse me into its world where I can forget about any troubles I may have in the real world and can stop me from panicking because of said troubles.

Finally, I can play games with my friends online, that's probably the best part about it.

 

[Barbas]

I got into video games when I was still fairly young. I can't remember the first, but I started off with a few maths games and then moved on to simulators like Roller Coaster Tycoon. I found I loved games like that, The Elder Scrolls and The Sims before others like strategy games and shooters because of the stories you could craft for the characters on the screen. Playing in co-op with or against friends was a a lot of fun as well, particularly in Goldeneye or Turok II on the Nintendo 64, but what kept drawing me back to certain games was the ability to have your hand in a story. You just can't get that to the same extent with books or sketches.

 

[Artina89]

I have been brought up with games, and playing games hold many happy memories, like playing the original Super Mario Kart on the SNES with my dad and playing Super Mario Allstars co-op with my brother. I remember one time when I was a child and I was in a pub with my family and the pub had a House of the dead arcade machine in the corner that I was absolutely mesmerised by, and my dad, noticing this, let me play it with him and we managed to beat it together. Games have always been my primary form of entertainment and a way for me to meet new people, and I can't imagine my life being any other way, and I like it like that.

 

[Scarim Coral]

To simply put it, to pass the time.

As to why I played video game to pass the time, there isn't alot of options for me to pass the time in the first place.
Well ok first thing is that I don't get lived show on my tv and I'm too lazy to have an alternative hobby (like e.g. going to the gym or painting etc) to pass the time otehr than model making but that's expensive.

 

[Solbasa]

Why I play games really depends on the type of game I'm playing at that time. Games like Xenoblade, the Mass Effect series, the Half-Life series, or the Final Fantasy games I play because they tell me a story in a way that really lets me get immersed like no other medium can, by directly involving me and allowing me to explore the world in which they're told. Others, like Fire Emblem, the Portal games, or Hearthstone, I play because I like the mental challenge that they provide me. And others, like Smash Bros, I play because I like the feeling of catharsis they can deliver. There are other reasons, some that don't come readily to mind, but these reasons are as widely varied as the games themselves that I play. It's really hard to distill something that's as big a part of my life as gaming is down to a few simple reasons.

 

[V4Viewtiful]

It's either that or fall into depression.

I like the visual stimulation, I enjoy exploring different worlds art-styles and listening to to the sfx and music. Games are in it's basic for problem solving or puzzles and I like those.

 

[pilouuuu]

Many reasons.

First of all the challenge. It's fun to test your skills.

I like the artistic side of games. All those amazing graphics, great soundtracks, beautiful level designs, good stories.

 

[Belaam]

Honestly, it depends on the genre.

I tend to play FPSes when I've had a long day and people at work were particularly obnoxious.

Long term strategy games when I want to sit and relax (I swear that Civ will almost put me in a meditative state I'm I'm feeling a little more alert, I'll go RTS.

Little funky (often indie or import) games if I want to mess around with something without putting hours into it.

Skylanders or Lego games if my daughter wants some quiet time with dad away from her sister and mom (usually happens Sat morns in jammies).

RPGs if my wife and daughters are going out of town, or visiting other friends/family and will be gone for a long block of time and I want to get caught up in a story.

 

[spartan231490]

Because they are fun. Why are they fun? Because playing them releases endorphins in your brain, which your consciousness interprets as an enjoyable sensation.

In all seriousness, there isn't really a good answer to this. They are fun because they are enjoyable. I could try to find a reason, saying that I like the feeling of power from slaughtering legions of orcs, or the accomplishment of saving the world. But then, why do I love minecraft and geometry wars? There's no good reason, just like there's no good reason why you like certain people or certain foods. You like them because you like them, searching for a deeper answer is like carrying water with a sieve. You might feel like you're getting somewhere, but all you're going to do is waste a lot of time running back and forth.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

It's fun, lol?

True Crime hooked me into games, and my Xbox became my daily moment of joy. I later on jumped onto PC when the cycle ended, but I had a ton of games on that console, similarly so, my social environment began changing. My secondary school was in a problematic area, and I didn't have the best of times there either. All it really took to wash that awful away though was just to fire up my PC and play Mass Effect or KoTOR or something

It didn't help me deal with my problems directly, but gaming eventually lead to the games community, in which I've had great experiences, despite the many bumps in the road we've had. Gaming was my bastion during times of turmoil, and I learnt quite a lot from it!(seriously, stuff that directly helped me in Education)

It's also one of the best ways of conveying...anything really. Between movies and books, games have are the most engaging form of telling a story, since you directly experience it. That's a powerful feat, we've just a long way to go before we fully harness this power!(hopefully not too long )

 

[Parasondox]

To escape from this world for a bit. With all the talk about Ebola, ISIS, climate change, everyone apparently being a child molesting sexual predator, its good to just unwind and disappear from it all.

Or just personally, I like to explore new ideas. New worlds. Just be creative and relax. Racing games are my comfort zone. It's something I am good at. RPG expresses my creativity and exploration. FPS/TPS I play if it involves aliens and other creatures. I suck at military shooters so I don't try. So all on all, enjoyment, relaxation and escape.