The games we play

I've been playing games a lot these last few weeks. I used to play an MMORPG game, in which I would spend 1-3 hours everyday playing the game. A little more on the weekend (about 5 hours more each day :) ).

I know a lot of people that are addicted to games (am I? I wonder...). I'm defining addiction here is when you have to play and forego many of the normal daily activities, such as showering, eating, and most dangerously taking classes. I know some people who have let games take over their lifes, maybe not to the extend that they stay in front of the computer and doing nothing else, but spend so much time playing that it takes a major part of their lives.

One of the most popular (and the most profitable) games are the MMORPG games I've talked about. In these games, you play as a character in an alternate time or universe. Unlike traditional game where objectives are given to you, in the MMORPG type of games you are free to do as you like (limited only by the game engine capabilities). You buy items, interact with other characters (some characters are computer controlled, others are controlled by other humans just like you), hone your skills, and just do whatever you want to do.

Sounds familiar? It should. Because that's very similar to our lives. In life you don't have people telling you what to do. How to succeed, what your objectives are. In traditional games (think pacman or space invaders) you have a set of objectives that you must do, however in MMORPGs you have the ability to set your own goals.

A lot of people have asked me, what's so fun about games. I've also asked the same question. there may be many reason, but I think the three basic reasons why games are interesting are:

1. Games allows us to be something we're not. Games allow us to be in another more interesting place. Whether as a knight, fighting dragons, or as a soccer player working as a team (remember when you are watching soccer on TV and you scream to the players "pass to your right.. he's free", well now you control them). You can fight ghost, dig holes, use magic, be a hunter, be a craftsman, and lots more.
2. Unlike life, games is much easier. You can be a master hunter in a week. A world cup winner in three days. You can be rich in 10 hours. You can own conquer a country in 2 hours. You can get a job just by picking up the papers. What's more, if you don't like how something turns out (for example you lose a life or a match) you can always redo the things you want to do. None of these things can happen in real life.
   
3. Finally, games give instant gratification. In a game, when you hunt, you can cash in your products in a couple of minutes. In life you have to go to the store, haggle with the merchant, maybe even work through the bureaucracy of the town goverment. In games you get points everytime you do something interesting (shoot a plane down, eat a ghost, jump on a mushroom, pick up a star for example). The gratifications in life is not so simple.
   

Everyone wants to be a success. Apart from escaping from our mundane lives, games allow us to achieve an artificial sense of success. With games you can have this intoxicating feeling of success. A feeling of "yes.. I did it".

Acquiring this feeling is useful. However when playing games become a substitute for reaching real success, then it is dangerous. Unfortunately for some people, that is exactly what happens, because they cannot find success in real life, they substitute it by playing games.

The energy people use to play games would be better served if it were diverted to do useful and constructive things.