What are online games all about?

[Procyon]

I am a member of another forum where they have a strong tech section and everytime they start talking about games I feel I am completely floating on the moon. This is part because my last experience with games was with an Atari, so you can see how I don't understand this world. I read in the forum that there are games that pays the winner, and other ones that are connected to the real world, involving companies and foundations. I am not talking about gambling, but about games with monsters, shoot-outs, etc...Also, there are those sad stories about guys found dead after 72h playing games non-stop.

 

My question is: do you play games often? Which ones? Why? What does it make you feel? Have you ever played to exhaustion? Does it make you get money? Does it affect your real relantionships?

 

Satisfy my curiosity, if you will.

[johnb820]

Well, I play a free online game called teeworlds, a 2D platform type of game which is completely open source. I've even coded some new game types for it which was a lot of fun, but it's all very casual for me. I would never play to try to be the best. I've known other people who do consciously decide to stock up on energy drinks and play certain games for upwards of a week or more, doing absolutely nothing with themselves. I'm not really sure what the appeal is. Like anything else there is indulging in something fun even if it isn't good for you, and then there is obsession without moderation.

[Veracohr]

I don't play them myself. In fact, I was highly disappointed that Diablo 3 was online-only because I was looking forward to it. But I can see why people would like them. They're large and involved and the inclusion of human interaction adds a new dimension to the old human-computer gaming structure. But for myself, I don't play games much, and when I do I typically don't want to interact with other people.

[Rotwang]

I used to play Counter Strike: Source regularly, I stopped because it was too much of a time-sink and made me aggressive though.

[Guest neurogen]

i played WoW from 2007-2011.

 

Now I just play a bit MW3 and CS GO. These games is just for fun and for spending time, nothing serious.

When I was playing wow it was also because it was fun but it was a whole other thing.

Every day was spent thinking about it when at work, and just waiting to get home to play.

It was like a drug, cause it let you forget about reality for a while. And in 2008 I played it about 8 hours a day.

 

Now I play some FPS games (first person shooters) a couple hours a day at maximum.

But Ive always been a gamer, ever since 1990, it has always been my main hobby, and main interest.

I have always liked the feeling of escaping reality into fantasy land. Ive probably played some sort of videogame every day of my life.

 

Online games is fun in another way because you are doing all the above, but with other real people aswell, who like the same as you. Thus creating a cozy and nice feeling when playing.

[Guest E-Mantra]

I used to play broodwar on bnet everyday..i still play it..several times /week

[Richpa]

I was into DotA last couple of years but in last few months I don't have that much free time to play it, plus I don't like DotA2 and many people decided to switch to new one.