Do we play video games because we're bored with our lives?

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MasterKingMP

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#1 MasterKingMP
Member since 2008 • 1740 Posts

Do we? I suppose it's an "escape from reality," as they say. I myself find that when I'm sitting around with nothing to but watch TV and sit on the Internet like now, I usually play games. But when I have an actual agenda to go by, say like going to hang out with my friends, video games are the last thing on my mind. So is it a fact that Video Games have just become a part of our lives where it's something to do when we don't have anything else to do? Or do people actually play them as a way of life? (Professional players and reviewers excluded) Obvously that is their job. I'm talking about the average gamer like me who has a job outside of the gaming industry.

Why do you play games?

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dreamsoffear

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#2 dreamsoffear
Member since 2011 • 44 Posts

i go through all day wondering if i should play video games or read a book, well at least on school days, i am sorry to say that mainly i chose to play video games :D well not that sorry actually :P

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evilgamer22

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#3 evilgamer22
Member since 2009 • 2408 Posts

Gaming to me is just a hobby. I'm not bored with my life, nor do I just play games because I have nothing else to do. Its just something I enjoy and its as simple as that.

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cboyuno

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#4 cboyuno
Member since 2007 • 647 Posts

Honestly, anything you do for fun could be described as an escape from the boredom of your life. So the answer is yes. You read books because you're bored. You hang out with friends because your bored. Maybe the best way to put it is, we play games to avoid boredom, just like any other activity or hobby.

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gamnerd95

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#5 gamnerd95
Member since 2011 • 41 Posts

I play games as a way of escape and abit of fun,i have depression and it's hard to find things that distract my thought but games give me that distraction.I'd be lost without my xbox

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CADMAN_3

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#6 CADMAN_3
Member since 2003 • 1189 Posts

I play 'em cause I like and enjoythem and it's a way to relax or even release some stress. I'm not hardcore spend whole weekends playing games until I beat them or spend whole weekends on line playing.

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SummerHillard

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#7 SummerHillard
Member since 2011 • 414 Posts

Honestly, anything you do for fun could be described as an escape from the boredom of your life. So the answer is yes. You read books because you're bored. You hang out with friends because your bored. Maybe the best way to put it is, we play games to avoid boredom, just like any other activity or hobby.cboyuno

In addition, isn't everything people do in life simply a distraction from the reality that death is coming?

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SuperFlakeman

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#8 SuperFlakeman
Member since 2011 • 7411 Posts

It's just a matter of priority. I would cancel any social activity the day a new game releases I really want, because I think it's more fun than hanging out with friends or something.

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LazyMushroom

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#9 LazyMushroom
Member since 2011 • 914 Posts

I have plenty of other things going on in my life that do not involve video games. I play games in some of my spare time and enjoy doing so.

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Black_Knight_00

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#10 Black_Knight_00
Member since 2007 • 77 Posts
Gaming is pure escapism: society is demanding, judgmental, boring and predictable. We live our lives without twists or surprises, aside from the occasional circle on the calendar. Your liberty is limited, the way you live your days is determined by your superiors and actions have permanent consequences. People follow their daily routines, completely predictable in patterns and behavior and you have to stick with it. In games you can do whatever you want without consequences, be whatever and whoever you want, trick your mind into believing you're something and somewhere you're not. When the microcosm that surrounds you holds no more surprises you just swap discs and jump into a new, unexplored one. I live my life in the real world, but no one can tell me I can't escape its drudgery and triteness for a few hours in the digital one.
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SirRiffAlot

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#11 SirRiffAlot
Member since 2008 • 256 Posts

For me, gaming is just something I enjoy doing. It's primarily the same as watching television or reading books; it's an entertainment form. I'm not bored with life, nor do I believe I ever will be, but gaming is always fun, so I'll pass the time with it.

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Chris_Williams

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#12 Chris_Williams
Member since 2009 • 14882 Posts
meh, maybe, who knows
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gorebreath

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#13 gorebreath
Member since 2010 • 64 Posts

If you have no life then I suppose, I enjoy gaming whether or not I am happy or unhappy with my life. It does provide an escape from reality which actualley is quite healthy, keeps ya sane ya know? Though I normally stick to hits from the bong when I need some escape ;)

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nurnberg

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#14 nurnberg
Member since 2005 • 1313 Posts

We play games because it is like a drug. Most of us here are gaming addicts. Addictions take control of your life. How many here live only for gaming? Im sure there are several and I am one of them.

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gorebreath

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#15 gorebreath
Member since 2010 • 64 Posts

We play games because it is like a drug. Most of us here are gaming addicts. Addictions take control of your life. How many here live only for gaming? Im sure there are several and I am one of them.

nurnberg

That sucks dude but you are right and I know many who suffer from gaming addiction. It is an affliction just as bad as any drug addiction with the exception of maybe crystal meth and heroin. At least with drug addictions you have to go out the house at some point to get the ****

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turtlethetaffer

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#16 turtlethetaffer
Member since 2009 • 18973 Posts

We do it for the same reason we watch TV and movies and read books. To escape from out everyday lives.

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ArchoNils2

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#17 ArchoNils2
Member since 2005 • 10534 Posts

It's a hobby, we have hobbies to overcome boring times of our lifes :S

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capaho

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#18 capaho
Member since 2003 • 1253 Posts

Do we? I suppose it's an "escape from reality," as they say. I myself find that when I'm sitting around with nothing to but watch TV and sit on the Internet like now, I usually play games. But when I have an actual agenda to go by, say like going to hang out with my friends, video games are the last thing on my mind. So is it a fact that Video Games have just become a part of our lives where it's something to do when we don't have anything else to do? Or do people actually play them as a way of life? (Professional players and reviewers excluded) Obvously that is their job. I'm talking about the average gamer like me who has a job outside of the gaming industry.

Why do you play games?

MasterKingMP

I play games for stress relief and to indulge my dark side. I can wreak all kinds of havoc in a game that I would never do in real life, that's why GTA IV is one of my favorites. I'd also rather do something in the evening that involves thinking and reacting rather than simply zoning out in front of the TV while watching some inane show.

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Amnesiac23

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#19 Amnesiac23
Member since 2006 • 8470 Posts
My life is actually VERY busy (work, college, etc), so video games are a way for me to relax and blow off some steam.
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Mcspanky37

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#20 Mcspanky37
Member since 2010 • 1693 Posts

I look for whatever keeps me entertained and video games havent held up lately

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Elann2008

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#21 Elann2008
Member since 2007 • 33028 Posts
I think it has something to do with it, but not entirely. There are so many great activities and things to do than play video games that are equally as fun if not more. But these other activities can cost a lot more to do and some of us do not have the time and luxury. Maybe when I win the lottery.
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lensflare15

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#22 lensflare15
Member since 2010 • 6652 Posts

I play video games because they're fun. I've been playing them for many years so they're also important to me... If I'm having a lot of fun with a certain game, the last thing on my mind is hanging out with someone or whatever.

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Novemberrr

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#23 Novemberrr
Member since 2011 • 163 Posts
I play games for a variety of reasons. Sometimes I play games just to have fun (like Halo: Reach multiplayer with friends) and there are other times I love to take out my frustrations by playing video games. I have no shame in admitting that video games dominate a large portion of my life because I have been doing it for many years, they have become part of me and I don't have any plans to change that. Now I'm not hermit or social recluse, far from it..but sometimes a video game is better company then your average person is all I'm saying..even though that sounds hermit-y...lol
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Masamune_Wolf

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#24 Masamune_Wolf
Member since 2011 • 108 Posts
Video games are a hobby that I'm really passionate about. I also know that there is a time and place for them as well. My relationship with God, my family, school, and work are essentials in my life. I feel if time permits then it's okay to enjoy and hour or two with video games. It's a great form of entertainment, but there are other ways to be entertained and escape reality for a moment whether it's reading a good book, watching an excellent movie, or listening to outstanding music.
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cprmauldin

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#25 cprmauldin
Member since 2009 • 1567 Posts

Haha. No, at least I don't. I play video games because they are a very fun and enthralling. They stimulate my strategic mind and I enjoy that very much.

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deactivated-5acfa3a8bc51d

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#26 deactivated-5acfa3a8bc51d
Member since 2005 • 7914 Posts
theres a messed up secret about video games. when you truely realize they are not real you will never pick up a video game agn. i hit a wall wen i picked up grand theft auto 4. i realized i was wasting my time going on these countless missions in a virtual world. wen i have real life priorities to take care of. then i started to realize there is no time for video games. you cant just say i will play from 6pm til 9pm on tuesday... you have to give up on life to enjoy a video game. you litterally have to throw everything away that is your idenitity to enjoy a rpg game like fallout new vegas. all im saying is either your life revolves around video game where in your world video games are fun. or your not part of video games at all and games like LA Norie sound like a waste of life. the only games i can enjoy now are multiplayer games with friends. or the random deathmatches of black ops. getting a high kill count compared to other real life people is satisfying. going on a journey in oblivion sounds mad boring unless it was multiplayer and i had a real life friend that wants to play it.
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nickdastick

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#27 nickdastick
Member since 2004 • 5286 Posts

Gaming to me is just a hobby. I'm not bored with my life, nor do I just play games because I have nothing else to do. Its just something I enjoy and its as simple as that.

evilgamer22

Agreed. This is exactly what I think about it too. I play games instead of watching TV or doing something similar.

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Gibsonsg527

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#28 Gibsonsg527
Member since 2010 • 3313 Posts

Play them because its my favriote hobby and it helps me relax. When ever I get done with work all I want to do is play games.

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greendayR0cks

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#29 greendayR0cks
Member since 2010 • 238 Posts

It's because playing Video Games are really fun, thats why I play them. It's the same thing with my Laptop and other things, it's the fact that they're fun, not boring.

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greendayR0cks

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#30 greendayR0cks
Member since 2010 • 238 Posts
[QUOTE="playmynutz"]theres a messed up secret about video games. when you truely realize they are not real you will never pick up a video game agn. i hit a wall wen i picked up grand theft auto 4. i realized i was wasting my time going on these countless missions in a virtual world. wen i have real life priorities to take care of. then i started to realize there is no time for video games. you cant just say i will play from 6pm til 9pm on tuesday... you have to give up on life to enjoy a video game. you litterally have to throw everything away that is your idenitity to enjoy a rpg game like fallout new vegas. all im saying is either your life revolves around video game where in your world video games are fun. or your not part of video games at all and games like LA Norie sound like a waste of life. the only games i can enjoy now are multiplayer games with friends. or the random deathmatches of black ops. getting a high kill count compared to other real life people is satisfying. going on a journey in oblivion sounds mad boring unless it was multiplayer and i had a real life friend that wants to play it.

What are you trying to say? Playing Video Games are boring to you, but your on GAMEspot? A gaming website made for games. I see what you did there.
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Jackc8

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#31 Jackc8
Member since 2007 • 8515 Posts

Just because we've got a few hours of free time in the evenings doesn't mean we're "bored with our lives". A bit of relaxation and recreation are pretty important to a well balanced life. I mostly play video games because I can't stand what's on TV - I don't like the shows and I'm not going to sit through a ton of commercials and banner ad's and animated pop-up ad's all over the damned screen just to see something I wasn't the least bit interested in in the first place.

Besides, interactive entertainment like video games is a lot more fun that just sitting and watching something.

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Kage1

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#32 Kage1
Member since 2003 • 6806 Posts

I play Video Games to get away from my wife.

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DecadesOfGaming

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#33 DecadesOfGaming
Member since 2007 • 3100 Posts

generally play them due to getting pleasure from them, I have a great life thanks

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Jbul

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#34 Jbul
Member since 2007 • 4838 Posts

Do we? I suppose it's an "escape from reality," as they say. I myself find that when I'm sitting around with nothing to but watch TV and sit on the Internet like now, I usually play games. But when I have an actual agenda to go by, say like going to hang out with my friends, video games are the last thing on my mind. So is it a fact that Video Games have just become a part of our lives where it's something to do when we don't have anything else to do? Or do people actually play them as a way of life? (Professional players and reviewers excluded) Obvously that is their job. I'm talking about the average gamer like me who has a job outside of the gaming industry.

Why do you play games?

MasterKingMP

I don't think that's fair to say. I play games to relax, and enjoy myself. Sure, I don't think about them when I'm out with a girl, or chilling with friends. But that doesn't mean they're not a leisurely activity that I'll probably enjoy for the rest of my life. They're a PART of my life, not the focus of it.

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Lox_Cropek

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#35 Lox_Cropek
Member since 2008 • 3555 Posts

I play video games because I have fun with them. It's that simple.

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Solid_Snake325

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#36 Solid_Snake325
Member since 2006 • 6091 Posts
The entire point of entertainment, which obviously includes video gaming, is to escape boredom.
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StealthMonkey4

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#37 StealthMonkey4
Member since 2009 • 7434 Posts

I play with real life when I'm bored with my videogames.

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ZombieKiller7

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#38 ZombieKiller7
Member since 2011 • 6463 Posts
I'm not bored with my life. I play games as an addition to it, not a replacement for it.