WHY are they fun? If you don't enjoy video games, why do you still play them anyway or don't play them? A question on this MBTI test asked if one preferred games that reward the player for efficiency or creativity. Of course there's the Bartle playstyle test, but I figured it would be fun to ask this question in a more open-ended way :lol:
They're fun because they let you do impossible things. Video games are also good for escaping everyday life--I play a game with a female protagonist when I get an attack of genderdysphoria for example--and they're excellent mediums for art. Some of my favorite games are the ones with art oriented playstyles and visuals like Okami and Journey.
( xNTP here :3 ) And well, I play because it allows me to forget about the real world. And I love that feeling. -I play way less than I used to though-
Video games. My perfect escape from reality. Despite being just on a screen, they allow me to escape to another world. Not just one, but hundreds of thousands. In the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess world, I'm a small town guy donning green clothes, a hat that never comes off, and a sword in my left hand and a shield in my right. Oh, and an asshole that can fit all my items. In the Mario world, I'm an Italian plumber who uses pipes to get to the princess. In the Splinter Cell world, I'm the best agent the CIA has. I can sneak around with ease, despite the giant green light on my back.
To keep it as simple as possible... Video games allow me to do what I otherwise cannot or should not. By cannot I mean, to wield magic or to explore a unique world. By should not I mean, to control large numbers of men and resources, experimenting with tactics and ideas, just for the sake of trial and error. They're great time-killers, a fine source of inspiration, and even a means to wind down. If you're into the social aspect, they're a fun way of bonding with others, and forging friendships. Also, they keep the mind alert and thinking, from the most mundane of first-person shooters to the more elaborate Sim-like creations. I have always liked a game that allows one creativity, because it makes the game feel more intimate, and this makes them more personal. I'm making an investment, basically, something to take pride in. Even though I'm not nearly as hardcore into gaming as I once was, I still keep a select few games accessible to me. Of those few games, I would consider myself exceptional at them, not only due to the amount of time invested in them, but the experimentation and craftsmanship as well. I have learned them, inside and out. Before, it was simply becoming acquainted with the mechanics, and now, I am pushing the game play to it's limits, and enjoying every moment of it. That about covers it, I'd say.
I think I enjoy games that reward based on efficiency. I enjoy strategy that involves the mind and not so much games that involve fighting because I am not that quick nor coordinated (and for that reason, I feel I am not considered a gamer because most ppl seem to really enjoy fighting games that involve being on ones toes).
Video games, for me, offers me escape from reality. I forget problems when I am inside the world of League of Legends. I forget pain when I am battling Pokemon trainers.
Same thing with the whole escape from reality thing. But for an online console gamer I like to game with friends online. Nowadays, online gaming is only one half of the whole. Online gaming makes up for lack of social interaction in my daily life. Sure I have friends at work... but we all keep it at work. To have a few people to game with is amazing. Also, nothing beats a well written, well directed, story line plot that you basically get t be apart of. Like the Fallout games.
It's like another world, a world where you can do anything you want. You can be a super criminal without getting the consequences. You can go on an adventure training magical beasts.. Anything is possible in the game world.
I think it's mainly the characters. These people are friends, enemies, lovers, anything that it's conceivable they could be, and the fact that they're mine is wonderful. I may dislike most people, and hate many more, but the fact is... I'm lonely. Video games mean friends, and, I should mention, way better friends than real ones! Because you can shoot them if they annoy you with practically no consequences... yeaaah. Also, I love games that give me choices. I like more control, not less. More choices means more control, and that means that, at least in a simulation, I have more control over my life. It's pretty... I dunno. I love videogames for reasons I can't even begin to comprehend. I love the excitement of meeting new characters, exploring a new storyline, and the unique feeling of discovering something new in a game I've played twenty times. They're like another world, available at the touch of a button. Which is why I hate when game developers ruin them with cliched plots or horrible characters, or destroy the immersion. Oh, and make games just for money. They're abusing their power for the sake of greed, and it makes me so very angry. Anyway, possibly directionless rant is over with. I honestly can't put why I love videogames so much into words.
I like playing video games for many reasons. They are addictive as hell for one. Also, great for meeting and socializing with my friends without ever having to leave my room. Most importantly though, it is an escape for me. My life sucks and with video games I can enter into a fantastical world and adventure and have fun and not have to worry about all the real world problems. I don't think many people like parents and teachers realize that playing video games helps me cope with my problems. Honestly I hate how adults like to demonize video games and say how they are the cause of school shootings and crimes committed by adolescents when in reality they most likely aren't. Anyway, video games are fun.
Primarily for adventures in epic fantasy lands, with exploration and overcoming tricky puzzles and tough battles. If a game can do all this, be fun, and have a good soundtrack, then I'll like it. Story for me is the icing on the cake; if the story is really good, as in there's a really neat world with a cool mythos and a super special awesome way that the characters interact with the world and its mythos, then I will love the game.
You should probably play Dragon's Dogma. Only adventure game I ever played that really felt like an adventure.
Because you can be and do anything you want, whether or not it is restricted by our reality. More importantly, because whatever you do only bears the consequences you allow. That's partially why GTA is hugely successful-- you can take any car off the street that strikes your fancy, drive as fast as you can, ramp it into a building, and walk away unscathed. There is hardly a person alive who won't look at that and go "Whoa." I'll hardly mention its value as a medium for art and storytelling because it sort of goes without question hehe. A third point, similarly related to the first in that you have ultimate freedom, is that you have great power. People love the idea of shaping their own destiny, and video games are the consummate way to experience it. Instead of being some Joe Schmo who may not receive any recognition for work done, you can pick up a sword and defeat grand and terrible foes, saving the lives of thousands by your skill and heroism alone. It's my expectation that everyone fancies themselves as the protagonist of some story. In video games, this desire is manifested in as much glory as our tech allows.
Well besides satisfying gameplay, I always love learning about new ways to tell a story in media. Video games provide a fresh, nonlinear narrative.
I like the story, it really doesn't matter how good the actual gameplay is(to a certain point) As long as it has a good story line I'm just dandy. I also enjoy the freedom elements of most open world games.