Why do you like Video Games.

[sega fan]

Sure, we talk about them, but we never say why they are good. =I really love games because, whatever disc/cartridge/card/floppy/whatever you pick up, each one is different. Every one of these little pieces of metal and plastic tells a story, and It's like a movie that you control the fate of. Like those interactive books where you choose the end of a chapter, depending on how good you play, video games are the same type of thing. Anfd I can be anyone, I can be Piece Brosnon in Goldeneye 64, I can be Micheal Jackson in Moonwalker, I can be Shaq in Shaq Fu, and I don't even have to be a celebrity, I could be Solid Snake, Gordon Freeman, Mario, Sonic, Lara Croft, Etc. Hell, I don't even have to have a true Identity, I can be the little pink stick man in Berserk, I could be the silent mute (Claude Speed) in GTA 3, I could be anyone, and do whatever I want in these fictional worlds, whenever I feel like.

Also, I wanted to post this at the end of this thread, I find this sadly true and Hilarious about Gears Of War.

Ks7pTvn_XSg

[johnnyb]

I love video games because I get to for awhile live in a dream, I have always wanted to be a top sportsman, a super hero, slay dragons, travel the universe! This is the closest way I can get to all of that! There is nothing like leaving the world behind after having a week at work full of bullshit!

[MrMatthews]

Because they're awesome

[johnnyb]

Because they're awesome

.... oh yea and that too!

And that was so gears of war!:)

[Rusty Venture]

They're cheaper than drugs.

[Mr Smith]

More interactive than TV, less effort than reading. Johnny's answer was excellent and is part of the reason I am rapidly going off the Wii. If I wanted to play tennis/bowling/see my friends I can do all of these things without needing some crappy gimmicky console to dumb down the experience.

[Metal_Sonic]

Because reality for the most part sucks.

[ninjabearhug]

Interesting topic, and TBH, it's something I've never really thought about before now.

I'm not entirely sure why I love video games so much, Its probably just the simple fact that I've pretty much played them all my life. I can't really remember what life was like before them as i was only 3 or 4 years old, so i suppose they are a kind of comfort blanket. I love the feeling of playing a great game, being sucked into an imaginary world where you are in charge, i don't read much but i imagine that is what reading a good book feels like too. The feeling of completing a game 100% is also something that i have come to enjoy. I always feel proud of myself, even when the game was pretty crap. That feeling of achievement is something that i pretty much only find from completing video games, as i achieved pretty much all my life goals years back and sometimes feel like i'm at a sticking point without gaming.

Admittedly, I probably love games a bit too much. It has become quite the addiction over the years, to the stage that i can't walk past a Video Game shop or arcade without going in and spending money even though i have hundreds of games that i am yet to play. Some of my friends tell me my addiction to games is unhealthy (as they stick another £1 coin into a slot machine), but I really don't care. It makes me happy, it doesn't hurt me or anyone around me ( unless they get in the way of a thrown pad during a frustratingly hard game), so i'm glad to be an addict :).

*Rant Over *

[TheEdge]

Mostly for the challenge. That's why I gravitated towards the older games. They seem to be more difficult than the games presently out. Also they have replay value. That's another thing that games lack these days.

.

[Mr. Ksoft]

I have ADD and video games are one of the few things that can hold my attention.

I also very much enjoy being thrust into the worlds within games. I am an imagination person, so imagining I am there is powerful.

[Melf]

I like the experience of interacting in worlds normally unavailable to me. One day I can be a knight, the next I can be a mafia kingpin, space traveler, etc. I like challenging myself and enjoying games with friends as a social tool that doesn't require years of practice to master or some major natural ability.

I like collecting them too!

[sega fan]

I'd also like to add that, I love collecting games because not only do they have cool looking covers that are interesting to have on a shelf, but also I can plug them into to whatever piece of machinery and It's a whole new experience. Crap like collecting stamps and such get really boring as all you can do is look at them, Games are fun to look at and hold adventures within the pretty package. You can't say that for Baseball cards or whatever else.

[Slave]

I would really get into them as a kid. One of the reasons why I have such fond memories of Sonic 2, Shining Force, Comix Zone, and others were the bright colors, adventure, and imagination. And they were fun to play :) Some of my favorites today may not be the best in play but they are in audiovisual designs.

[Mamba Tabac]

They are, without question, the greatest form of escapism from the tedious monotonous bore that is real life.

[TmEE]

Reality does not offer what a video game can

[Flygon]

They give me something to do when I would otherwise be doing something completely unproductive.

Such as trying to go to sleep. Though sometimes its actually better off trying to go to sleep, mainly when you end up spending ours on end playing an RPG >>"

[acdc]

brings me back childhood memories

[chrisbid]

when i was young, the idea of controlling what was happening on a television screen fascinated me more than anything else

and i never really cared about storylines per say, i did like the idea of exploring what happened next after progressing. in the NES era, i liked the idea of an ending, but the plot devices used to get to the ending i didnt really care about

[iluvclassicgaming]

Great answers on this thread!

For me it's a catharsis, a drug, a hobby, a part of life separate from reality (no, I wasn't a psychology major :?)

Since childhood i've been fascinated by video games. There's nothing like having a joystick/joypad in your hands, with total control of the spaceship/character/fill-in-the-blank, while watching it all take place on the tv screen. Immersing yourself in that strange world temporarily, focusing on the game with nothing else in your mind but the game.

Getting that thrill of finally completing Sonic 4, or playing as the NY Rangers and beating the Red Wings 5-4 with :10 seconds left in the 3rd period on NHL '94, or breaking my personal record on ColecoVision Galaxian, or collecting as much treasure within the 20 min. time limit on Pitfall for the Atari 2600!

So many game genres and systems to choose from, each system is like a little world in itself with it's own history and library of games.

With all the systems and games to date, you can literally spend a lifetime playing, if anyone can actually do that!

It's the best!

[Kollision]

I play video-games mainly because of the challenge. I love the feeling you get when a game is beaten, even more when it's a hard bastard.

There are also games that I love due to the combination of graphics+music+fun+cool.
I just can't imagine myself going through my free time without video-games.

[Sega Uranus]

Because you get into trouble if you kill people IRL.

[TheEdge]

Other than the challenging aspect of video games I think I like them because they get my mind of real world issues that drive me insane.

[TmEE]

I have to add that I spend a great deal of time in games' sound tests...

[TheEdge]

I have to add that I spend a great deal of time in games' sound tests...

Streets of rage sound test = Happy Edge

[sega fan]

Streets of rage sound test = Happy Edge

Streets of rage sound test = Happy Sega Fan