Why do you play games?

Ryan0r

Ryan0r

Ryan0r

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Joined
27 Feb 2009
Posts
498
Location
Angus
For me it's always been escapism. Growing up skint and miserable, being able to go somewhere else and be someone else was distracting and empowering; planning cities, murdering bad guys, saving the galaxy with a lightsaber, jumping on Dr Robotnik's stupid head.

My degree is in games, so I'll always be fascinated by the process and the technology as much as the end product, not to mention what it can evoke as a medium in terms of fear, sorrow, joy, triumph, anguish, frustration.

Games have also shown me many things, and I've gone on to research a number of topics based on them being featured in or hinted-at in games - pirate ship types and the history of the era because of Sid Meier's Pirates, Chernobyl and Pripyat because of STALKER, countless facets of World War 2, the list goes on.

As I now approach 40 I feel I should be putting it to bed, yet it always draws me back in - it's my favourite way to unwind. It's my go-to pastime when tired or hungover; comfort food for my brain. There's always that niggle in the back of my head though... could I be doing something more productive with my time...?

Anyone else feel the same way?
How big a part of your life is gaming?
Has anyone tried to quit?
Has anyone gotten into bother with work/partners/family because of gaming?
 
Same reason you do, to unwind. Flying / car sims and the odd bit of FPS gaming do wonders for me when it comes to unwinding. I assume because my mind is so occupied by the gaming it forgets all of life's other dramas. I am 39 in March next year and do not plan to stop as it is something I enjoy. I'm not on the PC everyday though, just a few times a week at most, sometimes none, it depends on work and other stuff I'd like to do.
 
I like to escape into another world, just to wind down really to get away from the copious amount of stupid people I see and hear on a daily basis. Plus, it gets me away from dealing with stupid TV, catered towards the dumb society we live in today....I mean Gogglebox really WTF!!! :mad::mad::mad:
 
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Entertainment pure and simple.
Sometimes I'll watch a movie for the same reason.
Prefer a good game though because: -

a) it's not just a passive experience,
b) there's more time to flesh out a plot, get to know the characters etc.
 
Fun!
Also escapism.
Also habit.

Obviously the 'fun' in that list covers a great many issues, but basically, it's a hobby and is therefore how I enjoy spending a good portion of my leisure time.
 
Take your pick of the following. Some,all or none may apply to me.

1) To get away from reality for a little bit.
2) A shared hobby with the missus as a little bit of extra bonding time.
3) Because its fun and more interesting than 75% of whats on TV
4) Because at the most base level, I want to kill and maim people, hack and shoot at them and do all the other untold things in games but society frowns on me doing it, but in the land of the virtual, anything goes.
 
Escapism for sure but also because it is an alternative to probably the biggest relaxation activity ever...television.

It boggles my mind the amount and content of utter **** on telly these days. I figured why spend the time relaxing by numbing my brain with this utter **** where there is no interactivity keeping my brain active, when gaming keeps the brain active, using reactions and watching a story unfold that genuinely interests me.

However I do like to watch a good movie :D
 
been into games since the amiga 64.. dont plan to stop now! :D

its just a fun hobby and i dont think anyone should stop just because of there age (not including the 13yr olds who scream EZ )

there is a few people that take gaming way too seriously though, like truly raging because you died in a game.. i mean cmon
 
In no particular order

Fun/Pleasure
Escapism
Story
Challenge

I notice these days I'm playing more of the "open" and casual games rather than the set course ones, partly because I like the exploration and building in things like Ark Survival Evolved and Subnautica, and partly because I dislike having to play for 30-45 minutes at a time just to get from one preset save point to another.
 
I just enjoy it so much and prefer it as entertainment to television, although I do love the occasional good movie. For me this year it's bordering on an addiction I think - I'm gaming around 4 hours every day, it's all I want to do and have to check myself when I start getting grumpy if something gets in my way of gaming. At least I'm aware of the issue though, I think it would be a problem if I was in denial. I'll force myself to take the kids out to the park on Sunday for example as its the right thing to do, even though all I want to do is sit and play games all day. Regarding the missus, she didn't like it at first but she's come round and as long as we sit and watch the occasional programme at the end of the night I don't get any grief anymore...

I'm 37 by the way.
 
It's just the only sort of hobby I ever had really! Never in to sports etc and as above would prefer to play a game over watching the soaps etc. Having a baby this year has somewhat limited my play time and makes me appreciate a good game even more as it feels like I'm investing more of my more value able play time on it, get about an hour or 2 every night or so.

Once baba is comfortably sleeping through I'll start staying up after my gf had gone to bed to play again like I used to! Tell you what though, her pregnancy was great for gaming :D she would go to bed between 8-9pm :D
 
Aha!!!!!!

Remember me? I was in a clan years ago who played your guys in ecsl, we met up in kdy for drinkies before we played and got totally wrecked lol.

Yes I got into trouble for gaming, stopping clan matches/mixes at 3-4am and getting up for work at 7 isn't wise, every hour I had was spent gaming or talking about it, got divorced but only slightly because of the gaming (she was a cow) so yes it can be badly addictive. Married again now, happy for years and have stopped gaming although our son is a complete wizard......apparently I'm rubbish as he hammers me at everything already.
 
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