What Games Do We Play?

[JimmyJames]

Have we ever truly thought about why we play the games we play?

First of all, what games do we play? Literally, list the games that you play or have played...
Then... think: why?

Is it because this game is made by a certain person? (I like to play any games developed by Will Wright... oh the possibilities.)
Is it because this game is made by a certain company? (I try to stay away from EA Games, because in comparison to Blizzard games... their customer support sucked the last time I got one of their games and overall it felt short and rigid. They should just stick to sports...)
Is it because this game has the HS graphics and eye candy? (HS Graphics: Holy shit! Look at the detail in the graphics! Let's blow some shit up!)
Is it because this game has nice atmosphere and music or other wowing elements to it? (The music! Oh, the music! If only you could hear it now! Christophe Heral... Jeff van Dyk... The Soule Brothers... Kevin Manthei (SC Ghost)...)
Is it because we have characters we'd love to control? (Sounds like some S&M there... Kerrigan and her whip attack with tight black leather and her oddly colored polka dot bra.)
Is it work and honor? (Got to get up to level 70! I'll show that f 'kn n00bie... tryin' to killz me. Look at me!)
Is it zen? ( . . . )
Is it discipline? (Must... win...)
Is it a workout? (Boom Boom Dollar, Aye aye aye you're my little butterfly... ... or Wii Sports?)
Is it to learn? (Blue button = good, red button = bad)
Is it an escape? (On an island... paradise.)
Or could it be some time with your partner? (Ahh... love.)

What is "fun"? Does fun always come with games? Do games always come with fun? Are there instances where... even if we aren't having "fun" with the game... we're still playing it just because... something up above? What games do we play? Or are games playing us?

I brought this up because I also just read an interview of Will Wright yet again... love that guy because he actually talks to people not just to promote his new games but to talk on the theory of games in general and always gives nice tidbits of everything game. In that interview he elaborated on inspirations for Simcity from architects (notably Christopher Alexander) and he made connections from buildings and how they work to games and why we work to play these games. They're simulations. Simcity. Sims. Spore. SSSSSSS.

You can find the interview here: http://www.iconeye.com/articles/20080122

Now how about this: How diverse are your games? Do they all have something in common?

This is me:

In the past... I've played games such as:
SNES Double Dragon
PC Simcity, 2000, 3000, 4
PC Starcraft EXP+
PC Sims, 2
PC Rollercoaster Tycoon, 2, 3 EXP++
PC Max Payne, 2
PC Battlefield 1942
PS1 Metal Gear Solid, MGS Virtual Missions
DC Crazy Taxi
PS2 Katamari Damacy
PS2 Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
WII Wii Sports

I've played tons more but those are most of my most memorable games off the top of my head.

SNES Double Dragon - When was this?! 1994 or so? I just remember playing this game with my brother... it was fun and that's part of how we bonded. He made me eat a whole slice of ginger (and this was when I was around 4yrs old, so that was a big feat) so that I could play with him.

PC Simcity, 2k,3k,4, Sims,2,RollercoasterTycoon - All these games I loved dearly because they were just... very free. You were GOD! You were powerful. You were mayor! You were corrupted. You were angry. You were happy.You were creative. You were destructive. You were forgiving. You were curious. You were caring. You learned. Ambition grew and soon, cities sprouted and soon you gained those superbuildings in Simcity 2000 and you knew that was the beginning of the end... and yet, there was still no end.

PC Starcraft, EXP+ The royal RTS of my childhood to my adolescent ages... and the beginnings of being exposed to the gaming community and how volatile they were... young teens. Testorone high battles. But oh so much fun... and such a diverse UMS gameplay. The campaign and the voice acting really got me into the story too.

PS1&PS2 MGS, MGS VM, MoH:AA
PC BF: 1942, Max Payne, 2 To this day, I'm not big on FPS or (T)PS in the instance of Max Payne but at the time I loved the rush you felt hiding from people and the storm before the calm of shooting someone... or storm after the storm from getting known of your own position by others. MGS was really nice to go through the story and play as a ninja with good melee and sharpshooting skills basically... trying to avoid any detection instead of storming you way through like MoH: AA or BF1942.  But each and every one gave me a different rush. Max Payne 1 and 2 were a lot more intimate where you got to really know the man and behind the veil of the American Dream... many different rushes. I choose to not play FPS nowadays simply because I don't have the money now and the market is very saturated with them... I'm afraid I'll figure out that they all feel the same.

WII Wii Sports A nice refreshing UI... feels more free but yet the game itself still feels constricted and limited. I played a bit of this with my sister and she kept complaining to me that I never really moved. I beat her anyways :-D... It's nice to also free up your body to act as if you truly were holding a tennis racquet or golf club... exaggerate the hell out of yourself and make yourself animated without the restrictions of an XBox or Playstation controller.

DC Crazy Taxi
PS2 Katamari Damacy Whoever slammed together a Racing Game and a Taxi Service Game was super genius. The comments from your customers are hilarious and your car is the bombdiggity! Brake with style in front of your customer's destination and send your car flying 20 feet into the air... Katamari Damacy is just crazy. Period.

How about you and your games?
What's in your CD Wallet?
Do you know anybody who plays games with reasons different than your own?

[Marco]

Most of my purchases in the past year have been motivated by gaming reviews, mostly because I am trying to get back into gaming.  Having 3 other people living under my roof who are all gamers has motivated me to play more games.  So if a game comes out and its a 9.0 or better on most sites, chances are I will buy it.  Most of my gaming purchases in the past though were motivated by games that had some sort of plotline, with my primary interest being a science fiction plotline. 

My all time favorite game has to be Deus Ex.  When the demo came out I must of played it like 12 times, and when the actual game came out... well, I can't even count how many times I played it.  I was excited to hear another Deus Ex is in development, but it is being done without Warren Spectre, and being done by Eidos (bleh).  But... I live in hope.  Maybe somewhere in that development team there is an individual who can sway the rest of the team and capture the magic and intrigue of the first Deus Ex.

[IskatuMesk]

I only purchase games if I deem them any good, ie worth the immensely valuable money I have. I don't follow review sites or anything, I listen to opinions of people I know. If I cared about reviews I would have missed out on great titles.

I play games because I have nothing better to do with my life, although I really don't play hardcore much in the way of games anymore and haven't for years. My selection is very limited because very few games meet my high demands for quality and replayability.

I'll be damned if a game delivers the same experiences Battle Tanx and SC did.

[Major_MIKE]

I usually play games based on their replayability. Games like StarCraft and Warcraft I can play a different way each time, and it's fun to try to beat the same missions a different way.  However, I really like RPGs that have a good story and decent graphics.

Speaking of playing games, does CC still have its own bnet channel? It did when I was a regular here years ago. If it does, what's the connection information I need?

[Ricky_Honejasi]

Speaking of playing games, does CC still have its own bnet channel? It did when I was a regular here years ago. If it does, what's the connection information I need?

Yes, althought we pretty much only play Warcraft 3 lately. The channel is "Clan LLDN" on USWest (not USEast). While we have a clan called Loladin, it's not a really a clan but more a simple regrouping of players that plays/did play with us. You don't need to join our clan at all to play with us.

We also play weekly events of Warcraft 3 (called Satyr Saturday) every Saturday between 9 pm and 3 am (GMT -5, Eastern Time). I am the event leader of it. We meet on the channel and start playing various custom maps (we barely play melee). While the event got its regulars, we don't mind anyone else coming too and even becoming a regular over time (just by playing from event to event).

However, the annoying thing on battle.net is that by default, clan channels tend to prevent non-members to join them. My AIM username is Ricky Honejasi so you can talk to me over AIM or ICQ (ICQ & AIM can communicate to each other) so I can either add you to the clan or assure that you can ultimately get in without being in the clan. If AIM/ICQ is not an option then it will have to be between private messages.

[Thalraxal]

I usually pick up games based on word of mouth, and my own sense of 'Hey!  They looks like it's fun!'.  Although there was a short period during 97-99 when I subscribed to Computer Gaming World after I picked up a really, really bad game and wanted to avoid that fate again.  Of course, through CGW I heard about Baldur's Gate, Half Life 1, Homeworld, Age of Wonders, and some other games, so I don't really regret it.

My favourite games of all time would have to be Baldur's Gate (1 and 2) and StarCraft.  Although Master of Orion II, WarCraft II, Age of Wonders, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri and Neverwinter Nights (and pretty much anything else by Bioware) get special mention.

StarCraft for its replayablity and Campaign Editor (I may have spent more time in StarEdit then I have in StarCraft itself), the Baldur's Gate series just because it's awesome.

[chris]

Gamest that I have played and like alot (they are all PC)
Return to castle wolfenstein (my first FPS game, highly recommended, will not work on vista)
Half life (my second FPS, great game)
Half life 2 (my favorite FPS which sunk me deep into the source engine world, higly recommended)
Garry's mod 10 (fantastic game, there is no limit to what you can do with the source engine and lua modding scripts (before september 2006 you could even build viruses using lua))
Starcraft (need I explain?)
Red alert 2 (a true masterpiece by westwood, highly recommended)
C&C 3 (not as good as RA2 but still, its got some really cool advances since RA2)
Need for speed 2 (one of the best NFS titles ever made, recommended if you know where to get a 3dfx emulator)
Need for speed most wanted (the fun never ends)

[Revan]

Here is my favourite list:

MMO:
-WoW+BC expansion: Probably my favourite game, I had such fun with it for over 2 years. Although I quit it almost 10 months ago, I still consider it as a good memory. I will not go back for it, even if Wotlk will kick ass, as I  don't have as much time as I used to.
RTS:
-Starcraft+BW: Of course. Great rts, in fact it was good enough to inspire me to try out mapping and modding. I haven't tried any other edtors, except Worldedit, but that was way too complicated for me back in the day.
-Warcraft 3+TFT: Another classic, I might even try to make a campaign for it, just as a warming up, before SC2.
FPS:
-Half Life: the greatness, too bad that the 2nd game couldn't top it.
-Doom 3: That was cool stuff.
TPS/Action:
-Silent Hill 2, 3: Everyone should try these, these were almost like a real horror movie.
-Prince of Persia (the new) trilogy: it's hard to get bored with those
-Psychonauts: great game, with unique ideas
-GTA 3, Vice City: great fun, without brainwork
Adventure:
The longest journey, Dreamfall: The TLJ with its sequel DF should be tried out by everyone even if they hate adventure games.

[Lavarinth]

I'll go ahead and stick to listing the games I replay occasionally that are old and games I am currently playing.

--- Classics
- Monkey Island series
Definitely my all-time favorite series, no doubt or question that these games have been replayed countless times by me just to immerse myself back in the world. I'd love to be Guybrush Threepwood, hah.
- Diablo II
Every now and then you'll see me pop-in the classic LoD CD and click away in laughter with my cousin as we build our Hardcore characters and die at 98... Then I stop due to anger.
- Soul Calibur series
My all-time favorite fighter, no doubt I find all the characters uniquely crafted, although I would wish they simple created the game more in-depth story wise.
- Civilization IV
Don't play this too often, simply with my cousin. Takes a long time but it's fun every now and then for a turn-based race.
- Freelancer
Even rarer for me to play, but I find this space-sim captivating and immersing into the world. Choice your way of life in space and have at it.

--- Currently Playing
- StarCraft
I'll probably be playing this 'till the end of days even with SC2 released.
- WarCraft III
Obviously. Sometimes for DotA, WoS, or them Friday nights.
- Team Fortress 2
I played the original up until maybe 2004, then this release just gave nostalgia a new meaning. As stated by PC Gamer, the cartoony graphics will SURELY make this game never appear graphically aged.
- Portal
Most ingenious puzzle game ever crafted. As well as the most memorable of all AI.
- Half-Life series
On-going and addicting, I enjoy the storyline and mysteries this game offers, although I do get upset at some of the cliffhangers or shortness of the episodes.

--- Console Classics
- Shining Force series
I've always been a fan of these games, though not widely known. I find it captivating and the battle engine to be enjoyable. I think this engine would be more easily mocked in WC3 than FF7s engine.
- Final Fantasy series
Obviously. Still anticipating a secret undercover project on FF7 for PS3.
- Super Smash Bros series
By far best game-character related fighter ever deviced. If the next installment after Brawl adds FF characters, I'm set. Although Sonic will gladly do for now. And Snake.
- Mario series
Durr.
- Sonic series
Durr again.
- Mario Party series
Great game for friends.. When you're waiting for years for the next Smash Bros to come out.

--- Current Consoles
- Assassin's Creed
Enjoyable but repetitive.
- Rockband
Rockout kids- I should post videos on here, hah.
- Super Mario Galaxies
First game to ever make me dizzy.
- Call of Duty 4
Enjoyable.


So there's a fraction, sure there's other games that I enjoyed like GTA, Halo, Crysis, etc, but overall it's a list of my favorite classics along with what I'm currently playing. I don't at all recall all the games I've ever played due to things like Sega Channel (if any of you ever had that) and ROMs allowing the list to expand by hundreds.

[chris]

you should get GMOD10 as well 
Trust me, the 9.99 is really worth it.

[Lavarinth]

you should get GMOD10 as well 
Trust me, the 9.99 is really worth it.

I've used Garry's Mod when it was free, I don't see any reason I would need it though.

[Legion]

I'm olf-fashioned. I don't have a PS3 or any of those new consoles.

I'm currently in the middle of the last mission of Black (PS2).

Come to think of it, I don't really play Starcraft, I just play-test my own work.

[chris]

you should get GMOD10 as well 
Trust me, the 9.99 is really worth it.

I've used Garry's Mod when it was free, I don't see any reason I would need it though.

Here are a few reasons:
Zombie survival

Rollercoasting

Super mario bros

Build an fully working airplane

Nuclear launch detected


You can even Ghost ride

....well no not really. lol but this last vid is funny anyway

None of these can you do on GMOD9

[Mucky]

I've used Garry's Mod when it was free, I don't see any reason I would need it though.

You don't "need" any game. Just fyi.

[Lavarinth]

I meant in comparison to what I do at this moment in time with games, such as modding.