Straight from my Blog:
Why I like playing video games.
There are many times when my love of video games has garned me the odd look, or the snide comment. Of course those that know me understand what it is about video games that is so appealing to me and they can appreciate it even if they don’t understand it. I always just thought that my love of games was due to just having grown up with them. That seemed like such a shallow reason to like games, and I thought there had to be more to it than that.
That got me to thinking about what are some of the main reasons I like video games so much. Is it the escapism, of being someone or something that I am not? Is it the compelling stories or situations that a video game character can be put into, and by proxy the situations that I, myself, the gamer get into? Or is it the pretty graphics and the awesome gameplay that draw me into worlds that are out of this world?
I would have to say that it really is all of those reasons combined. The escapism that one can get from video games is no less compelling than watching a movie or reading a book, and I would maintain that video games are far more engaging. You are interacting in the game world and nothing happens unless you are the one pushing things forward. It is also through this Idea of escapism, that you can become a assassin fighting against Templars renaissance Italy, a intergalactic navy commander trying to stop the annihilation of the human race, or the author of a psychological thriller trapped in your own mind. Of course, this level of escapism is only possible if the story that gets you to that time and place is worthwhile.
Some of the stories in video games are so detailed and involving and have such a strong resonance with you that you find yourself thinking about it and how things are going go workout when you are away from the game. This is not too dissimilar from a good book or movie in it’s ability to draw you in and make you think about how those mediums will unfold. Great story is fine, but if the experience is not fun, it’s really not going to be worth your time.
The beauty of the graphics and the ease of control are the final components needed in order to complete the suspension of disbelief in a good video game. Without those things, the game will not and cannot draw you in well enough to make the experience all it can be. From striking vistas, to realistic physics, the game world is a living breathing thing that, when done well, has the power to draw you in like nothing else.
In short, video games truly are the gateway to a wonderful and amazing world, if you’ll let them.
Enjoy!
