Why do you play, what you play?

[BOBdotEXE]

What types of game do YOU play, and why?
Do you play FPS's because you like killing stuff; or you just enjoy the trill of the hunt?

Puzzle games to relax or to just to waste time?

Driving games, to try out the racing you were never able to do in real life?

Rpg's to live in a world full of adventure; while your real life seems Dull, and oppressive?

or for the social networking, enjoying connection will sharing an adventure with friends;
some you may never meet in real life?

so what do you play, and why?

 

[Revolutionary]

I play everything from FPS's to Interactive cutscenes like lost odessey.
WHy? Because I can?

 

[MikailCaboose]

FPS's just because it's oddly fun and a bit mindless.
Some RPG's have a decent-enough story to bother playing as well.
Then there's my good old platformer/adventure games. Never get tired of blasting through my Metroid games.

Then for some odd reason card games like Yu-Gi-Oh. (Well, the card games that don't focus on story. The anime and manga can go die in a hole for all I care)

 

[Arisato-kun]

I play RPGs because I love stories and I believe games have better storytelling potential than movies. Though not an RPG, Metal Gear Solid 3 is a perfect example of this.

I play fighters to relieve stress and feel powerful.

 

[Jorias]

i love massive open world games. why? so much to do! so much to see! such a massive world to explore!

The same is true in my reason for playing video games in general. Of course i also like a game to tell a decent story as well. Currently i am playing Far Cry 2 and must say the sandbox feel to it is pretty addictive, but as far as the story line....it's ok.

 

[Insanum]

RPG's/Sandbox games just to mess around in, and shooters.

Shame they cant effectively combine the two. What i'd do for a sprawling FPS in a City. *sigh*

 

[octafish]

Turn based strategy because deep down I'm a chess-nerd. Pffft I play all kinds of games really, but I am avoiding FPSs at the moment because they seem all played out. Just Cause 2 though, I play for the booms and the tethering and the laughing my arse off.

 

[Nay-Owe-Me]

Hmm... Well, right now I am playing and enjoying SaGa Frontier for several reasons. Back in '98 (oh god i feel like such an old hag) that game had me enraptured from start to finish. The settings, characters, storylines... and now that I'm playing through it again, the gameplay exhibits what is, to me, the perfect RPG. It just feels plain good to play this damn game, and it's not just the nostalgia. So I guess all a game really has to do is give me a slew of things to accomplish without making it imposingly difficult (fight this super-boss that you can only beat with one specific strategy!) or painfully tedious (earn 999999999 AP and learn this nifty spell!).

Storyline can really compel me, though. Xenogears had some great gameplay ideas, but just didn't take them far enough it felt. Despite that, that storyline had me playing for literally every moment of free time I had. To me, I wasn't playing a decent game, I was reading a damn good book. I think I actually enjoyed disc 2 MORE because of the cutback on gameplay.

 

[Dango]

I like RTSs cause they're on a scale that can never be matched by any other genre.

 

[Nay-Owe-Me]

I like RTSs cause they're on a scale that can never be matched by any other genre.

Yeah. The miniaturized scale.

Only kidding, I know just what you mean. I think.

 

[Enigmers]

I enjoy just about every genre of game, so long as its good. My favourite is the arbitrarily-named RPG, because it puts you, as a character, into a world which you can explore, for treasure and experience and shiny things and whatnot. Final Fantasy 12 was a good example of this, for me.

(Red Dead Redemption, while not being an RPG, had lots of exploration anyway, and I really enjoyed that).

I also like to enjoy games that have puzzles to solve because I like the satisfaction of having solved a puzzle (see: Portal, Shadow of the Colossus.)

I like Civilization because I like building my own world (or at least, a bit of the world) and I enjoy things relating to ancient history (see also: Titan Quest).

It's worth noting that Civilization is "the official game of historical inaccuracy." For instance, you could pretend that Christianity, the Parthenon, and the Hanging Gardens were all invented by the Egyptians, and that somehow Ramses II ruled a civilization from 4000 B.C.E. to 2050 C.E.

 

[saintchristopher]

I play what I play because I love immersion. I love being told a good story, but above all else I love feeling like I'm actively participating in or influencing the story and its progression (even if it's only illusory).

I love games that just let you be there. Your Uncharteds and your Metal Gear Solids and your Alan Wakes are great games, but you can never shake the feeling that you're always being nudged toward the next plot point, and any time you take to just explore is "wasting the game's time" somehow.

I think it's telling that my first favorite game was Myst, a game that gives you so little in the way of exposition you can't help but start constructing your own back story and inner monologue as you play. Myst is a real "writer's game" in that, not only is it about writers - with the power to bring their works to life and see them in the flesh, no less (something all writers may subconsciously desire) - but it's also so rewarding to sew the threads of the given story together in your own coherent way.

I think there should be more games like that.

 

[Nay-Owe-Me]

I play what I play because I love immersion. I love being told a good story, but above all else I love feeling like I'm actively participating in or influencing the story and its progression (even if it's only illusory).

I love games that just let you be there. Your Uncharteds and your Metal Gear Solids and your Alan Wakes are great games, but you can never shake the feeling that you're always being nudged toward the next plot point, and any time you take to just explore is "wasting the game's time" somehow.

I think it's telling that my first favorite game was Myst, a game that gives you so little in the way of exposition you can't help but start constructing your own back story and inner monologue as you play. Myst is a real "writer's game" in that, not only is it about writers - with the power to bring their works to life and see them in the flesh, no less (something all writers may subconsciously desire) - but it's also so rewarding to sew the threads of the given story together in your own coherent way.

I think there should be more games like that.

Wow. You sound a lot like me. A question: when taking in any given story through whatever medium, do you often automatically "fill in" the "plot holes" that you later find out people criticize the work for?

 

[saintchristopher]

Wow. You sound a lot like me. A question: when taking in any given story through whatever medium, do you often automatically "fill in" the "plot holes" that you later find out people criticize the work for?

I do, and I think for that very reason I don't notice a lot of plot holes right away, because in my head I've already reconciled them into a proper context.

 

[MrMixelPixel]

I enjoy games for the challenge they hold. I mostly enjoy RPG, RTS, Fighting, and of course Puzzle games.

I appreciate the hard work and effort I have to put into a game. To beat it on the hardest difficulty. To complete every challenge the game hands me. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment. Hard Core... yea....

RPG- They have large worlds. Which means a lot of monsters and quests to overcome. I spend a large amount of time on these making sure I defeat everything the game has to offer me. I'm also a sucker for the option to customize or make my own character. Then I build them so that they end up the way I desire. These are games I mostly play to challenge myself, and to play around with all the characters I have in my head.

RTS- These appeal to me because of competition. I enjoy really the intense matches they occasionally have. The satisfaction I get from winning a strategic battle can really up my mood.

Fighting- Competition again. I always have fun with this when a friend comes over. It's perfect. Especially if it ends up being a good close match. I always have one ready when company is over.

Puzzle- I enjoy the mental stimulation and frustration they can offer. I can obsess over a game like that for hours. Trying to figure out. Make something work. Then move on to the next puzzle. Another game I play to challenge myself.

I want to mention my favorite game. Civilization III was with out a doubt my favorite game of all time. I feel that this is the next best thing to taking over the world for me. I have so much fun building and customizing my own country. Starting and stopping wars. Trading with other nations. It gets really addicting for me. Civilization IV was also a very amazing game. But it couldn't take Civ III's title. Perhaps the new game coming out... Civ V will be enough. I hope it does.

 

[Burningsok]

i love massive open world games. why? so much to do! so much to see! such a massive world to explore!

God Dammit did you just read my mind?
seriously that is almost exactly what I would of said

 

[Nay-Owe-Me]

I do, and I think for that very reason I don't notice a lot of plot holes right away, because in my head I've already reconciled them into a proper context.

Awesome. To me, this is the mark of a good writer, the kind of writer that makes that carefully thought out plot with the wonderfully open-ended conclusion that ends up not being as appreciated as it really deserves. It's like a perfect balance of imagination and intelligence.

Wow. Come to think of it, I guess I'm not as dumb as I thought.

 

[stygN]

Hmm.. I play nearly any kind of game.. I own a PC, but sometimes play PS3 with friends.

FPS: Well, it's been a while if you don't count PS3, but I guess I never really get tired of good old Counter-Strike. I play FPS games mainly for the thrill and rush.

RPG: Probably my second most favorite genre. I play it 20% for the story and 80% for the grinding. Call me a masochist, I love grinding! Tried WoW, didn't like it, too "cheap".

Strategy (both RTS and TBS): My favorite genre. I play it mainly to feel powerful : ) It's also nice to have a bit of brainwork. Started playing strategy games when I was a wee lad at the age of 8 when I got the demo for Command & Conquer and Age of Empires. Shortly after I got a hold of Red Alert. For turn based, I don't remember when I started playing Civilization, or what version it was, but it was around the same age.

Simulation: Everything from Sims to Roller Coaster Tycoon. I play it mainly for the accomplishment, planning and strategy. I think its fun, but its more like a test ; )

Puzzle games: I like puzzle games although I'm not very good at them. So, I guess I like the medium hard ones that even I can complete. If you count Minesweeper as a puzzle game then.. Well.. Minesweeper is the game I've played the most apart from perhaps Counter Strike. I play it to get some action in my brain ; )

Racing Games: I generally don't play them, but sometimes it happens. They're fun for a while but I'm not very good at them, so about 70% game completion and I can't get a step further.

I also play tons of small online flash games, and many of them don't really fit into a genre. They're good for a quick "fix" ; )

I guess I should stop writing now.