I know that computer and video games are designed to have some level of attraction in order to obtain and maintain engagement, but I still have to ask the devil's advocate question: what is missing in contemporary life such that makes computer and video games so appealing?
My parents would probably describe be as an addict now and then, so I'm not asking this question in a holier-than-thou manner: I'm genuinely curious about what characteristics games have that real life doesn't.
Is it escapism? Is it compelling gameplay? Is it granularity of control?
Real life is messy, arbitrary, and nonsensical. Stupid shit like who you know matters. You might, after twenty years of ceaseless toil and sacrifice, be on the verge of proving P=NP, and then die of an aneurysm, your work lost to the world, with none to mourn you. #whysoserious
Games are more approachable, more tackleable. They can be hard---even very hard, like Dark Souls or high-level Starcraft 2---but they are not unfair, and life very much is.
The thing that RL has over gaming, aside from a nutty RNG and an absurdly complex/capricious ruleset, is that you live in it.
Escapism is a big part of it, and also the heightened level of stimulation (immersion) you get from games. Overall games fulfill our emotional needs (to escape, to socialize, to see measurable progress, and to feel a sense of purpose) much better (seamlessly) and easier than 'real life', which is why you can find yourself gaming more and more and more. The level of safety and control is also a big part of it.
Anyways if you're looking for help we have a ton of support for you on the site. Happy to answer any questions you have.
I think with 7 billion people on the planet, the world has gotten too complex and games are much less crazy making. You can figure out what you actually need to do and not spend all your time wondering "Did I actually do something wrong? Or was I doomed before I began because of my gender, skin color, some decision my parents made before I was born or a million other ridiculous and unknowable details?"
You aren't going to do everything right in a game according to what everyone keeps telling you, fail anyway and wonder what the hell happened. You won't wonder does the AI just hate short people, people who dress like me, or people of my religion while claiming to be fair and objective.
tldr from the article: the chance to “self-organize experiences and behavior and act in accordance with one’s own sense of self”; the ability to “challenge and to experience one’s own effectiveness”; and the opportunity to “experience community and be connected to other individuals and collectives.”
> what is missing in contemporary life such that makes computer and video games so appealing?
What is missing in life that makes TV, movies, novels, comic books, religion, folklore, or stories by the fire-side so appealing? Story telling is one of the things that make us human, it's not a new phenomenon. Just presented in a different way.
For me, video games provide a number of things. I've played thousands of hours of video games during my 29 years on this earth.
Gaming is my TV. I don't watch television, I get home, I cook dinner with my girlfriend, smoke some weed, and boot up a video game. It's very easy for me to get into "flow" state when I play a video game because it's what I do and have always done. It's relaxing and enjoyable and challenging.
I love the complexity of modern video games. I love making assumptions about those systems and then testing them. I love picking or building a character that represents my values and preferences. I love building and honing little engines to break the rules of the games.
I also love to "challenge and experience my own effectiveness." I am a big fighting game fan, and I enjoy practicing at home and then jobbing at the local tournaments.
My parents would probably describe be as an addict now and then, so I'm not asking this question in a holier-than-thou manner: I'm genuinely curious about what characteristics games have that real life doesn't.
Is it escapism? Is it compelling gameplay? Is it granularity of control?