Video games are fun. You know it, and I know it. The question is: why? First, fun is relative and is sometimes compared to the available options.
They transport us to new realities.
This is perhaps the most obvious reason why people like to play video games. Video games allow players to take on the role of someone new and different, in worlds they would never have the opportunity to explore, and in situations beyond what the mind could ever fathom. What’s more, they put the power to really live in these worlds in the palms of players’ hands. Some call it an “escape from reality,” but I think it simply comes down to the ability to explore the new and different.
We crave achievement.
What’s the number one piece of advice you receive when it comes to improving yourself or your business? Set goals. Goals, goals, goals. Establishing something to aim for is the point. So, think about how that applies to video games – a video game is essentially one goal-chasing quest. From the actual storyline in a single-player mode of your favorite action game to the endurance of the championship in any sports title, video games are consistently giving players something to attain. It’s one big reason why video games are good for you, in addition to being a source of entertainment.
Puzzles keep us interested.
The brain doesn’t require much of a challenge to get “hooked” into chasing achievement. Just take a look at crossword puzzles, sudoku, and other simple games. So it makes sense that puzzles contribute to making video games fun. We all know what it feels like to come out victorious, to have the right answer, to get something done. Puzzles offer the chance to feel all of these good feelings. Constant reassurance that you’re smart enough and clever enough to beat the presented puzzle is something most of us crave.
The attention to detail is remarkable.
The funny thing is, some games are so realistic that many of the details go over the heads of those who don’t know what they’re looking for.
Simulating new and different experiences is exciting.
Growing up, I wanted nothing more than to be a professional athlete. Once I realized that wasn’t going to happen, even just working in sports as something like a head coach was the next best option. When baseball video games were introduced, I was hooked. It was the best of both worlds – I could play baseball as my favorite team or players, but I could also construct my very own roster. There were even games that, if you wanted to focus more on the overall management side of things, provided a full-blown journey into player contracts, roster construction, salary caps, trades, ballpark concessions, and a variety of other operation-based activities.
The ability to level up and keep going.
When you’re playing a campaign against “the computer,” the standard goal is to make it to the end of the game, where your efforts culminate in a final showdown with an epic boss who is very difficult to take down. In other multiplayer FPS titles, though, the main concept is a little different. There is no “end,” with the popular mode of play being to battle against other players. Thus, you aren’t progressing through levels but rather progressing to “level up” your player, by achieving ranks that allow you to unlock content such as more powerful weapons or protection, different types of equipment, increased resilience, and more.