Yes, it’s been a good while since we’ve had an SGC Blog, but we figured there was no time like the present to start rummaging through the community’s work and picking out the cream of the crop to put on the front page for everyone to read. This one comes from Zvolen, and it’s a peach of a read. Great work!
I recently had a question posed to me by a non-gamer that, on the surface, appeared easy to answer. But after some thinking, I found myself asking the same question. What was it, might you ask. Simple: why do you play video games?
Musings await over the jump.
My first thought could have been effortless: “hey, why don’t you play games?” I decided against this and after some thought said that gaming was a hobby of mine that I enjoy. After the conversation ended I felt good about my answer, but I was wondering why I did. Of all the hobbies I could have chosen, why video games?
It’s obviously something I enjoy or it wouldn’t be a hobby; something inside must lean me towards video games. Granted, I grew up playing video games but that can’t be the only reason. If it was, what was it about that first experience that led me to continue to play to this day?
So there I sat thinking: what has led me and millions of others to embrace this “hobby”? Is it the interaction with other players of like minds? Or maybe it’s the interaction with the character that eventually leads to an emotional investment? Maybe because our lives are so complex and in games we can enjoy something that is easy to solve, or where our actions have no repercussions.
I know I will never be able to play professional sports no matter how much I would like to; is that why I like playing Madden or NBA 2K9? In games, I get to experience something I otherwise couldn’t. The human race, as a whole, loves to be in control and when we’re playing games we have the opportunity to control or roleplay the lives of others. Then I realised: wait, what if it’s not even that complex? What if people enjoy video games as just another form of entertainment?
Any or all of these could be a valid reason, but since I can’t speak for the masses I will simply state why I choose to game. I enjoy the entire experience of gaming but those experiences and what I choose to do to get to that experience may differ each gaming session. For instance, I may just want pure entertainment while another session I may want to be challenged and use strategy to achieve a goal, or I might wish to role-play and interact with the character and my friends.
What I am trying to say is there is no one reason why I enjoy gaming. It’s the combination of all of these and the choice to choose your experience which most gamers enjoy and ultimately why I believe they also choose to game.
So … I will ask you, why do you game? I would be interested to hear your response.
Getting your own blog on the front page is as easy as 1-2-3. Simply register on the forums, write something fabulous in your own blog and pray that our hawk-like eye picks up on it. Happy writing!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
its fun and a easy way to spend spare time xD
Nice easy way to blow off steam and unwind after work, the odd feeling of achievement that beating a good game (even a section of a good game) can give, the fun, especially when playing multiplayer (even better if it’s local than online).
And it’s a lot better than the activity my captcha seems to be referring to “private palmy”…
Wow, Cool. I had no idea this article was being featured, Thanks SG. I am glad you all enjoyed it.
Yay!
Look forward to more of your responses.
As people have said, it’s just a lot of fun. Slightly dipping my toe in the waters of the “games as art” debate here, you can say that games are just the same sort of entertainment as films, TV and books. It’s a bit like asking someone why they watch TV or why they read a book or go see a film. Games are exactly the same. Also, similarly to all of those mentioned above, by playing games you can enjoy a wonderful experience and see these superb stories and amazing worlds and atmospheres created by games, if that appeals to you, that is. For me, there’s nothing better than an awesome experience that gives you this amazing story and introduces you to exciting worlds, and then having the fun of actually playing in that experience.
a) I enjoy the hell out of gaming in my spare time
and
b) It gives me something to do at work other than work. Thank [insert divine being] for Quake Live! (and iPhone apps)
@The Moon: I completely agree, good response.
@Krelith: Again that was my point, it can be as simple or complex as you want to be.
Great blog Zvolen! The best part is that I was reading your blog and thought to myself, “Wow, that was great entry, it should be posted on the front page.”
For me, gaming has always been a hobby of mine since I started out with the Intellivision. I really can’t point out a single reason why I enjoy gaming.
My enjoyment of gaming comes from many factors. I really can’t point out one single reason why I enjoy gaming. Is it the fact I can wreck my car off a cliff while playing Motorstorm, is it the fact that I outplayed someone while playing COD4, or is the pure enjoyment of wandering around the Capital Wasteland for hours?
I am not quite sure what my reasons are, but somewhere in the back of mind the reasons are there.
I have no night life. I tried to get a date several times. I have been on 3 over 2 years.
Actually it was a friend of mine when I was 8 he had just moved into my neighborhood and we had one thing in common. pocket monsters, after a while he told me he had this sweet(epic is the translation now) game with pikachu called super smash bros. that was when I was hooked. a few weeks later after writing a story that involved every character in the game including a trip though hyrule and the land of pokemon, he showed me age of empires. now i don’t go two weeks without playing a game or looking for game news.