Why do you play video games?

I am doing a project on gamers for my psychology class and I have a favor to ask of you. I would like you to tell me why it is that you play games. It sounds simple, but when you really stop to think about it gaming is a very personal experience for many people and I have to imagine that the answer differs from person to person. Some of you play to escape, some of you play to be a part of a social community, and some of you play just to have fun, but you are all drawn to the same place to achieve this goal. Whatever your reason you have all chosen to make games a part of your daily lives and I want to know why. Why do you choose video games? What are you escaping from and how do games help you? Why do you find you are able to connect with video games more easily than other forms of media? Why are they so much more fun? You are all gamers and I want you to tell me who you are and why you are here. Thank you very much for any response you can give me. I have very high expectations for this project and I really want it to be an eye-opener for those who do not understand the culture that has formed around gaming and the personal connection we have with games. It has garnered a lot of interest in my class from both gamers and non-gamers alike and I hope you can help me make it something special for them. Thank you very much for your time and support.

For a fun distraction :p from life?
 
oh yea also to experience things u wouldnt be able too in reality

Gives me something to do and it's entertaining.

Why do I read a book? Why do I watch a movie? Why do I play sports? (Fun to compete)

Cause I hate most of whats on TV nowadays.

Fun.

Compared to other entertainment mediums, the big thing that comes to my mind is that it is an interactive experience. Books and movies tend to have you reading or observing the actions in front of you, and you have no real input or affect on what's happening. Not that those things are not good at all, but the interactive aspect in video games gives me more satisfaction and fun. 

Fun and escapism, really. Same reason I read books and watch movies. I'm sure a lot of people get that sense of power from what they can do in games and whatnot, but I started young enough and with simple enough games that I really just go into them looking for something to pass the time in the most enjoyable way possible. It's why I can flip from Peggle to Dead Rising. I feel it's easier to connect to them because they're interactive. A movie is a movie, not all books are choose-your-own-adventure, but a game at least creates the illusion that I have an effect on the game's world. Even for the most simple of games, like Super Mario Bros., there's that experience of running through and jumping and finding the secrets and the right paths through the castles that it's really like I'm doing something. I'm not sure what I'm escaping from, truthfully. It's just a simpler place to go into so that I can forget even the smallest things bothering me. A quick break from work, a reprieve from some people I'm not fond of, or annoyances, simple stress relief even. And if none of that applies, I still just play games because they're fun. They can help me think about things better, too. I have a few games at home that I specifically bought just for the sake of helping me think.
Games were there for me early in my life. They got me through car rides, plane trips, family reunions, deaths in the family, break up (yes, single), parent's divorce and loneliness. I could have chosen any other medium, sure, but I like being able to act like I'm in the world. I think video games do that best, and that's why I can have such fond memories of them.

for fun?

 Three reasons I can think of.
 a) The experience of the game. I have fun playing through games and discovering new things in them. It is the same as reading and watching television and movies. I want to experience the story and game play, as well as be entertained.
b) Fun! Which can be hard sometimes when trying to play online. But I won't let myself get frustrated or angered by a game. I am using it to relieve stress, not add to it. I want to have a fun experience. I will play a game that can be frustrating, but the joy of beating Mega Man 9 makes up for the frustration of getting there. 
c) Because they are a part of my life. From my earliest memories we owned an Atari 2600. I have always been playing games.

Because killing people in real life has consequences.
 
 
 
 
Haha, just kidding. That's not really why. I don't know, it was something that caught my interest growing up, and it's developed into a very enjoyable hobby for me. It's more than just something to do when I'm bored. I'm pretty deep in this stuff. It's a big part of my life. I'm very interested in games as a whole and want to enjoy them and their progression.

" for fun? "

It's more entertaining than watching TV or reading books. This is because games always give you a sense of achievement and self-progression. It's also challenging, which you can't say for many other forms of entertainment.

So I can have my ending retconned in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening.

" Because killing people in real life has consequences. Haha, just kidding.

Helps pass the time until I die. Same goes for music, movies, books, and socializing.  
 
I also like the amount of variables that are in affect at any given time which make for unique gameplay scenarios.

It's the most stimulating and relaxing form of entertainment out there for me. That's why.

To attract members of the opposite sex ...

they're fun. not fun like a ball and string though. whew, if i had me some ball and string.

Because I've been doing it for the past decade-ish and I really like how they immerse you in the experience and tune you out of what's going on around you IRL.

I actually thought about this (and penned some sloppy thoughts on the subject) about a year ago.
 
I enjoy games for many reasons. You (hopefully) get to see some amazing thinking in action, and it's represented through inventive art and ingenious play mechanics. Also, Achievements are a pretty good incentive that appeal to the completionist part of my nature. Plus sometimes it's just a good way to stick your head in the sand and forget your troubles.

As a hobby - because it's fun and entertaining. Psychologists might say that there's an element of escapism in there, too.

Entertainment, honestly I have a boring life, videogames distracts me from it. Also real life is limited and not entertaining enough compared to videogames. The best life has to offer you is a girlfriend and a dead end job with a bunch of fake friends I don't have because my social skills aren't great. I get a sense of community talking about the games I play and also i'm addicted to playing videogames. It's a better entertainment compared to movies because it's interactive, yet the graphics could be alot more realistic, I guess we aren't there yet in terms of graphics. That's my brutally honest answer, i'm probally wasting my time with videogames, since I played games most of my life, however real life isn't all that great either. Like alot of ppl said, there is a real escape from reality that ppl likes and a community, it's why ppl likes games like world of warcraft and stuff. If you want to break it down psychologically, it simply meets your human needs.  
 
What are human needs, security, variety, importance, community, growth and contribution. With gaming and gaming forums, you can meet all these needs easily. That's my hypothesis.

it's my drug

So I do not die.

For fun. And it's the most stimulating and engaging activity out there.
 
It's not a passive entertainment, unlike books, movies or whatever.

For a number of different reasons depending on the game but some of them include:
 

• to experience a good story
• escapism
• skill testing (mainly FPS)
• to do cool shit you can't in real life (driving at over 200)
• sometimes to just escape boredom

Because I don't like anyone in my neighborhood so therefore there's no reason for me to be outside all the time.

I play video games to relieve stress and to just talk with friends on xbl.

Because.. they said so in the bible..
 
chapter 5 line 57.. 
 
its in the fine print. seriously

For fun.

- Fun and entertainment. Video games and Youtube have pretty much replaced TV for me (except for a few select shows which I Tivo)
 
- I'm interested in technology, and video games are inextricably linked with it. New experiences, gameplay and graphics are all possible with increases in technology, and it's always interesting to see what games can put out.  
 
- Unique experiences that can only be derived from games, such as blowing up an ATV with a rocket launcher as it zooms towards you, then seeing its fiery carcass fly into a building through a wall (Battlefield Bad Company 2). There are also subtler experiences of course. 

Like most people who've replied I'd have to say for fun too, but also for story. Games give you a way of experiencing a story in a way that no over medium can. Only problem is that most video game stories are way generic, dumb or just plain non-existant. Still, shooting dudes in the face never gets old!

My psychiatrist tells me that it's helping eleviate my pent up inner rage and might stop me from killing again. 
 
Lately it hasn't been working.

I have exactly three hobby-ish loves in this world, and it's been the same since I was about five years old: reading, playing video games, and art.
 
Of these three only playing games is something I still have time to do as often as possible largely because of convenience (console, iPhone, PC, etc). Reading is usually work related when I have time, and I'm lazy and old so now I just buy art instead of creating it.  Also it's more fun to discuss gaming than it is reading/literature or art - to me at least.

Escapism. After a long day at work I like to come home and shoot people.

Entertainment

for the shits

n' Giggles