At this point 80% fun entertainment. The other 20% for shared social experience. Specifically I play games with a handful of family and friends and it's a decent way to catch up and have a shared activity whether in person or remotely.
Some of your points apply to me, specifically the second one regarding puzzle solving, but in the end it comes down to entertainment and it being fun for me to solve puzzles. Different traits applied in the past, but I think in a way I've outgrown almost any of the other motivation. The sense of winning, competition, domination, accomplishment, or what not is fleeting for minutes at best and not really motivational or something I attach any value to. If I'm going to brag or take pride in something it's going to be family or some large project I completed, etc. and really not ever the result of a video game.
I completely agree with your points, the games I still play fall into that category though can still be a bit more competitive than you describe.
The difference is time has become more of a factor for me where grinds I used to do when I was younger are no longer acceptable for me now and oddly enough I find that games that are decades old but have been constantly updated like GTA, Warframe etc have changed that grind to more fit my older perspective (making it a lot easier to gain resources in game) whereas a lot of the newer games are still stuck with the old grind mechanics that I could tolerate when I was younger but not anymore like they haven't learnt anything over the years.
Enjoy getting lost in a world like Skyrim or other RPGs. Also games like the Sims or other simulation games are enjoyable for me. When I was younger I’d play games like ninja turtles or streets of rage with friends but now I mainly play alone. I love playing baseball and football games but weirdly I’ve enjoyed the front office aspect more and more
Because I like them and they're fun, simple as that. No need to armchair-psychoanalyze it too much, at least in my case.
I wouldn't say there's much consistency, I like most types of video games. The only genres I'd say I don't really care for are pure platformers, pure puzzle games, and non-violent simulation games. I guess if a game doesn't have combat or violence in some fashion, its less interesting in my eyes, but I still enjoy visual novels so its not like its an ironclad rule necessarily.
That's fine, just be aware not everything can be solved with labels and broad categorizations/generalizations.
While I certainly think there are strong preferences among certain gamers towards the archetypes you describe, I personally don't believe there's a hard line for most core gamers. I think many core gamers can play and enjoy a variety of genres and types of games, and differences can often come down to personal preferences.
For example, just because someone doesn't like PvP in an MMO or an ARPG doesn't mean they wouldn't like it in an FPS or a fighting game.
In my case, I usually don't care about open-world RPGs, but I still like Fallout 1 and Baldur's Gate 1 so its not something ironclad, and I used to love playing Runescape. I wouldn't be able to tell you "why" per se, maybe it has to do with implementation and format of the ones I don't care for.
I'm sure many people on KiA2 have played and enjoyed at least 1 competitive game, 1 co-op game, and 1 PvE type game. Some of the most competitive esports-type people I've followed still consider games like Mario and Zelda to be among their favorites, or more recently are enjoying games like Elden Ring (and no, not for the PvP in it).
I like efficiency. I enjoy making things more efficient, and working towards tasks in a manner I feel is more efficient. This is not something you get a lot of in real life, especially with women or children in it, so games offer the greatest value for that feeling. Its why I also do achievements in games and can enjoy light grinding in games that provide it (when it doesn't feel like mindless padding like many older games did).
Ironically, I hate games most sandbox types. Because I need a goal in my efficiency. If the entire goal is just to make number go up or engage creativity, then it does nothing for me. I'll build an entire production line if it is in service of getting my Tier 2 armor to Tier 3, but if I'm just building to look good or be more complex then it does nothing for me. I recently played V Rising and it did it rather well, where I was in constant pursuit of a goal and finding the best way to achieve it to overcome a boss or complete a gear set.
But generally, I just enjoy fun stuff. It doesn't need to be specific or defined. I enjoy the Ichiban Yakuza games because they are high energy and funny fun. I enjoyed Ghost of Tsushima because it felt fun to play and random encounters were fun to do well past when they gained me anything. I enjoyed doing Bloodborne at level 4 (the lowest possible level) because it actually felt fun to explore the game in that manner. I play Yugioh Falsebound Kingdom (a game that got 2/10 reviews on release) yearly because its fun to run around with monsters and dab on their teams with my overpowered combos.
Take the first Last of Us game. Objectively mediocre game play, light stealth, light FPS, light puzzle solving.
Having played the tacked on multiplayer mode, the Gameplay is far better than it gets credit for and makes for a pretty fun half stealth action game. It just doesn't ever get used to its maximum ability in the story mode. But because nobody played anything but said story mode no one really got to experience what it could do.
I like to immerse myself in another world. Go someplace else with my imagination. It's why I also love reading and tv/movies. Video Games are special, though. The interactive component makes them something that's especially and viscerally vicarious.
Of course, I also can't factor out the dopamine hits acquired from twitch reactions and deft manuvering. Love me some platformers!
Fantasy and escapism, predominately. I like exploring places in-game that I cannot go to IRL.
Skyrim lets me play in the far arctic north, an environment that I have always felt drawn to but have never lived in or near. Regular winter snows in Pennsylvania were as close as I've ever gotten. Plus all the magic and armor & weapons make it even more of an adventure.
Pokémon satisfies that same call to adventure that I can't stop feeling, in combination with allowing me to collect lots of little things along the way. Plus, my team ends of satisfying the feeling of hanging out with friends, as I give little personality quirks to each of my Pokémon that I use. "I'm out in the wide, unknown world, but I am not alone."
I played WoW for a long time, and that one was fantasy worlds, magic & armor, collecting things, and making small incremental progress towards an over-arcing goal. It also let me engage in teamplay and, having very few friends due to my inability to make lasting connections with others, it let me scratch that itch fairly regularly with dungeons and raids.
Other games like Animal Crossing, Minecraft, Starbound, and the like give me a creative outlet for designing the world around me in a way that I like. I don't play it anymore, but The Sims was my first video game that I really sunk time into, and it's when I realized that I just liked the process of designing, building, and looking at things I built, then redoing them to fix my "mistakes."
That’s a lot of text for a simple question. Anyway I play video games to look at female characters that have a hell of an ass. So not dragon age mega fag fest or what ever the new one is called.
Did you mean to reply to the troll? I’m very interested in girl’s asses, digital or otherwise. Which female character has the nicest butt in your opinion?
I play videogames because my brain was acclimated to the supernormal stimulus at a very young age and continued using them because they represented risk free rewards without exposure to stress-inducing uncertainty after enough repetition.
The post discusses the influence of personality on video game preferences, identifying three core gamer types. First, those who thrive on competition, viewing games as a means to test their skills against others. Second, players who enjoy challenging the game's design, where success comes from mastering complex sequences and overcoming the challenges set by the game developers. Third, gamers seeking escapism, using games as a portal to immerse themselves in another world, sometimes enhanced by realistic, complex controls that mimic real-life activities. The post also criticizes the current state of AAA gaming, suggesting that poor storytelling, oversimplified gameplay, and a focus on diversity over quality are leading to a decline in the industry's standards.
Nowadays, for fun and relaxation, which is why I hardly do achievement hunting anymore and have developed a liking for those dogshit hidden object games.
Some games I play for fun and entertainment. Some I play for nostalgia, because I had them when I was young and I find myself either still enjoying them, or not so much, or just wondering why I liked it at all.
And some I play just to see what they've brought to a genre I might enjoy. Sometimes a unique or interesting mechanic can turn a genre on it's head and make you play in ways you had not thought of.
I like to immerse myself in good story with good characters. And for the most part, JRPG provided me just the qualities I was looking for even the mediocre ones like Star Ocean, I liked it just fine. Although I call playing games as hobby, I think I'm as competent at games as game journos, the difference is I never accepted the wokeness and globohomo artstyle most western studios seem to be going for. As someone that love the immersion, woke really takes me out of it and now I find myself not playing games as much because I'm doing something more useful, I suppose. This is why modern western RPGs like BG3, Outer Worlds and Cyberpunk 2077 never appealed to me. Between the demanding system requirements and western style storytelling didn't make me eager to try the games.
A combination of points 2 and 3 for me, but I'm not sure that describes all of it. Point 1 not so much. Gaming is 99% a solo hobby for me, although I did play a little OSRS with my sister for old time's sake, and I'd consider playing with a friend if things worked out properly. I have no interest in playing with randos online, especially with the hobby infested with normies and troons. I also enjoy a good story, but those are becoming rare and I find myself playing a lot of strategy/management games anyway.
As an addendum to your escapist description, I would say Immersive dopamine release.
Why do so many guys feel pumped after watching a Stallone or Arnold flick from the 80s? They captured a sense of peril and danger, but handled it in a way that a lot of men fantasise as a way to release aggression, tension, or indulge in healthy exertion. It's why a lot of times those movies would compel guys to hit the gym or join the army.
A good game that captures that sense of masculine-driven achievements is the same thing as those 80s films. It gives you a sense of purpose through the immersive world setting and characters, and gives you a good dopamine release when you can execute a cool series of takedowns, combos or headshots that aren't just automated one-button press quick-time events that wrests all of the control from the player. The more manual the game is, the more it feels like something YOU accomplished. And people love to overcome challenges that makes them feel like they accomplished something.
Old Bioware games are my favorite and a big fan of the Elder Scrolls games so I would say escapism/ immersion. Strangely enough I was never much in to JRPGs so more around classical Medieval Fantasy.
I also liked the puzzle/ adventure games like Monkey Island.
I did play CS, dota and lol a lot but it was less about being competitive and more that I was relatively good at it. There is also a good feeling about being crap initially at something and then building yourself up over time to become better and better at it.
I also like HoMM games and single player shooters like Doom.
I used to have this fixation on getting a level 100%, my brother likes to remind me that I was spending an entire day or even more just to get all the gems in Captain Claw. Fortunately I no longer have this as I have so little time to play.
I would say high on escapism, above medium on puzzles, bellow average on competition.
To do something different than what I've been doing all day as a way of disconnecting. Something twitchy if the day has been slow and plodding. Something chill if the day has been hectic. Something puzzley if the day's been braindead. Etc.
I spend most of my time playing intellectually stimulating problem solving games like Satisfactory. Organizing things, calculating math, and planning for the future. It's kind of a problem, actually, I play really nothing but these endless puzzle type games. It's like solving jigsaw puzzles for me.
I have two types of games I play. The first is a long play over short times. Breath of the Wild is a bunch of 30 minute plays when I get the chance. The other is a long play that lasts the entire game. Portal or Half Life 2 is like that.
I get really upset if the 30 minute sporadic game is designed or becomes a long play one. Vampire Survivors is like this. I enjoy it, but a single play can be an hour and that's too much.
At this point 80% fun entertainment. The other 20% for shared social experience. Specifically I play games with a handful of family and friends and it's a decent way to catch up and have a shared activity whether in person or remotely.
Some of your points apply to me, specifically the second one regarding puzzle solving, but in the end it comes down to entertainment and it being fun for me to solve puzzles. Different traits applied in the past, but I think in a way I've outgrown almost any of the other motivation. The sense of winning, competition, domination, accomplishment, or what not is fleeting for minutes at best and not really motivational or something I attach any value to. If I'm going to brag or take pride in something it's going to be family or some large project I completed, etc. and really not ever the result of a video game.
I completely agree with your points, the games I still play fall into that category though can still be a bit more competitive than you describe.
The difference is time has become more of a factor for me where grinds I used to do when I was younger are no longer acceptable for me now and oddly enough I find that games that are decades old but have been constantly updated like GTA, Warframe etc have changed that grind to more fit my older perspective (making it a lot easier to gain resources in game) whereas a lot of the newer games are still stuck with the old grind mechanics that I could tolerate when I was younger but not anymore like they haven't learnt anything over the years.
I play EVE Online.
Because real life has too many cops.
And to few spreadsheets?
Enjoy getting lost in a world like Skyrim or other RPGs. Also games like the Sims or other simulation games are enjoyable for me. When I was younger I’d play games like ninja turtles or streets of rage with friends but now I mainly play alone. I love playing baseball and football games but weirdly I’ve enjoyed the front office aspect more and more
Because I like them and they're fun, simple as that. No need to armchair-psychoanalyze it too much, at least in my case.
I wouldn't say there's much consistency, I like most types of video games. The only genres I'd say I don't really care for are pure platformers, pure puzzle games, and non-violent simulation games. I guess if a game doesn't have combat or violence in some fashion, its less interesting in my eyes, but I still enjoy visual novels so its not like its an ironclad rule necessarily.
That's fine, just be aware not everything can be solved with labels and broad categorizations/generalizations.
While I certainly think there are strong preferences among certain gamers towards the archetypes you describe, I personally don't believe there's a hard line for most core gamers. I think many core gamers can play and enjoy a variety of genres and types of games, and differences can often come down to personal preferences.
For example, just because someone doesn't like PvP in an MMO or an ARPG doesn't mean they wouldn't like it in an FPS or a fighting game.
In my case, I usually don't care about open-world RPGs, but I still like Fallout 1 and Baldur's Gate 1 so its not something ironclad, and I used to love playing Runescape. I wouldn't be able to tell you "why" per se, maybe it has to do with implementation and format of the ones I don't care for.
I'm sure many people on KiA2 have played and enjoyed at least 1 competitive game, 1 co-op game, and 1 PvE type game. Some of the most competitive esports-type people I've followed still consider games like Mario and Zelda to be among their favorites, or more recently are enjoying games like Elden Ring (and no, not for the PvP in it).
I like efficiency. I enjoy making things more efficient, and working towards tasks in a manner I feel is more efficient. This is not something you get a lot of in real life, especially with women or children in it, so games offer the greatest value for that feeling. Its why I also do achievements in games and can enjoy light grinding in games that provide it (when it doesn't feel like mindless padding like many older games did).
Ironically, I hate games most sandbox types. Because I need a goal in my efficiency. If the entire goal is just to make number go up or engage creativity, then it does nothing for me. I'll build an entire production line if it is in service of getting my Tier 2 armor to Tier 3, but if I'm just building to look good or be more complex then it does nothing for me. I recently played V Rising and it did it rather well, where I was in constant pursuit of a goal and finding the best way to achieve it to overcome a boss or complete a gear set.
But generally, I just enjoy fun stuff. It doesn't need to be specific or defined. I enjoy the Ichiban Yakuza games because they are high energy and funny fun. I enjoyed Ghost of Tsushima because it felt fun to play and random encounters were fun to do well past when they gained me anything. I enjoyed doing Bloodborne at level 4 (the lowest possible level) because it actually felt fun to explore the game in that manner. I play Yugioh Falsebound Kingdom (a game that got 2/10 reviews on release) yearly because its fun to run around with monsters and dab on their teams with my overpowered combos.
Having played the tacked on multiplayer mode, the Gameplay is far better than it gets credit for and makes for a pretty fun half stealth action game. It just doesn't ever get used to its maximum ability in the story mode. But because nobody played anything but said story mode no one really got to experience what it could do.
I like to immerse myself in another world. Go someplace else with my imagination. It's why I also love reading and tv/movies. Video Games are special, though. The interactive component makes them something that's especially and viscerally vicarious.
Of course, I also can't factor out the dopamine hits acquired from twitch reactions and deft manuvering. Love me some platformers!
Fantasy and escapism, predominately. I like exploring places in-game that I cannot go to IRL.
Skyrim lets me play in the far arctic north, an environment that I have always felt drawn to but have never lived in or near. Regular winter snows in Pennsylvania were as close as I've ever gotten. Plus all the magic and armor & weapons make it even more of an adventure.
Pokémon satisfies that same call to adventure that I can't stop feeling, in combination with allowing me to collect lots of little things along the way. Plus, my team ends of satisfying the feeling of hanging out with friends, as I give little personality quirks to each of my Pokémon that I use. "I'm out in the wide, unknown world, but I am not alone."
I played WoW for a long time, and that one was fantasy worlds, magic & armor, collecting things, and making small incremental progress towards an over-arcing goal. It also let me engage in teamplay and, having very few friends due to my inability to make lasting connections with others, it let me scratch that itch fairly regularly with dungeons and raids.
Other games like Animal Crossing, Minecraft, Starbound, and the like give me a creative outlet for designing the world around me in a way that I like. I don't play it anymore, but The Sims was my first video game that I really sunk time into, and it's when I realized that I just liked the process of designing, building, and looking at things I built, then redoing them to fix my "mistakes."
That’s a lot of text for a simple question. Anyway I play video games to look at female characters that have a hell of an ass. So not dragon age mega fag fest or what ever the new one is called.
He literally engaged in the discussion.
Did you mean to reply to the troll? I’m very interested in girl’s asses, digital or otherwise. Which female character has the nicest butt in your opinion?
Is your gamertag a sirmixalot reference lol
There is also people who play games because its the easiest way to spend time with friends who live far away.
Escapism and Immersion
also some games like Metro series turn out to be super prophetic so its almost like enjoying a piece of the upcoming future
for fun
I play videogames because my brain was acclimated to the supernormal stimulus at a very young age and continued using them because they represented risk free rewards without exposure to stress-inducing uncertainty after enough repetition.
ChatGPT tl;Dr
The post discusses the influence of personality on video game preferences, identifying three core gamer types. First, those who thrive on competition, viewing games as a means to test their skills against others. Second, players who enjoy challenging the game's design, where success comes from mastering complex sequences and overcoming the challenges set by the game developers. Third, gamers seeking escapism, using games as a portal to immerse themselves in another world, sometimes enhanced by realistic, complex controls that mimic real-life activities. The post also criticizes the current state of AAA gaming, suggesting that poor storytelling, oversimplified gameplay, and a focus on diversity over quality are leading to a decline in the industry's standards.
Nowadays, for fun and relaxation, which is why I hardly do achievement hunting anymore and have developed a liking for those dogshit hidden object games.
Some games I play for fun and entertainment. Some I play for nostalgia, because I had them when I was young and I find myself either still enjoying them, or not so much, or just wondering why I liked it at all.
And some I play just to see what they've brought to a genre I might enjoy. Sometimes a unique or interesting mechanic can turn a genre on it's head and make you play in ways you had not thought of.
To empower myself to take on and discover more about the real world.
I don't know about you guys but I do it to get hot chicks
I like to immerse myself in good story with good characters. And for the most part, JRPG provided me just the qualities I was looking for even the mediocre ones like Star Ocean, I liked it just fine. Although I call playing games as hobby, I think I'm as competent at games as game journos, the difference is I never accepted the wokeness and globohomo artstyle most western studios seem to be going for. As someone that love the immersion, woke really takes me out of it and now I find myself not playing games as much because I'm doing something more useful, I suppose. This is why modern western RPGs like BG3, Outer Worlds and Cyberpunk 2077 never appealed to me. Between the demanding system requirements and western style storytelling didn't make me eager to try the games.
Any good recommendations for recent JRPGs? Maybe some medieval themed ones not called Fire Emblem (I have a bunch of those already)?
Sorry but I didn't play that many games nowadays, I wouldn't know but... game like Wizardry Labyrinth of Lost Souls?
A combination of points 2 and 3 for me, but I'm not sure that describes all of it. Point 1 not so much. Gaming is 99% a solo hobby for me, although I did play a little OSRS with my sister for old time's sake, and I'd consider playing with a friend if things worked out properly. I have no interest in playing with randos online, especially with the hobby infested with normies and troons. I also enjoy a good story, but those are becoming rare and I find myself playing a lot of strategy/management games anyway.
As an addendum to your escapist description, I would say Immersive dopamine release.
Why do so many guys feel pumped after watching a Stallone or Arnold flick from the 80s? They captured a sense of peril and danger, but handled it in a way that a lot of men fantasise as a way to release aggression, tension, or indulge in healthy exertion. It's why a lot of times those movies would compel guys to hit the gym or join the army.
A good game that captures that sense of masculine-driven achievements is the same thing as those 80s films. It gives you a sense of purpose through the immersive world setting and characters, and gives you a good dopamine release when you can execute a cool series of takedowns, combos or headshots that aren't just automated one-button press quick-time events that wrests all of the control from the player. The more manual the game is, the more it feels like something YOU accomplished. And people love to overcome challenges that makes them feel like they accomplished something.
Old Bioware games are my favorite and a big fan of the Elder Scrolls games so I would say escapism/ immersion. Strangely enough I was never much in to JRPGs so more around classical Medieval Fantasy.
I also liked the puzzle/ adventure games like Monkey Island.
I did play CS, dota and lol a lot but it was less about being competitive and more that I was relatively good at it. There is also a good feeling about being crap initially at something and then building yourself up over time to become better and better at it.
I also like HoMM games and single player shooters like Doom.
I used to have this fixation on getting a level 100%, my brother likes to remind me that I was spending an entire day or even more just to get all the gems in Captain Claw. Fortunately I no longer have this as I have so little time to play.
I would say high on escapism, above medium on puzzles, bellow average on competition.
To do something different than what I've been doing all day as a way of disconnecting. Something twitchy if the day has been slow and plodding. Something chill if the day has been hectic. Something puzzley if the day's been braindead. Etc.
For the strategy, the story, the art, the skill set and coordination.
I spend most of my time playing intellectually stimulating problem solving games like Satisfactory. Organizing things, calculating math, and planning for the future. It's kind of a problem, actually, I play really nothing but these endless puzzle type games. It's like solving jigsaw puzzles for me.
I have two types of games I play. The first is a long play over short times. Breath of the Wild is a bunch of 30 minute plays when I get the chance. The other is a long play that lasts the entire game. Portal or Half Life 2 is like that.
I get really upset if the 30 minute sporadic game is designed or becomes a long play one. Vampire Survivors is like this. I enjoy it, but a single play can be an hour and that's too much.