Discussion: Why We Play Games (Addiction)

Its a form of escapism for me, escaping the trials of normality.

In the same way that I get engrossed in a good movie it creates a feeling of being in that movie world as you see it on screen. For example, the first film that comes to mind is Dawn of the Dead (the 2004 version), which I loved as it mixed humour, isolation and horror together really well. I became engrossed in the movie to the very end and considered how 'cool' (maybe the wrong word) it would be to be in a world like the movie.

The same goes for games, at the moment Im playing Alien Isolation which has a huge immersion factor for me, mainly because it scares the wits out of me but I love how the game makes you feel alone, scared and vulnerable. Whilst the misses is watching some 'reality' tv show downstairs Im happier experiencing an interactive world through a videogame where you can playout a role surrounded by an imaginative vision of an alternate time and place.

Woah, heavy lol
 
Why you play games?

Gaming to me is all about entering another world and being a different person, even if the game is not RPG/ MMO you ar estill role playing to some extent.

There is also the fact that this "real world" sucks, constant hardships and limited rewards for insane amounts of effort.

Gaming offers a reward for what you do, even if that reward is not tangeable you still feel like your achieving more than you could in a day job.

Do you get addicted to certain games?
Yes, most certainly

If so, do you know why (what hooks you)?
Many reasons, deep story, engaging plot, if it sucks me in and makes me forget what is going on around me, then a late dinner is probably in the cards.

I have all too often started gaming with a set time in mind only to stop playing and realise I should have eaten 5 hours ago.

All in all it comes down to the original question, why do you play games, leaving this world for one more interesting will always be an attractive idea. Thats why books were and still are a good way to pass time.
 
Why you play games?

I see it as an escape, it's one of the ways I unwind (or get wound up depending on what I am playing :p)

Do you get addicted to certain games?

Probably more so when I was younger and had more time.

If so, do you know why (what hooks you)?

One game recently that had me wanting to drop other things to play it was The Last of Us. I think the powerful storyline and the need to know what happens next is what kept me wanting to play more in this case.

I find things like level progression and acheivements don't really have much effect on me in terms of wanting to get to the highest or unlock things. I just want to play.

This probably stems from the games I played growing up, more pick up and play type games...Quake 3, Counterstrike, Call of Duty 1 & 2. They didn't really focus too much on character level, but more on skill of the player, this for me is far more important than say, having the highest rank or unlocking the latest skin.

TLDR; Single Player: Stroyline / Online: Skill > Rank/leveling platforms

Hope this helps :)
 
isn't denial a common characteristic of an addict? so asking people if they are addicts does not seem logical.

also how do you define addiction? something you do daily? one goes to work, school, eat and sleep daily. or does addiction need to be physically or psychologically addicting? or does addiction mean obsession? or is addiction doing something that hampers you from doing other things? or is addiction something that harms you when done excessively? or is it habitual behaviour that is not socially the norm?

I like to game since I was a kid. personally I like the interaction, the challenge, the exploration, the strategy (RTS) or puzzle solving, building/planning (Anno,...), the cooperation with others online (I don't like adversarial games tbh - I find them stressful and they usually end up w/ insults etc...), the entertainment, fun and sometimes novel ideas in games.

I like to game most days, if I didn't i'd probably go to the pub or watch TV. also gaming is a fun break compared to daily routine. am I an addict? maybe. does it harm me? I don't think so. can I stop playing games without craving them? yes when I go on holidays/travel I don't spend one minute thinking about gaming. could I do something more productive with my time? certainly, but that could be said for most things!

I don't think the real issue is gaming, but rather how technology has changed our life/society from online shopping, entertainment, communication (email, mobile, social media etc...) and even work (more info to process quicker and also technology has replaced many human jobs)

my 2 cents
 
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Simply because I enjoy them and like to help make them also. Strangely I do play games a lot less now despite the fact I work on them for a living, at least for the moment. For example, the last game I worked on I haven't even played all the way through and the fans know more about it that I do. It does kind of ruin the elusive fun of it a bit once you know how stuff works. Can go many days without playing anything although I get feed up of working and just want to have a bit of fun for a change.

I will get drawn into a game if I enjoy it and play it quite often but once that's worn off I probably won't play much of anything. Don't know if that would count as addiction. There are certain games that draw me more but they are few and far between. I don't have any need or desire to play any games just to feed an urge.
 
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