*for school project* Why do you enjoy playing online games?

Caption

Simple question,

'Why do you, personally, find online games (in this case MMORPGs) enjoyable?'

For a school assignment on Video Game addiction. I thought I would start with other people's opinions on why they find games enjoyable in the first place.

Thanks in advance to anyone that answers. 

EDIT: Just realised I made a major error in the title of the thread... *facepalm*

gkb3469

Its different for a lot of people, but for me its the thrill of competion with a social aspect. Even in a 'themeparkish' mmo i find myself competing with other characters.However this is just how my personality is, ive always been competitve.

akathos

Originally posted by Caption

Simple question,

'Why do you, personally, find online games (in this case MMORPGs) enjoyable?'

For a school assignment on Video Game addiction. I thought I would start with other people's opinions on why they find games enjoyable in the first place.

Thanks in advance to anyone that answers. 

For me, i enjoy video games due to the sense of accomplishment I get out completeing a task / the game itself.  Interms of mmorpg's  if im performing the actions to achieve the acomplishment, it is made fun by being around other people who enjoy the game and want to play with me, the community if youd rather. But if your looking at First Person Shooters,  I simply enjoy destroying people as it prooves I have more skill than them, and gives me a nice ego boost which leaves me craving more, just like any addiction, these things keep bringing me back and needing more to feel satisfied.

kolsovo

Originally posted by Caption

Simple question,

'Why do you, personally, find online games (in this case MMORPGs) enjoyable?'

For a school assignment on Video Game addiction. I thought I would start with other people's opinions on why they find games enjoyable in the first place.

Thanks in advance to anyone that answers. 

"Addiction". Well i'm not going to go all nerd-raging here, but you have to understand that there's a difference between playing a lot and being "addicted".

For example- i'm on my games 7 hours a day too 15 hours a day. Every few hours or so I stop, turn off my PC, and go read a book. Now does that mean i'm addicted just because I play a lot? In all honesty, the only real video game "addiction" is when someone's entire being is consumed by games, to the point where it is literally all they think about and do all day excluding neccesary life functions.

Now then. I, myself, play video games because sometimes it's fun to think of yourself as NOT yourself. 

To phrase it more simply, sometimes I like to be Trazz'nor, a powerful trollish warrior riding across the desert plains fighting against the foolish human invaders. Or maybe I want to be Araz-ghoul, the demonic shadow king of Mernia.

My point is that sometimes I, and a lot of other people I think, like to play games to be somebody else and to be part of a different reality that, eh, might be a bit more interesting in our own. But it does NOT mean we're disconnected from reality.

vajrav

I like the concept of the genre and its possibilities. There are a lot of possibilities to be explored, but unfortunately, companies are mostly afraid to take risks and lose money. Still, I stick around waiting for the small improvements and innovations.

KenFisher

Originally posted by Caption

Simple question,

'Why do you, personally, find online games (in this case MMORPGs) enjoyable?'

For a school assignment on Video Game addiction. I thought I would start with other people's opinions on why they find games enjoyable in the first place.

Thanks in advance to anyone that answers. 

 

If a video game is enjoyable, then there is not an addiction.  When no longer enjoyable and it feels like a job, then in my experience the concept of addiction is present.

vladakov

A world filled with other people, when i'm not with my friends i'm still socializing, i like to socialize

 

And progression, that keeps going on.

 

I BARELY play any singleplayer games, because they end, which i hate.

I don't like when good things come to an end haha

mmogawd

Originally posted by kolsovo

Originally posted by Caption

Simple question,

'Why do you, personally, find online games (in this case MMORPGs) enjoyable?'

For a school assignment on Video Game addiction. I thought I would start with other people's opinions on why they find games enjoyable in the first place.

Thanks in advance to anyone that answers. 

"Addiction". Well i'm not going to go all nerd-raging here, but you have to understand that there's a difference between playing a lot and being "addicted".

For example- i'm on my games 7 hours a day too 15 hours a day. Every few hours or so I stop, turn off my PC, and go read a book. Now does that mean i'm addicted just because I play a lot? In all honesty, the only real video game "addiction" is when someone's entire being is consumed by games, to the point where it is literally all they think about and do all day excluding neccesary life functions.

Now then. I, myself, play video games because sometimes it's fun to think of yourself as NOT yourself. 

To phrase it more simply, sometimes I like to be Trazz'nor, a powerful trollish warrior riding across the desert plains fighting against the foolish human invaders. Or maybe I want to be Araz-ghoul, the demonic shadow king of Mernia.

My point is that sometimes I, and a lot of other people I think, like to play games to be somebody else and to be part of a different reality that, eh, might be a bit more interesting in our own. But it does NOT mean we're disconnected from reality.

Your denial and defensiveness is absolutely hilarious...

I especially like how you gave your own definition of what video game addiction is in an attempt to remove any possibility of you being grouped into it.

I'd say it's pretty obvious that you're an addict in denial.

Sanguinelust

Originally posted by mmogawd

Originally posted by kolsovo

Originally posted by Caption

Simple question,

'Why do you, personally, find online games (in this case MMORPGs) enjoyable?'

For a school assignment on Video Game addiction. I thought I would start with other people's opinions on why they find games enjoyable in the first place.

Thanks in advance to anyone that answers. 

"Addiction". Well i'm not going to go all nerd-raging here, but you have to understand that there's a difference between playing a lot and being "addicted".

For example- i'm on my games 7 hours a day too 15 hours a day. Every few hours or so I stop, turn off my PC, and go read a book. Now does that mean i'm addicted just because I play a lot? In all honesty, the only real video game "addiction" is when someone's entire being is consumed by games, to the point where it is literally all they think about and do all day excluding neccesary life functions.

Now then. I, myself, play video games because sometimes it's fun to think of yourself as NOT yourself. 

To phrase it more simply, sometimes I like to be Trazz'nor, a powerful trollish warrior riding across the desert plains fighting against the foolish human invaders. Or maybe I want to be Araz-ghoul, the demonic shadow king of Mernia.

My point is that sometimes I, and a lot of other people I think, like to play games to be somebody else and to be part of a different reality that, eh, might be a bit more interesting in our own. But it does NOT mean we're disconnected from reality.

Your denial and defensiveness is absolutely hilarious...

I especially like how you gave your own definition of what video game addiction is in an attempt to remove any possibility of you being grouped into it.

I'd say it's pretty obvious that you're an addict in denial.

I agree. If you're spending that much time playing a video, or multiple games than you sir are addicted. Maybe you can be of more help than I can to the OP.

I used to be addicted to pills. I used to be addicted to alcohol. I also was addicted to WoW at one point in my life. In all three of those addictions I used them as an escape from reality. I am white and grew up as one of three sons of a single mother on welfare in a mostly black populated town. Needless to say i had suffered from racism and bullying most of my childhood.

We managed to get ealry consoles, I'm 38 and my first was the Atari 2600, and from that first game I knew that as long as i were home and keeping my mind occupied with games I didn't think about the shitty circumstances I had to endure in real life. then when I was 16 I started drinking and did that into my mid 20's. In that time I joined a gym and got real big and then I began being an ass and intimidating people for "fun", using it as a way for revenge for my childhood until I was around 30. Then I began to realize people didn't like me and got depressed and in my early 30's I got hooked on pills to escape that reality.

In the middle of that between my mid 20's to mid 30's I got back into playing video games and when WoW came out there was a huge escpe from reality. I found I could hibernate at home and get high and play and forget about life. Then one day my brother suggested I try anti depressants. I saw a doctor, got medicated, got off pills and began using my time more productively. I bought a harley and spend my summers riding and in the winter I play games for fun now.

I know that was a little long so in summary I got addicted to games to escape the fact that I suffered from racism and bullying during my childhood. Oh yeah that and my mother used to date scumbags so i never really had a positive male figure to show me the way. I'm much better now though that I realized the reasons for my actions. Figuring out that I was depressed, for most of my life I'm sure was one fo the lowest and after medications highest points in my life.

Hope that helps.

SANDLES247

add some where in your text book because they have alot of SEXXXYY ASSIAAN CHIIICKKKKS YEEEEH

terroni

Because there is someone in every crowd that links to the DSM-IV (link)

I play online games because I enjoy the cooperative aspect. I think when a group of uncoordinated strangers can join together to defeat some challenge, it is amazing.

I also enjoy dressing in pretty things and showing off =P

Sid_Vicious

- playing with family and friends who live too far to hang with

- meeting random people online and sharing a unusual bond and a special kind of relationship

- competing with people and winning

- challenging my ingenuity and hand-eye coordination.

- getting immersed in the storyline and stuff with headphones on and lights out as if it was real

 

sure beats TV!

SgtFrog

Play with friends without having to be in touching distance ...basically lol.

dnarris

Well, personally I find it entertaining to be able to get with a group of friends, especially when I'm living far away from them and be able to play games with them.

Another thing is that it saves me a ton of money. Seriously, box cost, $15 bucks a month, plus ISP cost, and electricity cost is way cheaper than what I'd spend once or twice a week going out to clubs, movies, restuarants, and spending on random junk.

I've found through comparison that I save a few thousand dollars a year just by playing games.

Zookz1

I used to play hardcore, but now I'm lucky if I play 10 hours of video games in any given week. I used to play because I had nothing better to do. I worked a rotating 12 hour shift from Hell, had no wife, didn't give a shit about my fitness because I didn't have to, and generally enjoyed toiling away at the grind to have an awesome character. I aged, got married, became fat, and realized that my time could be spent in a better way. I still have active subscriptions, and I still enjoy gaming as a hobby, but it's not as important as it was.

 

I realize you asked why I enjoy playing MMOs, and to be perfectly honest, I'd be just as happy playing a game of Monopoly with friends, but I will oblige your request. I played because it was all new. I loved RPGs growing up so it seemed like a natural progression. At first, there was a sense of adventure. The world felt alive and I became a part of it. I never knew what was just around the corner, or on top of that hill in the distance. What awesome monster could I fight today? Maybe I'll see something that will totally blow my mind next week. That feeling is long gone, and no matter how good or innovative the game is; no matter how much I enjoy the people in my community; that feeling can't be replicated. It's chasing that fleeting feeling of epic adventure that keeps me interested, but every game I try, I can't seem to find it. Maybe the games have changed, but I think it's more likely that I have changed, and perhaps it's time to move away from the genre entirely.

 

Good luck on your paper.

theartist

I have no idea why I enjoy playing online games so much any more.

Competition is probably my primary drive now. Be it in MMOs or more focused titles like Counter Strike or even Street Fighter IV on my PS3; it's generally about improving how I fair against a human controlled opponent.

Then there's the social aspect I have to have while playing simpler titles like Lord of the Rings Online. I enjoy it for a pve title, but unless I have 2 of my friends online and willing to group when I log in I'll log out and find something else to do.

It used to be for exploration and big content, but really MMOs have became very shallow in that regard over the last 5 years or so.

Neiken

Why i enjoy playing online games.

 

Competition, Community, Progression and watching my character grow and evolve. Interactive story where it applys. Discussion.

 

A short list and to the point. I can eleborate on each. But im not going to right now. =P

Drama24-7

'Why do you, personally, find online games (in this case MMORPGs) enjoyable?'

I play them mostly because they give me a simple and usually fast way to win something, and that makes me feel good. Beating a mob is reward enough, beating a player in PVP is better. And, if something valuable drops I am pretty much ready to think and behave like a fanboy, at least for 5 minutes or until I get pWned.

Caption

Thanks for so many replies guys.

Haven't had time to read many of them yet, but so far they are all very helpful!

Really appreciate it. We're lucky to have a kick-ass community.

Sabbicat

1. The ability to interact with people from all around the world at any given time.

2. The opportunity to make friends with people from anywhere through guild funtions.

3. The comfort of knowing I am not alone while playing a game I enjoy even if I happen to be playing solo at the time.

UsulDaNeriak

i like a living virtual world and developing my charakter.

 

and of course i like boobs

choujiofkono

Originally posted by SgtFrog

Play with friends without having to be in touching distance ...basically lol.

     That sounds naughty when you put it that way.

 

    Seriously though, multiplayer enhances immersion in a game because of multiple reasons but mainly because

a)  you can't program human reactions into a game character no matter how much you try.  Humans are unpredictable and capable of thinking up new ways of coping with a situation every time they interact with a set of data.

b)  in the late 90's people got tired of playing games where your opponents ran "predefined" routes toward their goals. 

    Examples of predefined AI in early games include but are not limited to:

    Mike Tyson's punch out   ( boxer movement had to be memorized to beat them )

    Megaman games  (  Every enemy had a set number of rules that they obeyed and could me manipulated to win )

    Unreal tournament  ( at first play it appears the opponents are pretty smart, then in future matches you can see they all run predefined routes and are stupidly reacting to a predetermined set of specific rules for each bot ).

Zlayer77

Originally posted by Caption

Simple question,

'Why do you, personally, find online games (in this case MMORPGs) enjoyable?'

For a school assignment on Video Game addiction. I thought I would start with other people's opinions on why they find games enjoyable in the first place.

Thanks in advance to anyone that answers. 

Think this might be the wrong forum.. I dont belive we have enough addicts here. Just because people like to play video games dont make the Addicted you know...

Some people go overboard but you should look into specific games for that. This is a general forum. People often play alot of diffrent games here. They also do other things. And to say that we are all addicts is kinda Biased dont you think?

If you are serious about this you should maybe try a few online games yourself and maybe play a few other games in other genreas?  just a tipp

SgtFrog

Originally posted by choujiofkono

Originally posted by SgtFrog

Play with friends without having to be in touching distance ...basically lol.

     That sounds naughty when you put it that way.

 

    Seriously though, multiplayer enhances immersion in a game because of multiple reasons but mainly because

a)  you can't program human reactions into a game character no matter how much you try.  Humans are unpredictable and capable of thinking up new ways of coping with a situation every time they interact with a set of data.

b)  in the late 90's people got tired of playing games where your opponents ran "predefined" routes toward their goals. 

    Examples of predefined AI in early games include but are not limited to:

    Mike Tyson's punch out   ( boxer movement had to be memorized to beat them )

    Megaman games  (  Every enemy had a set number of rules that they obeyed and could me manipulated to win )

    Unreal tournament  ( at first play it appears the opponents are pretty smart, then in future matches you can see they all run predefined routes and are stupidly reacting to a predetermined set of specific rules for each bot ).

Get your mind out of the gutter sir!

lol :P

nedox

For me, there is several reasons.

I play to relax from everyday stress, to take my anger on some random scripted pixels, or some people I came across.

I play because I am still with people, but I dont have to listen anyone's RL problems.

I play because I have sense of competiion, where everyone is equal and got fair chance to win.

cheyane

I can tell you why I did in 1999 but now I don't know.

 

Picture this . Bored housewife with a small kid chained to the house and bored to tears after having worked almost all my life and suddenly finding myself trapped with a human being unable to have an intelligent conversation with you. My friends all have moved on with their exciting lives while I get to wash nappies and watch TV when he naps.

 

Enter a PC and a game called Everquest,. I was gaming on the play station but this was different. I was dumped into this world and I had no means of knowing what to do. I wandered about for awhile and looked at this lodge like place and this area was called Surefall Glade but I could not get out because the tunnel was so dark and I kept getting turned around. I fell in the lake and drowned once and my food and water was nearly all gone and I could not buy anything because the rations were over a  gold and I had nothing on me.

 

I was already panicking because I was hungry and thirsty and I had no idea how to talk to anyone as I got killed when I pressed the wrong key and attacked some NPC. This world terrified me and I was fascinated. I just could not pull myself away from this game. It was like I was there in this glade and I was so much a part of this world I never knew a game could make a person feel like they were really in another world.  The phrase "you're in our world now" never was truer.

 

Eventually someone told me to look into my inventory and equip the candle and I finally got out of the tunnel and into this green rolling hills and there were rats and snakes and beetles. Snakes that kick that always made me smile. I started trying to fight and promptly died again and after awhile I finally got the hang of the battle and I crested a hill and came face to face with a ghoul that quite literally scared the hell out of me. It leered at me and killed me in 2 seconds flat and as I lay there while the ghoul stood sentry over my corpse I can still recall the goosebumps on my skin as I tried to wrap my mind around the last three hours and wonder where all that time went and thanked the gods for day care.

 

With that type of an introduction to a game how could I not get hooked on it for years to come. Now  you ask me why I play, I think it is because of the memories of how much I enjoyed these games and the interaction with others that make me still play them. People power they make the game for me.