Why do you play videogames?

[Something Amyss]

I'm trying to infiltrate gamer culture and destroy it from the inside. MWahahahahahaha!

But seriously....

1. To relax or unwind. A lot of games are fun because I can just sort of do something completely different from my day-to-day.
2. Socially. Many of my friends are gamers, and we play together as a shared activity. Hell, my girlfriend games with me when she can. We can do what we do with any other activity. Shoot the breeze, mock one another mercilessly, gang up on the designated butt monkey....
3. Therapeutically. Weirdly enough, they help with some of the issues I have with my hands.
4. Challenge. Because there's a sense of accomplishment at doing anything hard.
5. Power fantasy. Sort of the opposite of the last one, I sometimes like to dominate a battefield or all comers.
6. To waste time. I probably shouldn't, but my back is bad and gives me a lot of time where I can't do what else I'd want to or should do.

And probably more.

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.

There is a legend on my homeworld that Johnny Novgorod was forged in the heart of a pit of burning Sega Dreamcasts.

 

[Racecarlock]

Because driving a car off a cliff or at 150 MPH through a city in real life would get me dead or in jail for eternity, especially if I run over 6 pedestrians on the way.

Also because warp capable spaceships with VTOL takeoff and hypersonic superbikes haven't been invented yet, dragons don't exist, and there are various other impossible things that video games let me do.

You can be as irresponsible and stupid as you want, and it either doesn't matter because you respawn or reload, or the game gives you points and money for it. Saints Row IV rewards you with cash for going on an instanced mech rampage, for example.

 

[FoolKiller]

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?

Are you an English teacher? Because this sounds like the crap they do. Because they are fun is a valid answer without going further. I don't think about it because that may take away from the fun. Analyzing fun things can make them less fun. Ask any student about reading books?

 

[McElroy]

I've recently developed this masochistic mindset when it comes to gaming. I love to hate losing and getting frustrated and pissed off. I'm not even kidding. But of course I love the thrill of winning, finishing stuff. It's great to see a video game come to its end and thinking your gameplay is what made it so.

 

[COMaestro]

I've been video gaming in one form or another for as long as I can remember. It has always been something fun to do. As a kid, I think I found it fun because it was different than other toys. It provided interaction in a way that nothing else did. As I grew up, I used games as a form of escapism, being able to leave the real world behind for a time and fully immerse myself in a whole new world. It is because of this, I think, that I have come to play games primarily for the story they have to tell rather than just gameplay (though I can still enjoy games just for the gameplay). I love getting lost in a good narrative, which is why I enjoy reading books and watching movies, but being able to interact with the story is something that is pretty much wholly reserved for video games.

 

[Kerethos]

So many reasons!

I enjoy the escapism, it provides cathartic release to just kill some stuff at times, it's a fun activity you can share with friends even when you're miles apart or in the same room, it relieves stress, it's more engaging than just watching or reading a story and it (to some extent) fills my wish to roleplay when my Pen and Paper RPG-group can't meet up (due to all us living in different cities nowadays).

It also provides a clear challenge that I can overcome, in a reasonably short time, no matter what else is going on or is currently difficult in my life. And the act of overcoming one unrelated problem can help give you energy to overcome the real ones, or at least take your mind of them for a while.

Hell, I'm currently doing some extremely painful recovery, following surgery, after over a year in constant pain. I've spent days screaming in pain recently, and I've got months of recovery still ahead of me before I've got full use of my right arm again; and despite of all that I can still torture myself with my first playthrough of Dark Souls... making me think I might be a bit of a hateful masochist at this point

Seriously though, fuck you Blighttown... fuck you right in your toxic hole.

 

[BathorysGraveland2]

Well... because they are fun. Playing a game is an enjoyable way to pass the time. I assume for a lot of people, that is reason enough. The more interesting question, I believe, is how you started and why you continued. For me, I've mostly persisted playing games due to being mostly isolated from other people. Due to a lack of any kind of social life, I looked to things I could do by myself for enjoyment, and video games certainly count among that. Now that I'm slowly building some form of social life for myself though, I find myself getting less and less interested in them, but that's also due to all the shady practices and what not that publishers have been pulling in the industry.

But yeah, at its core, that is why I play games. To pass time enjoyably by myself. I wouldn't consider myself a "gamer" though, since I lack most real passion to it. I certainly don't invest the same love into games as I do music. So perhaps my laid back attitude toward games is because of that.

 

[Random Gamer]

The main reason I play games like Europa Universalis, Total War and Civilization is quite obvious: practice, training...

 

[laggyteabag]

Because they are my favourite form of media. I play videogames for the same reason why many people watch TV, listen to music, or go see a movie; because it is entertaining. Games can either be mindless fun that you can play over and over again, or they can encompass large and vibrant worlds that you can just get lost in. I grew up with games, and I wouldn't be surprised if I keep on playing games for the rest of my life.

 

[mrbonzai211]

because it's cheaper than bourbon and whores.... seriously, I have a job, large apartment, girlfriend, and social life, but video games fill in everywhere in between. Because, seriously, what else am I gonna do with my time? Listen to Miley Cyrus and watch 16 and Pregnant on MTV?

EDIT: please dont reprimand me moderators... it's a legitimate job. People literally do that for a living... In America... they live in Nevada... where it's really hot... and there are lizards.

 

[babinro]

Because it's the most fun thing to do...period.

I don't play games because they are a filler/distraction for some kind of dream I've yet to achieve or because I can't afford to do something more fun. Given unlimited resources and the freedom to do whatever I want...I'd play video games.

What makes them so fun?

I don't know how to answer that. It's just how I feel given my life experiences. It's a hobby that constantly offers new experiences and challenges to suit various moods but still engages me enough mentally to feel like I'm not just wasting my life.

I feel bad when I 'waste' time watching tv, a movie, read a book, travel, etc.
I feel like I've made good use of my time when playing a video game.

 

[Silvanus]

I thought it would be a neat idea as a child to glue three of my fingers to the W, A, and D keys, for reasons I forget. Gaming is the only hobby I've found that I was able to fit around this obstacle.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

I've been playing games since I was 5 years old, so it's just weird not to play games. It's such a huge part of my life as a pass time that I can't imagine not playing games, and as I grew up gaming became more awesome. So, why not?

Also, escapism. I mean, I do love a good book to just cuddle up on and lose hours and hours on, but video games can offer a way better experience in that regard better than books. Well, in some cases anyways. That and they offer a great way to let off steam and a way to relax.

Also also because they're super fun! I mean, I wouldn't be playing them for this long is they were boring as hell and didn't have a way to enjoy myself. My crack-like addiction to Diablo and Pokemon notwithstanding. No, I don't have a problem, and I can quit any time I want.

>.>

<..>

 

[Guffe]

I've been playing since I was like... 6 years of age (shit that's a long time)
Well anyhu, I enjoy playing games, the story of a person/thing doing something that is in no way possible and the fact that I am actually doing it.
Sometimes it's the competition, like FIFA, I only play FIFA against friends. Usually I play singleplayer stuff like Zelda, Darksiders, Xenoblade, SplinterCell, Warcraft (III), Tales of Symphonia etc etc.
So I play because I want to escape reality for a while.

 

[asdfen]

fun gameplay

 

[Sandjube]

You can't just inb4 my reason, OP. They are fun, and that's what most of them are designed to be. If you want to know why they are fun, just figure out what genre they are and deduce why that particular game could be considered fun. Congratulations.

 

[CpT_x_Killsteal]

Challenge. Everyone likes mastering something, even if it's useless IRL, and completing something using those skills.

Story. Engaging characters, strange new world, tough decisions. Like a good book, only more interactive.

I find the above fun, and I have for years.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

I mostly play videogames so that I can have my views on sociopolitical issues validated, but I also play them so that I can send threatening e-mails to developers if they dare do anything that I dislike. I also like how being a gamer means that I can make completely arbitrary judgments as to who I will allow to be called a 'gamer' so that I can set myself above most other folks.

...

Yeah right. Ok, seriously: I play games because they're a relaxing way to unwind. I like being able to sink myself into a vast and detailed open-world RPG - if done right a good RPG can be better than a good book in terms of immersion and story/character building.

 

[Treeberry]

If I'm not allowed to say 'fun', I'll stay story, exploration, atmosphere, lore where applicable. Interactivity, too. I'll admit that some games suit the linear style but honestly if I want a linear, on-rails experience I'll watch a movie or read a book. Obviously that refers to particular types of games, not every game. And that sounds really weird because I just bought a pair of rail shooters...