I used to play a lot of video games (I still do, but I used to too). Society views them as childish wastes of time. They are shunned within most professional environments; most young adults deny or seem ashamed they play video games. Even I experience doubt whether I should even tell colleagues that I play video games, and even though they are my most favored hobby.
Playtime’s Never Over
All animals enjoy play; as any cat or dog owner might know. Even when provided with everything they need (food, shelter, water, comfort), animals will go actively seek conflict for stimulation. Our biological instincts are similar; we all chase the feeling of achievement. Perhaps in the old days it was hunting deer for dinner, or conquering an enemy tribe for resources.
As humans evolved, many of these challenges to life have been solved through society. For every meal we have, all of the ingredients have passed through countless hands; all the pans they were cooked in were manufactured in a factory built from metal extracted by mining companies (and so on…).
Within our cozy 1st world lifestyles, we actively seek challenge to occupy our minds. Many people are challenged enough through their career, but rarely do people just lay down and sleep until the next day of work. Some people turn to social justice, or activism for the challenge, but the more convenient and indulgent outlet is playing games.
Challenge Me!
All games setup a conflict that challenge the players to resolution. Before any computer was built, “play” was any kind of sports activity. Instead of chasing down deer with spears, players chase other players for a ball (of some sort). In play, the stakes are low and only pride is on the line. Even in competitive games, both players “win” by enjoying the challenge of the opposition.
With the invention of video games, the concept of play has been cranked up to eleven. In online games, players don’t need to organize and meet up locally. Any physical disparities between age, height, or weight are removed. The rules within a video game are absolute and consistent, whereas sports rules are arbitrary and subjective.
Beyond This Life
Even more so, video games can combine play with cinematography to create truly immersive experiences. Even in the best movies, we’re just the observers to actions happening before us. There is no interaction or participation; the characters exist independently within their own world. Video games let us become the heroes. We control the character’s actions and decisions. It can allow for a deeper connection with the characters, and an entirely different experience from movies.
Building Bridges
Video games are a hobby that can draw people together. Whether through the gameplay, story, or characters, they are shared interests that people can bond over. The aesthetic of the arcade cabinet symbolizes this to me.
Complete strangers can approach the same cabinet, and start sharing the same experience. The cooperative games (beat-’em-up games) were simplistic, which meant a low entry-barrier for new players to join in.
The competitive games (fighting games) inspired friendly rivalries between players. Since they were competing within each other, rather than static AI, the strategies and skills would constantly evolve. This has allowed players, who would otherwise have nothing in common, to form large communities based on a single video game. This has been the success story for fighting games and real-time strategy games. The communities started as local gatherings, but has evolved into regional competitions and international tournaments.
Some of the fondest memories I’ve had with my friends and families have been with video games. Either from cooperating together or competing against each other, they were experiences we had shared together.
Rest & Relaxation
And finally, the main reason to play video games is for enjoyment and relaxation. Life can be hard and confusing. But in video games, the stakes are low and the rules are very clear. Even if the game is difficult, we accept the challenge for an attempt at satisfaction.
As in life, we want to feel the impact of our actions. The harder and longer we work on something, the better the reward should be. We’ve evolved to enjoy the rewards that work provide: food, family, and entertainment. These pleasures motivate us to work hard again the next day.
Many games are designed around rewarding the players for their invested time and effort. These rewards can be a shiny trophy or new items, which gives the player validation for their effort. The rewards are also designed to make the player want to play even more for better upgrades, and which creates the positive feedback loop.
This has become more prevalent in modern games, with item progression being presented more visually. This can excite the player to know how powerful they can become, and how much playtime they have to achieve it. Unfortunately, this has also been exploited by developers who use “free to play” models. They give players the option to buy progression, which rapidly turns the game into “pay to win”. This players are cheating themselves out of the experience (and their own money) by falling prey to this scheme; especially when there are so many other better games to play or things to spend money on.
Conclusion
Video games don’t quite have society’s respect yet. For most of the older generation, it may seem like an odd obsession for the youths. Technology has evolved so rapidly; its inevitably there’d be culture shock with the generation that has been raised on it. But young or old, we all come from the same lineage of hunters and gatherers fighting for survival.
We seek challenge for accomplishment and meaning.
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