Why Do We Play?

As I sit at my little cubicle (it is a slow day at work) I think about how much I like playing Final Fantasy XIV. But then I think, “Why? Why do I like playing that game so much?” Is it the beautiful graphics, the open world, the many quests waiting to be had?

I have an appreciation for anyone who picks up a controller, but sometimes I wonder what makes us do it. To me the fact that I can go buy a game, and then just immerse myself into that world is all I need.

I have a creative imagination, so playing through any game is an adventure closely linked to the world I live in. Let us take Final Fantasy X for example. I thought it was an amazing game. The graphics were decent, the story was great, and the fighting was fun. I got lost in that world every time I played. Being a part of that realm made me want to learn more about it. Arriving at the town of Luca and diving into the roots of that city, there were all of these terrible things happening around me, with “Sin” crushing villages and devastating lives. But people came together to watch Blitzball. It was an example that really showed how something as simple as a sport could help people through some of their roughest times, bringing some light into the dark.

It reminded me of what the FIFA World Cup means in our world. For a whole month, nations put aside their differences to come together to represent their people and participate in an event, together. It is an event that is cherished and watched around the globe. Small resemblances to reality in these games draw me in, and put me in the shoes of someone else. I can experience something new, yet familiar.

To me, a game’s story means the most. The graphics are not that important to me, although, I will admit, the “graphic hype” of the next gen consoles did impress me. But now, I am pretty much past it. The graphics we have today are great, and they really help to convey a story, but it’s still the story in a game that’s the kicker. For instance I played Home, on Steam, where you wake up in an abandoned house, and you are left alone, expected to figure out what happened. It was super fun and intense and it had the 8-bit look to it. But that didn't matter because I was trying to figure out what happened to me.

In a game like that you do not need the graphics to be good. What made the game good was that I felt this situation could really happen. It made me think about what I would really do given that situation. Do I go in the basement to find the key that might unlock the door I may need to go in? The game leaves it completely open to the player to decide what to do next. That element made the game really immersive. Better yet, it was a story I was making for myself, because the game allowed it.

I love figuring out why I play the games I play, but then I wonder “why do other people play?” Is it for the high score? Do you need online access to play with friends? Is it because a website says it is good, so you should buy it, or just because it looks fun?

Why do you play video games?