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[OutrageousFacts]

This is something I long wanted to get off my chest and it's especially urgent now in light of the debate about Nintendo's shitty 1st-party lineup in the past 2 years (my opinion).

Basically, I don't play games to waste time or because I'm bored. I could watch movies or read books if that was all. No, I play games because I feel they add something to my life, lasting memories that stay with me. That's why I love big, complex 3d-games (with often open worlds) - the travels through BotW's Hyrule were like real wandering through an exciting, fascinating environment. Same with Xenoblade X, Xenoblade 2 or Skyrim and Witcher 3. Where other people go on vacation, I go on a journey in these games.

Then there's also stories. This is rare, but the stories in games I love the most are those that are based on reality. For example, while Xenoblade 1 and 2 have this iyf jrpg-fantasy plot, the core of the story is Takahashi Tetsuya's experience with actual existential philosophy (in this case Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz' Monadology). Then there's Shin Megami Tensei 4 that has all these cazy demons and angels - but at the end it comes to real physics, string theory and it even mentions the concept of branes.

These games stay with me, not as video games, but as life experiences that enrichen who I am and make me think.

And now to return to the start: that's why I 'hate' games like Animal Crossing, Pilmin, Mario, ARMS, Splatoon, Bayonetta or Labo - they don't 'give' me anything. These are just games that I'd play to counter boredom, to waste time. And that's why I'm never looking forward to those. That's why 2018's Switch lineup was entirely empty for me (Xenoblade 2 DLC aside) and 2019 was even worse. And now for the 3rd year all I have to look forward to are an old game (Xenoblade DE) and *maybe* BotW2 - at the very end of the year. :/

So anyway, what type of gaming raison d'etre do you lean towards? Are gaming a time waster for you? Do you play them for a staying experience like me? Maybe it's all about competition for you? Or something else entirely? Tell us why you play video games

 

[John Day]

Pure entertainment, pure bliss.

Edit: Elaborating a bit more. If a games frustrates or bores me, i just drop it and play something else. I stopped being a completionist years ago, cause my time is quite limited.

 

[synchronicity]

I find interactive entertainment to be very engaging. So, it's much more than a time-waster for me. At their best, games are simply intoxicating imo. I don't like to do things just to pass the time.

 

[DESTROYA]

For the competition and entertainment mostly.
The release of endorphins and the rush you get after beating a tough level or boss is up there too, I can get more entertainment out of game than most other options.

 

[reconminicon]

Something else - it stops me masturbating all the time. Looking forward to Cyberpunk 2077 and FFVII as it's these types of games that help me best.

 

[Texas Pride]

It's an outlet for me to escape reality which is shit at times. Also enjoy the competition.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

I play them because im addicted.

I also play them because they can be exciting and immersive worlds/stories to escape in.

 

[ph33rknot]

It's a book that I play

 

[Grand Theft Scratchy]

I play video games because they're fun. I would also say immersion is a big reason why I play them too and seeing how you can interact with the game world and that makes them more compelling than books or movies.

A good story is more of a bonus these days when playing a video game. Although I appreciate it, usually it's stuff like gameplay, atmosphere, and a fun gameplay loop that takes precedence in the hobby.

That said, getting back to drawing so I won't be playing video games as much this year.

 

[Psykodad]

A mix of hobby, escapism and boredom.

 

[MidgarBlowedUp]

I play games for a few reasons, but the most important one is the escape from this world into a new one. I think it's the same reason people watch certain movies, they want to be immersed in a different world or story (hero's journey). There's other factors too like exploration, eye candy, feeding parts of the brain you don't get as much in real life. I also, sometimes, use it for reference to interactive media that I create. Not that I create much of anything since I have a day job, but it's a fun way to understand why and how something was designed.

 

[Cattlyst]

I voted a way to waste some time. But that isn't necessarily a negative. I rarely have anything else to fill my free time with, so playing games or working out is what I do. But you can't work out all the time...so I play games to waste the rest of my free time. Hey ho.

 

[MoreJRPG]

Used to be heavy, heavy competition and as I’ve grown older I’ve begun to phase of it and now value a great single player experience over this horrible battle pass grind the industry has started to trend towards.

 

[Kdad]

I merely use them to mark time as death approaches

 

[Saber]

Entertaiment, fun and challenge. I can also tag nostalgia purposes for certain cases.

But I also most note that doesn't mean my games will avoid any kind criticism just because they're fun.

 

[brap]

They are fun. The end.

 

[Jayjayhd34]

I've got mental health issues and playing games helps relief some of the issues I have.

When I get unwell and get sectioned im so glad they all have ps4s here in the UK.

 

[Chromata]

I love being able to explore other worlds and interact with a complex imaginative system. I don't like it when people call video games a waste of time because there are some truly beautiful stories and experiences to be had. They're passion projects crafted by hundreds of people who sacrificed family time to deliver this to our hands.

For example being able to play Spiderman was awesome and something I dreamed of since watching Tobey Maguire's Spiderman in theatres as a kid.

I agree with you OP until you mentioned the Nintendo games. I love Nintendo games like I love a good Tarantino movie. They're creative, artistic, and often quite bold/unique. I always have a good time just enjoying the hilarity of it all. It also does wonders towards my inspiration as a writer.

 

[Danjin44]

Its same reason I watch movies, read comics and listen to music. Its all about entertainment, and gaming general is my me time that relax and enjoy myself.

They are fun. The end.

I hope thats still holds true for you.

 

[Bigrx1]

I play for multiple reasons - I find it fun, it eats up time when bored, it’s an emotional escape, it calms my anxiety, it’s a habit, sense of accomplishment, connection to some stories and characters, ability to experience some things vicariously, etc etc

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Almost any activity can be reduced to "a means to waste time" so I don't like to think in those terms.

Games are fun to play and fun to experience. I have gradually stopped caring as much about the quality of the "experience" (story, huge world, cutting edge visuals) and I care much more about quality of the "play" (tight controls, interlocking mechanisms, creative challenges, smooth framerates).

Kind of a bummer that you soured on games like ARMS and Bayonetta, op. Sounds like you really love getting lost in a game and escaping into an alternative world. To me, the further I have to escape into the world to enjoy it, the less immersive it is. I want to "enter" the game by investing intelligence and reflex and skill into the mechanics and to watch my own performance pay off. The absolute pinnacle of this for me is shmups, closely followed by vs puzzle games and fighting games.

You are entirely correct, these games do not "give" the player anything... right away. You have to tease out the satisfaction. Learning more about the fictional culture or reaching a new part of the story "gives" something right away but the effect does not linger. There's satisfaction to be found in digging into a world and exploring every corner and drenching yourself in the lore, but since there is no barrier to entry for obtaining this except investing a lot of time, it does not feel as rewarding to me.

Challenging my own lack of skill and my lack of muscle-memory is far more satisfying, probably because it's carving more pathways in my smoothbrain than if I was learning the lore for yet another fantasy kingdom or space empire.

 

[DESTROYA]

Almost any activity can be reduced to "a means to waste time" so I don't like to think in those terms.

Games are fun to play and fun to experience. I have gradually stopped caring as much about the quality of the "experience" (story, huge world, cutting edge visuals) and I care much more about quality of the "play" (tight controls, interlocking mechanisms, creative challenges, smooth framerates).

Kind of a bummer that you soured on games like ARMS and Bayonetta, op. Sounds like you really love getting lost in a game and escaping into an alternative world. To me, the further I have to escape into the world to enjoy it, the less immersive it is. I want to "enter" the game by investing intelligence and reflex and skill into the mechanics and to watch my own performance pay off. The absolute pinnacle of this for me is shmups, closely followed by vs puzzle games and fighting games.

You are entirely correct, these games do not "give" the player anything... right away. You have to tease out the satisfaction. Learning more about the fictional culture or reaching a new part of the story "gives" something right away but the effect does not linger. There's satisfaction to be found in digging into a world and exploring every corner and drenching yourself in the lore, but since there is no barrier to entry for obtaining this except investing a lot of time, it does not feel as rewarding to me.

Challenging my own lack of skill and my lack of muscle-memory is far more satisfying, probably because it's carving more pathways in my smoothbrain than if I was learning the lore for yet another fantasy kingdom or space empire.

Speaking of shmups have you tried ESP Ra.De.Psi? Waiting for my copy for the Switch to arrive.

 

[ProgenitorCastle]

Video games are for me, a passion. I spend lots on money on them. I write up about them often in detail on places such as here. I have lots of consoles, consider my room my "gaming empire" as a result of said consoles and video game collectibles scattered about.

 

[Birdo]

Escapism for me.

My real life is boring, so I go on adventures in the virtual world.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Speaking of shmups have you tried ESP Ra.De.Psi? Waiting for my copy for the Switch to arrive.

Heck yeah, and I really like it so far! Looking forward to hearing your impressions when your copy arrives. I think it's a gem and I'll likely go for the 1cc.

 

[Mista]

Video Games are passion to me, not even a hobby. I love the experiences, I love getting lost in different settings, genres and all that. I love following up with the industry and learning all about the development

I like many things but nothing ever came close to video games. They’re magical and they will always be

So yeah, never waste of time to me. It’s way more than I can explain

 

[Filthy Casual]

Bit of both really. Have been playing a lot of competitive games recently though (CoD & FIFA), kinda compulsively as they have that instant gratification kind of hook. Gonna try and shake them off going forward this year though because I spend too much time playing these kinds of games that I don't actually enjoy that much. They're just an escape and keep the mind occupied.

 

[Stuart360]

I play them to escape my reality. Sad but true.

 

[EightBit Man]

If a game is immersive it will get my attention. Some games I play to sharpen my skills, some for the story, some because of the interaction, some for their satirical nature and social commentary, others for the time period or fantasy setting they represent, others for the scope and things to do, and others for the high level of detail.

 

[JoeyWestSide]

All of the above and it's the interaction and doing something, completing something.

 

[LordOfChaos]

If I want to waste time I'll watch a TV show, or more often than not now, youtube.

Sometimes I have to put more of an effort into getting into a game instead, but it's a more satisfying challenge, I think of them like high pressure problem solving sometimes with phenomenal stories and art attached.

For "wasting" time, videos are my hamberders, games are my steak. But any time you enjoy isn't really wasted, is it?

 

[Tranquil]

They're fun, that's why I play them.

 

[Codes 208]

Mobile gaming is the epitome of what I would do if I want to waste time. That or youtube, reddit, twiter, etc.
I play games like halo, zelda, gears, pokemon and god of war because I enjoy the experience and theyve resonated with me.

ive been gaming since I was a toddler and growing up in a bit of a tough spot, it was really my only escape (aside for my love of art, which actually stemmed from video games.)

 

[Roni]

Yeah, I feel like games serve me as books, tv shows, movies and music do. They're a source of entertainment, but also culture.

 

[molasar]

 

[Bkdk]

Ideally is to live another life in another world to fulfill most of my male fantasies. I especially love long and big open world games that I can fight my way to gain all these magical/sci fi overwhelming force, make choices in games with roller coaster consequences but eventually shaping the game world and set the rules my own way, and sexual fantasies with many types of girls that I love in game and turn them submissive and set up harem in game. Technology still have some ways to go but I wish I can play this type of games before the day I die.