Oh, is this idea too foreign for you? And I suppose every time you rush to Wal-mart to stock up on doritos and bud lite for that oh-so-important superbowl game is time well spent, right jackass? Who the hell are you to point at gaming as some sort of lesser hobby? We watch other people play games for the same reason you watch other meatheads bump into one another on a giant grassy field. We enjoy the game, and enjoy watching what happens when someone who’s really skilled plays it.
(paraphrasing) “Hey, try playing ‘real life’. It’s in 3D!” Sure, front me about $50,000 in travel money, a robot exosuit with jetpack, a shit bucket, 10 sub sandwiches, and complete legal immunity… send me all those things, and I’ll get right on it. We prefer games because real life is boring compared to the possibilities you can achieve in a virtual world. Almost every image and video clip you showed of “real life” involved things you’d see on a vacation trip.
Let’s break down the cost of going on vacation, shall we?
Transportation: I’ll choose a plane. $350 down the drain for a round trip flight. Trains are more expensive than that, and driving? HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH.
Cost of hotel for 2 nights: $900
Food: $100 (for restaurants, because after all, we’re experiencing life, not home-cooked stuff you could have bought at home).
And finally, the cost of doing whatever thing you traveled the whole way to do: $50-300 give or take, so let’s put it somewhere in the middle: $175.
Total cost: $1525
Oh, but let’s not forget: taking time off work, time spent packing, time spent unpacking, time spent traveling in the plane, time spent getting to your hotel and getting your room set up, time spent traveling to the location to do your “real life fun activity”, and time spent getting back. Is your time not valuable? Apparently not. I could have played and beaten a game in all the time you wasted doing whatever “real life” thing you were trying to do, and get a better sense of satisfaction from overcoming the challenge presented by it.
And one final thing: each and every step of that “real life” experience is bound by rules… rules of physics, rules of biology (have to eat, don’t get hurt, etc.), rules of the laws set by the country and/or state you’re in, and rules of the hotel or “fun activity” you go to.
Want to go see the statue of liberty? Yeah, have fun wandering around a museum. You can’t jump on anything, explore any area you want, or even fly to catch multiple angles. What if it’s raining? Snowing? Oh it’s not like outside elements can possibly affect your “real life” experience, could it, oh wise CNN reporter?
Now let’s compare this to gaming:
cost for decent gaming rig computer: $750 (includes things like a monitor, speakers, keyboard, and mouse)
cost for typical AAA game: $60
$810, and I never needed to leave my seat. I can explore as much or as little as I want, rain or shine, and I can even mod the game to include things in the game that weren’t intended, just to mix things up and see how it all plays out. I have absolute control over everything. Why is that an entertaining notion? Because you have no control over anything else in your life. It’s refreshing to finally have control over something, even if it’s a virtual world. It’s also nice to know that you’re not suffering any real consequences for your actions, leaving you free to explore any avenue (including your own morality). Deep, isn’t it?
I’d love to take a virtual reality tour of places I’ve never seen, because I have full reign over whatever I want to do. I’m not bound by laws of physics, nor the legality of my actions. It’s an experience I can explore fully.
Also, as “beautiful” as you think these “real life” places are, you’re gravely mistaken about games. I’ve seen things in games that trump anything I’ve ever seen in real life. Great Wall of China? Taj Mahal? The White House? Random castle in European countryside? Tokyo? Pfffft. I’ve visited places far more detailed, and done things far more spectacular in those places than you’ll ever see in real life. I’ve moved mountains, blown up castles, had epic ninja battles in pretty-lighted churches, and shot terrorists attempting to hijack Air Force One. What did you do again? Camping? Marathon run? Picture-taking at a museum? Snore.
Try doing actual research before you pharisaically condescend to a group of people that you apparently couldn’t fit into, you overpaid and bloviating simpleton.