Video games have been a popular choice of entertainment since its debut. Arcades have been erected in every street to serve the rapidly growing market. Video games alone have generated hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue for the entertainment industry. This is more than both the revenue from the film and music industry combined! But what is so irresistible about playing video games?
The Appeal of Video Games
Video gaming makes itself distinct from other forms of entertainment, even other fellow electronic forms of leisure such as watching movies or listening to music. Games offer a sort of escape from reality that is unparalleled, and it has to do with gaming’s very core features.
- Personalization
We often control an avatar in the game, or sometimes even create a character from scratch and customize it to our heart’s content by adjusting sex, height, body shape, skin tone, hair, and attires. We are free to make this character resemble how we actually look like, or be an idealized version of ourselves, who and what we aspire to be. This allows us to insert a special and personal part of ourselves into the character we are playing as, making it as if we truly are the ones conquering monstrous dungeons and scaling towering mountains. This further draws us deeper into the game’s world and helps us forget about the problems of reality.
- Sense of Accomplishment
It is in our nature as a human to accomplish tasks. We crave formidable obstacles that we have to overcome with our skills, wits, and perseverance. Luckily, the majority of video games encompass all these aspects. We are often faced with challenges we have to beat, either in the form of savage orcs, clever puzzles, or strategic planning. Players have to study the fight patterns of their opponents to gain the upper hand, practice rigorously to master the controls, and strengthen their in-game character. Puzzles and strategy discussions require a keen sense of intellect and know-how of the game’s mechanics, requiring memorization, concentration, and tactical analysis.
- Variety
Video games present a generous selection of games of every genre. People who love the adrenaline rush may opt to try action-shooter games. Those who enjoy a less physically-demanding endeavor and more mentally stimulating game may participate in war strategy games or investigation games. There are even online casinos to cater to fans of games of chance. These sites often have reviews and additional details such as bonuses to allow players to make informed decisions. Daring and adventurous players may delve into the dark and frightening corners of ghastly horror games and unforgiving survival simulators. Whatever it is a player fancies, there will certainly be a developer or two that has already made a game for it.
- Interactive and Artistically-woven Tale
Most of us are initially drawn to a game’s unique style of gameplay, aesthetic design, or multiplayer competition, but it is the lore that keeps us hooked long after the novelty of the animations and playstyle have passed. What sets games apart from movies is the depth of interaction present. Role-playing games and massively multiplayer online role-playing games typically boast a long and story-filled gameplay that absorbs the player into its world through its intricately designed characters, each with their own touching backstories. We then get to interact with these NPCs through quests, companionship, and outright battles, learning more about their history, ambitions, and tragedies. What’s more is there are choices that will forever alter the course of the story and the characters in that world, potentially leading to a demise for a beloved character or an unreachable answer for some of the lore. This encourages us to think hard and long about our decisions, as there is actual weight to the choices we have to make.
In Other Words …
Video gaming as a hobby and escape from reality has existed for almost a century. Even now, modern technology has paved the way for video games to evolve its immersion with the advent of Virtual Reality (VR). Many of the older games such as the iconic Resident Evil 4 have received a VR version for the fans of the series. Even newer indie games such as Green Hell and Subnautica are receiving VR ports for themselves too. As video gaming continues to transcend and become more complex and immersive, more and more people will turn to video games not only for entertainment to pass the time, but to find happiness in a world of their own making.
