I was just thinking about gaming and what it means to me, and it occurred to me that people play games for all sorts of different reasons. I'm not just talking about casual versus hardcore gamers, which I think is kind of a stupid categorization to make anyway. I'm talking about why people play games - what they get out of them, what they expect from them. So as an introduction to this idea I'd like to tell you why I play games. I play games mostly (though not entirely) for their aesthetic value and for the stories that they convey. What I get out of them is basically what I get out of any art-form: stimulation. Another way to say it is that I play games for entertainment. That is not to say that gameplay is not important to me. I see gameplay as part of a game's aesthetic. The responsiveness and the fun of the gameplay determines to what extent you will be drawn into and understand the world of the game. I am not the kind of person that plays games for the challenge - I am not the kind of person who tries to get the highest score, or to rank highest online. That's not to say that I want games to be without challenge, though. As I already mentioned, fun is a part of a game's aesthetic. In order for a game to be fun, it has to have a certain level of challenge that keeps you engaged. It has to be in just the perfect range, though. If it's too easy, it feels like work. Likewise, if it's too hard it also feels like work. I like games like Portal and Limbo because they require you to analyze the situation you're in. In my mind, this still falls under the category of conveying a world to the gamer. I could probably go on like this for pages, but I think I've said enough. So how about you? For what purpose do you play games? What do you think is the dominant reason that people play games?
Strange question with no real answer. You may as well ask, Why do people watch TV? or Why do people buy music?. You'll always get the same answer, because I want to / I like to. Some people will try to be sophisticated or some may say they play games because of boredom (like ASSEMBler pointed out) but in the end you make the choice to play a game which means you play it because you want to. Nobody will do something the don't like if they don't have to. Yakumo
you poor man. Still, October is a real release feast for the 360. I bet the PS3 is too. You'll soon find something. I'm actually going through my old games to finish off or at least gain a few more achievements. Done Bio Hazard 5, Ghostbusters, Death Smiles, Fall Out III and a few others.
Or because other people do the same thing. I'm refering to people who play games like WOW and Counter Strike because their friends do the same thing they don't want to be "out" when they visit a net cafe. Just like all these kids who bought a Pokemon cartidge because it was a huge hit that everyone would talk about it but they played it for only a few hour and then they gave it to someone else. Putting aside that I play games for the same reason Yakumo and ASSEMbler mentioned.
It can get sort of psychological when it comes to WoW or Counter Strike. Sure, they play because they want to be with the in cool group not because they want to play the game but again it's down to choice. They choose to play so they must want to play. The reason for playing is different than a normal gamer who plays for fun. These people play to be accepted. The bottom line is still the same though. They play because they want to (to be accepted). Yakumo
CS is a highly competitive game, intensive in strategy, technique and reaction time. It's not my cup of tea, but I don't think anyone plays CS because they aspire to be part of the "cool group" who play it. That's a little patronising tbh. Maybe what you're getting at is the social aspect, like a group of friends, and that's definitely a big part of MMOs. Most of the girls I know who play WoW say it's basically an extension of their MSN client.
You have a point there. Then again if you want to be accepted by playing games which you find boring is still stupit. I have noticed that to my company where some of us play Street Fighter IV for the fun while the rest play only because the other ones play as well and they prefer to play than watch and be bored even if they find SFIV boring. Well, I am from these people who prefer to watch if a game is not interesting for me exept if it's an old francise from which I have played the older games like Tekken even if it's for 3-4 matches. Even if I'm not in the mood to watch the other ones playing a game I don't like I would play something on my mobile phone or my DS.
I play games usually because it's fun. Sometimes I'll play games because there isn't anything much else to do. Pretty much the only two reasons. I would expect it boils down to these points for everyone. Either you enjoy it or you just do it rather than something else for whatever reason.
As a kid I'm not sure why but I play games now for two reasons. 1. It's fun/entertaining. 2. It's one of the few activities which makes my mind go completely blank of all thoughts other than those needed for playing, which at the moment is very useful.
I stopped playing video games regularly over the last year or so until I got my iPhone 4. Now it has become my primary gaming platform...yes folks, it really is that good.
They're fun. Takes my mind off of crap. Addicting. And with the achievements on the Xbox360 (which I'm highly addicted to) I'm playing more games than ever. Good, bad, it doesn't matter. They all have achievements. lol.
Not really. You would be surprised how many fantastic games the PS3 has. http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23186 http://www.industrygamers.com/news/metacritic-report-shows-increase-in-average-review-scores/ http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/ps3-has-the-most-highquality-releases-says-eedar/
I'm somewhat burned out. I've been working my nutbag off for the past 6 months, and I've just realized that games generally add to my stress level, not take away from it. I know they're not supposed to, but I generally play arcade games which at this age, require finesse and practice. On that note, when I do play, I play something easy as cake, which is probably finishing up Mario Galaxy 2. EDIT: I also just bought a bunch of DJ gear to relive an old hobby of mine, which *DOES* help me relax much more.
