Ok, I have to make it clear that games are a set of problems that you come to get a motivation for solving (that means that the goal is simple, & you clearly see what progress you are making). & what an engaging problem is, & how do we create one is another question. The problems must be understood by the players (he/she either imagines how his/her character(s) are affected by the problems, or the efficiency to which you solve the problems are important to your social status). Games contain simplifications of problems that clarifies the goals, minimizes the available tools/actions, & the complexity of the world. Which allows the masses to feel like they are achieving something. Much of the times people play games to escape a purposeless & dull life! But a less so than watching TV, movies, reading books, newspapers, magazines -- as you will still be the same fucking loser afterwards; it's just a temporary comfort, & a distraction from a purposeless existence!!! & oh: forums are also an attractor of un-nessesary problems & distractions, & is mostly just a comfort for people (in contrast to fun & inspiering)... I see games as a medium of living a purposeful life, as everything in reallity soon will be simulated by computers, as we approach the technological singularity! & soon there will be more complex creative activities in games (sculpting, robot-programming, painting & other things that I see as essential in my life!). But still we can implement problems that excites the players a lot just by being motivated by social rewards. & in a virtual world we can experiment so much more without being punished, & so benefit a lot for it in real life (as we already see the military using war simulations -- well I still can't see what we benefit from war ^^). Games are the future of human existance! & we must believe this if we are to stay focused & motivated! The feeling of purpose: We doesn't have to worry about starvation, & being eaten by animals anymore -- nowadays most of our problems are virtual. & there are very little direct pain as a result of failure, & so makes us depressed... When I was 7-13 years I used to imagine living a more purposeful life in pre-historic or medieval times, & fighting more direct & real problems, like starvation, cold, enemy tribes. Why did I stop? Did I invent masturbation? No: I started focusing at making games! Think of an animal in a trap: knowing it will die if its leg stays trapped -- so after some time: it chews its leg off! Can you imagine what kind of fuel that is required to endure such a thing!? Petrol? No: internal fuels (anger, fear & hope)... We have no such fuel, we are all depressed! Humanity today only have its dreams left... Direct challanges that threatens yours or others life is where the highest sense of purpose arises. People mistake the sense of purpose for lesser feelings... A purposeful life is where you frequently are taking high risks! It will probably take a few years before we see any games that can replace the sense of purpose a prehistoric tribe-life whould give. But to slowly come to this stage: I think that more tools/actions should be available in games. This makes the players to think more, but it should still be easy to make the simplest tools or solutions from combinations of actions/tools (so that the players see that they are making progress). & it keeps the game fun for very long as the player can think of fundamentally different ways of doing something (note that I say fundamentally, as just small differences aren't very fun to experiment with). So: that the player see that he/she makes progress toward the goal is what makes it fun! These concepts won't make you any supirior game -- you must Create small gameplay demos, with no advanced graphics & just isolate gameplay elements! (use a simple game making tool, or a complete game engine) & challange yourself with constraints like: no monster-killing. [Edited by - deep_seeker on February 1, 2008 6:24:21 AM]

Quote:Original post by deep_seeker
So why do people play games?

...

My answer:
For most games the player is driven by social motivations (wanting to prove him/herself / wanting to be accepted by society), as is our motivation for doing anything! (in our times)

This is where I stopped reading. You make no mention of entertainment or fun; there's a reason we play games rather than work games.

I made 1 fundamental error: I posted too quickly... Now it may be clearer.

Fun is a rather vague term really. In fact, I think "fun" is often confused with "enjoyment" (or some level of enjoyment).

I play games because I feel the need to play games, and that is as accurate answer as I could give to the question. It really applies to any other activity as well, work included.

Although I'd put it down to individual, rather than social motivations.

You're saying basically that we evolved to enjoy solving the problems of our environment (starvation, enemies, etc...) and that now that we don't have these problems, there's no outlet for these natural urges so that why we find games enjoyable? We create problems out of nothingness to feel we are accomplishing something?

Mmm... I don't so... games are fun, but so are other things in life...

what the f...