What's with video games?

There are many types of genres of video games, and there is a lot of diversity between every video game. I like JRPGs because they usually have a storyline to them, like a book or movie. I also like action adventure games because many are creative and fun. People like puzzle games because they exercise or wake up the brain, and racing games are good for the family. I don't find video games "boring after a couple of tries" because each one is different and fun in its own way.

 

What genre of video games are you referring to? Also, where you been the past few decades

 

You don't do anything that doesn't have any productive value? I don't see how it's any different from going to a pool hall, bowling, or reading a book. It's basically another form of entertainment. A way to kill time, socialize, and unwind. Personally I don't like going swimming; But I can see how some people would value it and would enjoy doing it.

 

I agree with you, but only when it comes to single player campaigns.
Competitive multiplayer games, which is what most people play, are considerably different since there are so many more variations to what can happen in a game.
The reason it's becoming a "man hobby" is because they're competitive, but it's not as hard as sports and you can play them online.

 

For me, video games offer more than any other entertainment medium out there. Slowly unraveling a mystery as Professor Layton. Exploring a distant alien world all by myself as Samus Aran, slowly growing as a one woman arsenal. Saving an entire kingdom from an ancient evil as one of Link's various incarnations. Using my quick thinking and tactics to go through a terrorist base undetected as Solid Snake. Running across the world at breakneck speeds as Sonic the Hedgehog. Training a team of Pokemon from the ground up and watching them grow as you take down an evil organization or two. I could go on, but you get the point. Video Games are (finally) becoming just as much a legitimate entertainment medium as movies or T.V. or anything. They create a connection with the player and the player that movies, etc. cannot. Suddenly, your not just watching heroes, you ARE a hero. Mario can't rescue the princess without you. You fight alongside them, in a way. By the time you beat a game, you're just as invested in the events as the main character. You want to rescue your ally, and unlike a movie, you can fail. Video Games are much more than Call of Duty and Madden, even though it seems like it sometimes. And they're not just gimmicks either. Go play Shadow of the COLLOSUS and tell me that that experience would have worked as anything but a video game. Or Journey. Or Silent Hill. Or TearAway. Or Star Fox. Or Braid. If you can go play all those games with an open mind and by yourself, without anyone else around, and still just call them movies with a gimmick, then I applaud you.

 

I used to play video games when I was younger - mostly GTA, Resident Evil and Laura Croft. Kinda got bored, and sold all of my consoles years ago - except my PS2, because I still enjoy playing GTA SA occasionally.

I wouldn't say I outgrew them because video games seem to transcend age.. they just lost their appeal to me.

 

It's easier to sit on a fucking couch and pretend you're doing amazing things than to actually move and burn calories

 

Maybe because the gaming market is geared primarily towards guys? I'm not a huge gamer, either, and will really only get off my monitor to play a fighting game now and then. Who knows? Some people will argue that guys biologically need an outlet for their aggression and "logical" thinking, and since the days of hunting and warriors are long gone, they've transferred over to other pursuits, such as sports and mechanics.

 

Well, for multiplayer at least, it's competitive. They're pick up and play. It doesn't take as long to learn the basics of an FPS as opposed to football. They're online. I don't need to have all my buddies in the same room at the same time to play. As to why it's primarily a guy thing... Like I said sometimes it seems like Call of Duty and Madden are the only video games. And, as much as I HATE HATE HATE stereotypes, who tends to like guns and sports more, boys or girls? As for single player... Refer to above post. Comparing single player to multiplayer games is like apples to oranges.

 

I don't know why it's mainly guys, but it does seem to be that way. Yes, it is the nerds and geeks who get really into the games, play them for hours, and know more about them than the developers, but you are correct in that I don't think I know a single guy who doesn't enjoy video games, although my best friend is someone who seems to have "outgrown" them for the most part, though he will still play CoD or Halo on occasion.

Video games are definitely marketed toward males, particularly games that involve a lot of violence (i.e. something considered "manly") like first-person shooter games. Of course, these are the games that interest me the least. I am more interested in fantasy RPGs and games like Kirby and Pokemon, which although they may sound childish, I can still play for hours on end.

It's hard to describe to someone who doesn't play them, but you just get into them. It's not the same was watching TV--you actually have to put thought into playing games; there's planning, there's strategy, etc. That's what makes it more fun for me.

 

Making little kids angry is probably the most satisfying thing in the world. Could be better than sex, but I wouldn't know.

 

Because they're fun? They may not be to you, but obviously they are to a lot of people.

I'm not really big into video games, but every once in a while I'll bust out some MS Flight Simulator or GTA on my computer. I can fly across the country and run people over for hours when I do, though.

 

Nothing wrong with enjoying video games. They provide entertainment and some are very addictive. I don't know about guys, personally I haven't met many women in real life who were into video games. I don't play many games myself, but the ones that I play I'm addicted to and spend a lot of time on them, so I consider it one of my hobbies.

 

For me it's a momentary escape. I can be what and who I want with complete freedom. No worries, no responsibilities.

 

Its also more bang for your buck compared to other media.

Most video games have gameplay of 20-40 hours (plus of course replay value if the games are good). So that would be like paying to watch 10-20 films. If you watched these at the cinema to get the same level of immersion as a video game (where you are one with the action) you would be looking at spending hundreds.

 

There are many different types of video games....not all are the same experience. People get into video games because they're fun; It's like reading a book or watching a movie, only It's even more interactive than that.

 

I agree with Miles16. Simple saying you don't like video games, is like saying you don't like books. There's nothing wrong with you if you don't like video games in general, but there are a lot.

I don't like certain types of video games and I love some other games. I like multiplayer games, party type games, I even played Bomberman on the PlayStation 2 with my brother and my parents. That's so much fun.

Playing video games with friends is just a fun activity, at least, it can be. That's what I like about it.

For others, video games is a way to escape reality and to enjoy yourself. It makes them happy. Video games make me happy as well. It's just something I enjoy very much.

 

It's an entertainment medium. It's like a book or a movie or a TV show. Except this one is interactive.
It also depends on what game genre you are playing (much like what genre of movie/book you are watching/reading).
Some are story tellers and some are mind games where you don't as much watch characters interact as you solve problems with the tools given.
Games can't be just simplified into "It's 2 guys shooting each other with guns." It's always much bigger than that. It's the tactics, the out-thinking your enemy, the tools you use to gain advantage.
Some video games are fun to play. Some glue you onto the screen with the various elements they present. Others are just straight forward, like shooters, where you have one clear objective.

I recommend anyone that likes singleplayer video games that tell a good story, watch "The Last of Us [The Movie]" on youtube. It presents the viewer with the condense story without loosing any of the game's essence.