Mob Rule: Why do We Love Games?

Editor's note: We all have a different spin on it, but it seems like most people tend to game for escapism or empowerment. Is that good? You know what, I'm going to think about that more after I play some SteamBirds…. -Demian

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Bitmob is a unique place. I know that isn’t really a special statement or even something that hasn’t been said before, but it's true. We have a number of different people from multiple locales all working towards a common goal: intelligent discussion about the entertainment and technology that we all love.

Because of our differences, we're in a position to learn about and explore those cultures, viewpoints, and backgrounds that we may not be familiar with.

We’re all here because we love to play video games and discuss the culture surrounding them. But the question this edition of Mob Rule seeks to answer is: “Why did we fall in love with gaming in the first place?”

So without any further fluffing on my part, here are the answers your fellow community members came up with:

Andrew J. Hiscock says: I play video games because I need something I can control. Few things in life provide the rules, the constraints, and the agency a video game does. You have distinct tasks, and the ability to perform them. I love achievements, beating games, and side quests, because these are minor goals that I complete with relative ease. Conversly, I don't control my job, my household, or much of what I do in my day-to-day routine. Not that I'm complaining — most of the time I'm happy to be along for the ride.

But video games provide a balance for me. For a small portion of each day, I am at the helm and in full control. In the grand scheme of things video games are unimportant, sure, but even if the rewards are illusionary, they are nonetheless rewarding. The feedback loop in games is great enough that I can always rely on it, even if I never get that in real life most of the time. 

 

Daniel Feit says: I'm sure it started out innocently enough. Games (video or otherwise) were just something to do, like watching TV. I played Atari like I played Tic-Tac-Toe or chess. Over time it turned into something bigger, especially as single-player games grew larger and more inviting. Games became more than just something to do when friends were around; they became opportunities to indulge in fantasy.

I think the advantage games offer over other entertainment mediums is the luxury of exploration. No "Wednesday nights at 8," no "now playing at a theater near you." Just turn it on when you're ready and see where it takes you. I watch plenty of TV and movies and enjoy the social aspects attached to them, but games are unique in that my experience with them is personal. I may have seen Inglourious Basterds in a Japanese movie theater, but it was essentially the same film people in the United States saw. However, nobody experienced Rapture in Bioshock quite the way I did, because I was calling the shots. 

 

Alex R. Cronk-Young says: This may sound incredibly sad, but I game because it is one of the few places in life where I have control. Life doesn't always go the way you hoped it would. You get caught in a shitstorm and just have to make do. When I was younger, beating a game was some sort of concrete accomplishment in my life. When I couldn't see the end of the school road, or when I was feeling down, conquering an RPG and adding it to the list (I literally had a list) was a solid thing that couldn't be changed.

It was done. I beat that game. It didn't matter if anyone else cared about it, because it was still some sort of accomplishment for me in a world of seemingly endless tasks. Nowadays, it is pretty much the same way: My car might have something seriously wrong with it, leaving me unsure of how I will do my job; I could check my bank account five times a day, crossing my fingers that I get paid before someone cashes a check; and countless other things could go wrong as well. But I know that, when I turn on that video game, one is shoot, two is jump, and when I kick the shit out of Sheep Man I will feel a sense of accomplishment.

 

Lance Darnell says: As a young ragamuffin, I would often turn cardboard boxes and Bristol board into an Imperial Star Destroyer and Storm Troopers. I would also set up dozens and dozens of little toy soldiers to reenact battles I had read about. I would sometimes wander into forests and look for caves or holes, hoping to have some Goonies-esque adventure.

Then video games came along, and I did not have to spend hours setting up my toys anymore. I found holes and caves that did have things in them. When I grew older, it was much more socially acceptable for me to have a video game system in my room than a bunch of toys set up to be played with. This fact I learned the hard way. So why did I choose gaming as a hobby? Because it is the only way I can still play with my toys and go on adventures without fear of bodily harm or excessive teasing.

 

Chris Davidson says: I game because I've always had a ridiculous imagination. I need to see worlds and explore places normally unimaginable to me in order to satisfy this feeling. I'm not much of a book, movie, or TV person, with a couple of exceptions. Whatever video games are to me, they scratch the itch. I like to think that video games produce a constant stimulus to my brain that other forms of media can't do. I fall asleep reading, I'm bored watching a movie, and TV just does something else for me, but I'm always 100% engaged in my video games, and that feels good. 

 

Chris Cosmo Ross says: I chose gaming because TV is boring. Games stimulate my brain, and I enjoy seeing and interacting with worlds created from the imagination of other people. I love creativity, and to me games are much more creative than just about any other entertainment medium. 

 

Mark T. Whitney says: It’s a crazy question, and reading through everyone’s responses gives me a bit of an unfair perspective. What I’ve come to realize, though, as I’ve combed through all of these, is that video games are a sublime way to escape things that have negatively affected me throughout my life.

When I was younger my dad passed away. I grew up with three brothers who were suddenly my “caretakers,” even as they were going through their own transitions of puberty, girls, high school, and all of the troubles and anger that go with them. I didn’t have many friends, and the ones I did have made fun of me relentlessly, because I was an awkward boy that had no male-role model in his life. Video games filled the void and allowed me to escape into a world where I was a hero, loved by all for the acts I had accomplished. Looking back on it now, all of the video games I loved as a kid had main characters with an absent creator (Mega Man), or the spirit of a man to guide you towards the right decisions in life (Final Fantasy 4).

Since then I have grown up, found friends, and become (for the most part) really happy with how things have turned out, but gaming remains a major part of my life. Now it's not just an escape from the day-to-day grind of reality, but also a slight comfort and reminder of where I’ve come from.

 

Dan “Shoe” Hsu says: I hate this question — mainly because it’s so difficult to answer. Is gaming an escape for me? Sure…but so are a lot of things (snowboarding, college football, tabletop games, sex, etc.). What is it about gaming specifically that I’m drawn to? I think it’s the challenge. When I was a kid, if you put a maze in front of me, I’ll try to beat it. If you put a math problem in front of me, I’ll try to solve it. So if you put virtual missions in front me, I’ll try to accomplish them. I don’t do anything productive in real life — like building highways, curing diseases, or inventing inventions — so I think the “need to go finish something” part of my brain is drawn to video games.

 

Nick Gates says: I don't know. Nor do I want to. Quantifying and trying to rationalize why we do anything is an absolute nightmare. All I know is that I play games and I enjoy them. I find absolutely no need to justify my passions; they just are what they are. Passion for something is the foundation of individuality, so maybe on some subconscious level it's a manifestation of my quest for individuality in this world, but that's overthinking it.

I don't know why I do anything; I've just stumbled onto passions in my life and have held those dear, like everybody does. I could give a perfectly valid and long-winded paragraph on why I play games, but letting the mystery of our individuality as humans speak for itself is infinitely more interesting.

More on page two….

Pete Davison says:  I game for several reasons. Firstly, I find TV — for the most part, at least — boring and uninspiring. I enjoy watching TV while I'm doing something else (usually having dinner), but I very rarely just sit down and watch something, as I always feel I'd rather be "doing" something rather than sitting passively. This doesn't necessarily mean I want to be doing something useful – – just doing something. Video games give me that something to do. I can sit down and escape the trials and pressures of the world around me for a little while. I can become a hero, or part of a work of art, or an observer in a story. It speaks to my overactive imagination and allows me to do things I wouldn't be able to normally. For that reason, along with the sheer diversity present in gaming as a medium, gaming is always my entertainment "first choice."

 

Tom Heistuman says: I started playing games when I was only five, so I can't really say why. I got a Nintendo for Christmas and was excited beyond belief. My parents probably did it because that was what cool parents gave their kids in those days. As to why I've continued playing games, well, that's different. Excitement, joy, overcoming difficult obstacles, teamwork, defeating a puzzle, exploring fantastic worlds, and battles with unbelievable creatures — video games gave me these experiences in spades.

No book or movie has been able to drain my attention, time, or money like my games do. When you're watching a battle in some war movie you have to depend on a director and actor to make you feel the tension and havoc. When you play a battle scene, then you live that moment for as long as you can carry on. With the advent of co-op multiplayer I can share these amazing experiences with my friends for many hours and create incredible memories. Games have had a lasting and positive effect on my life and I continue to play for these very experiences. 

Matt Giguere says: When it comes down to brass tacks, I game because it's my hobby. It distracts me, but helps keep my focus. It makes me lazy, but strengthens my resolve. I game because it is the thing I like to do. Just as I like to walk to stay healthy or like reading to enjoy the poetry of words, I play games because they interest me. Games motivate the body with feeling like the way the heart starts to race during a high-speed chase. They stimulate the mind with puzzles till blood pours out of the ears from brain hemorrhaging. They fill the soul with the inspiration of knowing that anything impossible can be achieved. Games are my source of knowledge, a gateway to another culture, and a time to play. They frustrate me till I start throwing controllers, and they wash away all of the day's tension. Video games are fun; that is why I play. 

Jeff Grubb says: Life is difficult. Every day I wake up to deal with complex life problems that have zero perfect solutions. Every time I solve one problem, more problems arise. If there is any proof that there is no designer to life it is when you compare life to video games.

Which is why I play video games. I am presented with difficult and complex problems that all have perfect solutions. And some of those problems aren't so difficult — in fact, they can be quite easy to overcome, and that makes me feel powerful. I almost never feel powerful in reality. It is a good high.