Admittedly, I am not a games enthusiast, whether video or board, but I have played both at times. In particular, I played a lot of – OK, this is totally gonna reveal that I’m an old ;P – THPS, and I’m 100℅ sure I played both RPG-type computer games as well as like Mario Bros stuff. However, I just have never really grasped what makes video games so enticing.

I suspect this is an annoying and well-trodden path, but I would sincerely appreciate it if you could find it in your heart to help me understand.

For me personally, I tend to look at things in terms of costs and benefits. Through that lens, most games seem like a bad deal. In principle, I like some of the more quirky or esoteric ones, but it quickly seems like a lot to learn relative the payout.

When I was in HS, I had a band. Has that type of interaction simply been replaced by video games?

I swear I’m not trying to troll – I really want to understand the interplay between video games and psychology. Cuz it seems like FPSes are dominant whereas not too long ago they were a single niche among many niches.

I appreciate your taking the time to read/reply.

  • ɔiƚoxɘup@beehaw.orgEnglish
    1·
    5 days ago

    For me, the cost benefit is about entertainment. I recognize there have been studies that supposedly show that games can help develop or maintain certain skills, but for me it’s more about learning the skill to experience the in-game reward. That’s just for some games. For others, that element exists but the game is telling a story too. One that is punctuated by struggle, maybe battles, and the overcoming which leads to power ups and more story.

    So the cost-benefit is that it costs time, but it pulls you out of end-stage capitalism and puts you in flow state, engaging in another world.

    I would suspect, though, that if you’re seeing video games through the lens of cost-benefit analysis, you might have trouble relaxing. People need rest.

    • jtzl@lemmy.zipOP
      1·
      16 hours ago

      Interesting. Thank you for responding

      I don’t have trouble relaxing, per se, but I absolutely am a “I’ll relax when I’m dead” type.

      That’s interesting you mentioned video games as a sort of solace amid late-stage capitalism. I can fully believe (so-called) capitalism as it has been known in the US is effectively over, but I tend to think it never really existed. Like, free market? OK, where do they sell heroin then? (Inb4 synthetic opiates at the hospital)

      If (so-called) capitalism is ending, why is there no appetite to replace it?

      Did the prior generations lose the skills necessary to operate civilization? Therefore, by the time we got to now, people only know how to play and consume?

      Discuss (plz).