Jump to content

Wait a second... how are videogames fun?


KWarp
 Share

Recommended Posts

As Ab56 said, part of it is the challenge and overcoming the obstacle. We, as humans, love to overcome anything that faces us. We want to be superior. What makes games fun is that you can show that you are superior at something without the physical effort required for other activities. It's easy, the task isn't too difficult, and you know that it is possible no matter what someone says.

Also, it gives us a chance to be someone else. We can imagine ourselves in a different life. That is fun to us, because we can do things that we normally couldn't do.

Oh, and Zutnunzor hit the nail on the head with that particular part of it. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is TV really all that entertaining? Are movies all that great?

It's called escapism. Games let us be other people, or at least in other situations, for as long as we play them.

That is their chief appeal - distraction. When we play games(or watch TV or read books) we don't have to think about our actual lives.

...Just kidding. Games are a way of using our brains in a relatively non stressful situation(unless you take them too seriously, in which case you suck). Even if you get frustrated and die 5000 times, there's no ACTUAL repercussions besides lost time. It's a good trade off, considering the "Victory is mine" feeling you get when you actually do well and the general entertainment and, yes, escapism value.

I don't think "fun" games are going away - it just depends on what you play. If most of the time you are frustrated, confused, etc you may want to consider playing some more laid back games, or just relaxing your standards. ...although I hardly think you'd be uptight about a game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seriously guys, this is a big issue. I've read books on gaming based on the assumption that games are fun. What if that isn't necessarily true?

Zelda.

Here's what I do most of time in Zelda:

-circling around the environment for solutions to dungeon puzzles/hidden items

-frantically attacking enemies and not hurting them half the time

-walking

Those things lead to fun, but they aren't often in themselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Zelda.

kinda

I'm not saying anything bad about Zelda games in general, this actually applies to all games, but how often can you sit back and say "wow this is FUN."

More like, wow this is cool, wow that is pretty, wow this is epic, wow midna is HOT.

You know.. for how many people love to say Midna is hot...

Just which Midna are you talking about? The little imp Midna who rides around on Link's back and bosses him around(eventually resorting to begging..), for 30-70 hours of the game, or the more human Midna you see for maybe 3 minutes in a cutscene at the end of the game?

Because, you know, if it's the first one, I can think of a couple signature memes that would fit, to describe it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seriously guys, this is a big issue. I've read books on gaming based on the assumption that games are fun. What if that isn't necessarily true?
Zelda.

Here's what I do most of time in Zelda:

-circling around the environment for solutions to dungeon puzzles/hidden items

-frantically attacking enemies and not hurting them half the time

-walking

Those things lead to fun, but they aren't often in themselves.

Well, I don't really see why you are demanding instant gratification. You don't make money by the actual act of going to school - you make money afterwards by knowing at least simple mathematics. Same with games.

There does have to be a certain balance of grinding vs rewards, and games that fail at this are really annoying. Of course there are also games where the actual act of playing is in itself amusing. All I can think of are Wii games though. ;)

It's less of "is the act of playing this game fun" and more of "do I get good enough rewards from playing this game to justify the time I waste on it." That's why some people love MMORPGs while others despise them - it depends a lot on how tolerant people are of grinding.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Zelda.

kinda

I'm not saying anything bad about Zelda games in general, this actually applies to all games, but how often can you sit back and say "wow this is FUN."

Every single boss fight so far in Twilight Princess, I have thought to myself "Damn, that was fun ... I wanna go again :("

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gears of War

Gears of War is very fun...especially when you play it co-op with a friend and spend the entire time cussing at each other and complaining about who needs the ammo case more. Seriously though, Gears of War was very fun and the bitching made it more so.

Also, Wii Tennis...and SSBM...I'm still playing that...and Guitar Hero...

Perhaps OP is playing the wrong games.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

90% of the time I play videogames I am confused, frustrated, or disoriented. Where does this whole games = fun idea come from?

My father once recommended me a book, whose title escapes me. After muddling through the first chapter, I put it down. My father returned some time later and asked for my thoughts on the book. I replied, "It's a pretty boring book." To which my father replied, "Could be. Or, you could just be a boring person."

The point is, the fact that these games quote: confuse, frustrate, and disorient you could simply be because you are a confused, frustrating, and disorienting person.

Ergo sum: maybe you're just a quintessential moron.

Seriously, what halfrate fuckwit cocksneeze dreamt up this flame-bait topic?

shut it down. SHUT IT DOWN, FOREVER.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Dirty little secret of gaming is how much time you spend not having fun. You may be frustrated; you may be confused or disoriented; you may be stuck. When you put the game down and move back to the real world, you may find yourself mentally working through the problem you've been wrestling with, as though you've been worrying about a loose tooth. If this is mindless escapism, it's a strangely masochistic version. Who wants to escape into a world that irritates you 90 percent of the time?

-Everything Bad is Good For You

wingless, you are the last person I expected to outright dismiss this idea. :?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...