A Less General Explanation to Why We Play Games

Several questions have dominated the history of man…

What is the meaning of life? is there a God? Did OJ really do it? Well, I don’t know, I don’t know, and *reaches for glass of water* next question please!

However, there is one question of equally enormous value to society (I promise) that I would like to explore, which would be, “Why we do we play games?”

The simplest answer is because they’re fun, which isn’t incorrect, but there’s more to it than that. At the root of it all, every game has four irreducible qualities that make them attractive to players. Besides being fun (keep in mind this is subjective), they all offer an escape from reality, they allow you to become or do something you aren’t, and they also reward players with a feeling of conquest.

The question can’t be explained in these blanket statements though. The world of gaming is more complex than that.

In order to answer this question, we must dissect all different types of video games and players to provide a more thorough answer. By categorizing games according to the amount of dedication they require or demand, it is easy to determine what type of person the game generally appeals to, and why that individual would play them.

Let’s begin with the most dedicated genre, MMORPGs. How much dedication does a game like this take? Well, you can’t even beat an MMORPG — you can only “progress.”

The countless hours spent gearing up characters, defeating enemies, and continuously slogging through the game mean you probably neglect other things in life.

For example, dishes mount up in your sink, you suffer from a severe lack of melanin, and dust covers the circular area where your doorknob should be. Match your description? If so, then here’s why you probably play — or rather live in — MMORPGs.

You love the interaction.

End game content requires you to band together with other players and work together to overcome challenges that would otherwise be impossible. Sure, you bitch and moan about noobs, and you’ve done your fair share of wondering why this warrior is tanking in DPS gear.

But the truth is that you enjoy being in a group with great chemistry, able to dominate all that lies before it.

In addition, you find it easier to approach people online. You don’t hesitate to nerd rage when the occasion calls for it, nor do you hesitate to talk to other players.

Action games are the second genre I’ll discuss. This genre is comprised of three sub-genres: shooters, fighting games, and racing games.

All three of these sub-genres require high amounts of skill, adding a competitive edge to each game. Players of this type measure success by the amount of lives they have utterly ruined through virtual destruction. The immortal words of Reese Bobby, “If you’re not first, you’re last,” are taken to heart by these gamers.

In regards to most shooters, players relish the effectiveness of teamwork, but they also treasure those “rambo” moments where, out of shear luck or skill, one person wipes out an entire team.

While you work together to accomplish an objective, it is the overall skill of each player that makes the difference. At any moment, an act of individual brilliance can change the outcome of a match.

Sports games can also be put into this category, but due to the varying skill levels of each team, players will either face or have an unfair advantage. The only way to avoid this would be to pick teams of similar quality, but this is a severe restriction.

Strategy games occupy the third genre. These games require you to memorize every unit and understand their strengths and weaknesses to generate effective strategies.

Players in this genre are afraid of anything that is out of their control. Luckily, strategy games are all about control. You can control the measly lives of your peasants, you tell them what to build, where your society will go, what your army will conquer, and the extremely talented players can even control the way their opponents will think through pressure and harassment tactics.

If none of those possibilities please you, then you’ll be glad to know that you can also (excitingly!) manage resources!

The last and least demanding genre are puzzle and instructional games (DDR and Guitar Hero). Subsequently, due to the lack of time required to play these games, they are also the most popular among casual players.

Games under this genre are easy to pick up and usually addictive. The concepts are fairly simple. Some games might have players match up shapes and colors, or simply push buttons in a video game version of Twister (albeit a much less sexual one).

However, other than to occupy one’s mind or time by supplying some quick and easily accessible fun, games offer no real purpose.

So, why do we play them? It depends.

Since the Atari days, there have been more and more game genres, resulting in a greatly diverse player base. Games like World of Goo and Half-Life are both fun, but they’re radically different. Different games appeal to different tastes and reveal different reasons why people play them.

One can’t simply state all games are fun — which is what the question implies — just like one can’t say all movies are entertaining. People watch all types of movies for their different qualities, which is probably why they’re categorized into genres as well. One doesn’t go to a comedy to experience action.

The same concept applies to video games. Each genre has dominant traits that draw different types of players.

Perhaps the question shouldn’t be “why do we play games,” but rather “what type of games do you personally enjoy,” which not only has a more definite answer, but is likely to reveal more about a person.