Why do you play games?

Just for the challenge really.
I have been gaming since 1978 when my Dad bought me a Philips Videopac G7000 (anybody else have one?).

Surprisingly enough, I stuck to single player games and only got into online PvP about 3 years ago (World of Tanks/Warships).

It gives me time to just tune the world out and relax.
I'm a very relaxed gamer, not a rager like some... So two hours of gaming will leave me chilled and ready for another day of the grind.
 
Probably echoing what a lot have already said, but for me it's the escape, the story, the immersion, the challenge probably in that order.

A good game can be as evocative as any movie or box set if done right, and the stories these days are pretty elaborate. It's that which provides the immersion, and it's nice to unwind after work.

I'm 38 and have been gaming since I was about 5. You don't need me to tell you how much gaming has changed in that time. I always liked the escape, but gaming seems to have evolved as I've grown up and provided the stories and immersion. I've almost given up on a few occasions, but something has always come along to draw me back.

Seems to be more online multiplayer though these days, and that's one thing I've never done/will never do. I just don't get out of that what I want from gaming, so I'm happy with the hours I manage to put in. A lot more casual these days but still enjoying it, and that's the main thing.
 
Finding it more of a struggle these days, but constantly looking for the next thing that can pull me in.

Always been the fun for me, particularly like open world/sim games to do silly things and "see what happens".
Once you get to a certain point of a game, it can feel like you have achieved something, even though you haven't... Games that have collectables or hidden things have always been good for me, like to find everything.
 
I started playing games as a kid vs my brother then around the age of 18 discovered online gaming on the pc, everything changed, i could play vs someone other than my brother ha, well the first game i bought was medal of honour allied assualt :) best game ever in my personal opinion, has anyone else played this game? :) never had the same feeling from another game since, being able to play in the zone and know that you were the best player in the lobby ha, dont mean to boast, i would play for hours on end :)
 
For me it's a mixture of (depending on my mood at the time), escapism, alone time, and entertainment.

I'm quite a private person, and am quite fortunate (or unfortunate depending on your take) that I relish in my own company. I've never cared for trying to be mr. popular or have a big group of friends I see all the time, particuarly from around the age of 25/26.

I fortunately do have a very good group of RL friends who have all grown up together, and we're all PC gamers :D
 
I worry about this. Can you be productive and successful and still play games loads? Elon Musk and Dara O'Briain would say yes :)
 
Malevolence said:
Because I like burning heretical scum out of existence in big spaceships fitted with many lasers. :)
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Haha! :D
 
I play games to escape from the stresses of real life, because I enjoy playing them more than I enjoy watching TV and because it is the best way to use the PC which I enjoy building and upgrading.
 
Since I got my first comp (Dragon32) the main draw for me has been the ability to explore a virtual landscape from the comfort of my home, doing things and going places that you can't do in RL. Obviously this was pretty limited back in the day, but those first basic landscapes were a gimps as to what was to come and made me excited for the medium... This is why today I mostly enjoy open world games such as Skyrim and Withcher3, or flight simulation, which is the ultimate open world landscape. I like story driven stuff too, such as Uncharted, but I still take the time to roam around in every nook, and love some developers reward you for this.

I also like the tech side of game development, esp. graphics.... seeing the advances over the years is fascinating.
 
Ryan0r said:
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,
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Yeah i dont get involved in them sort of games, or i at least try to avoid that part of the game. I don't like getting home from work starting up a game and then it just feeling like more work, thats the main reason i didnt take up IT work for a living because i couldnt go to college all day working on computers, it just sent me to sleep.

I don't mind a bit of grinding where the grinding is fun because your killing mobs, doing fun missions etc, especially where your doing it with friends as you can have a lot of fun challenging each other along the way but when it comes to doing things like fishing, crafting, or just pure boring grinding then i steer well clear. I got that tomb raider game and i was expecting to follow a fairly set route, climb some cliffs solve a few puzzles and shoot some animals, when it started asking me to collect materials to craft stuff it annoyed me.

Anyway for braindead fun i play a few FPS games like Overwatch and some arma 3 mods, you can jump in for a quick game then leave, no commitment required and no grinding. Then theres just pure openworld fun on GTA online, smashing around in fast cars and shooting people with rocket launchers, need i say more? :)

The main thing as i get older that keeps games fun is to not try and be the best all the time, i remember when i was younger i always had to get the most kills in CS and UT and always had to do the most DPS in our Wow raids etc...It meant spending all week testing, grinding and reading up on forums just so you can have a few good hours playing over the weekend, i started to notice all the other guys playing like me were burning out and then just quitting gaming where as the casual (or as i called them slackers) gamers are still chugging along now nearly 20 years later happy as ever.
 
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