Why do you play games?

Ryan0r · 13 Dec 2016 at 16:08

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?

Ryan0r · 13 Dec 2016 at 21:06

o_0 !

Ryan0r · 13 Dec 2016 at 21:26

Haha, hello mate! Pop me an email (should be able to find it in Trust)

Ryan0r · 13 Dec 2016 at 23:24

BluD said:
Fun, sometimes a challenge but brain dead fun mainly.

What sorts of games specifically are you referring to for braindead fun? Because I'm finding some games, perhaps as I get older, are more like homework, having to learn oodles of mechanics and nuances to play them properly. Management games mostly, like Cities: Skylines. Which, hilariously, some people reckon the management side of it is a bit shallow, but I find there are too many behind the scenes rules that are too opaque to understand without trawling through guides and videos to master properly.

I'm sure we all have our games that we know inside out that we can fire up for an hour or two and just slip our brain into neutral...

Ryan0r · 14 Dec 2016 at 15:08

DrToffnar said:
*snip*

Very interesting. (personally-speaking and gf is a psychologist) Do you find the social aspect of gaming helps matters? Do you get involved in voice comms, or do you mean on forums etc?

Ryan0r · 16 Dec 2016 at 10:23

I worry about this. Can you be productive and successful and still play games loads? Elon Musk and Dara O'Briain would say yes