Why PC gaming has been special to me

moonbogg

Lifer
Jan 8, 2011
10,635
3,095
136
Its because the experiences I had and sometimes still have, are very real experiences. No less valid than any other. When people scoff at gaming, they fail to realize that there is no difference between experiences generated in the real world and those generated on the screen.
The drama, the suspense, the skills, the adversaries and comrades, the high stakes and epic victories, and of course the shock and disbelief that comes with defeat, they are all actually experienced. In the mind of the player, all of those emotions are very similar to and maybe indistinguishable from that of a true gladiator, a king, a knight or a military strategist.
I've heard people say that life feels like a game to them. I say my game feels like life to me. I'm not at all shamed to admit this. I admit it with confidence and I feel well justified in doing so. I am not replacing real life with games. I have a good life, but part of that good life has been my experiences with games. Game or no game, its all the same kind of experience to me and as far as I can tell, there is only one kind of such a thing.

Do you feel the same? Has gaming been a special part of your life?
 

Majes

Golden Member
Apr 8, 2008
1,164
148
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It's been a very large part of my life for a couple of reasons.

1. I need the competition. I grew up playing a different sport every season with practice and competitions nearly every day. Moving into college I no longer had that outlet, but I had replaced it with Warcraft 3 matches every night. Once I got my job I stopped playing games for a while. I found myself having a hard time focusing at work, and I had some issues with my outlook on life too. Now I have a decent balance of sports 2-3 times a week and computer games the other nights if I wish.

2. Lifelong learning. It's amazing how much brain power it takes to begin a new game. Steam has been amazing in presenting me with new, interesting, challenges. Most of these games are free or a couple dollars to play. When I sit down for the evening I don't watch TV, I fire up a game or read a book. I feel that this is more engaging and that it is a generally more useful activity.

3. Friendships. I started a clan in Warcraft Three with another player that I met randomly playing. We had over 50 members at one point and I still talk to a lot of those guys today.

So don't let people tell you gaming is a waste of time. It's just like any other hobby, and in fact I'd say it's a lot better than some.
 

PrincessFrosty

Platinum Member
Feb 13, 2008
2,301
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www.frostyhacks.blogspot.com
A lot of it is to do how rapidly and effectively you can suspend disbelief, that's easier as games look better and more realisitc and we can portray emotions of characters. I find it very easy to suspend disbelief which means a lot of TV/Movies and games are very powerful experience which is great.

Sadly some people aren't good at suspending disbelief, I don't know why that is but they don't get the same emotional impact, which is shame but it doesn't lessen our experiences.
 

flexy

Diamond Member
Sep 28, 2001
8,464
155
106
I find the experiences in gaming more "real" than what some other folks do who *THINK* that gaming is silly because it is "not real".

Those same people who scoff at gaming might spend their free time with no less silly things like watching ballgames religiously because it's "oh so important" to them that a particular team wins, or spending hours watching reality TV shows, tuning their car, collecting stamps etc.

"Suspending belief" to accept a game as relevant/important shouldn't be difficult since we also need to suspend belief for many so called "normal" things in normal life.

If, say, my passion is how the Chicago Cubs do I would also need to suspend belief, in a way as to make myself believe that it is incredible important and relevant how the Cubs do at the next game......or, say, it's incredible important that I get this one missing stamp in my collection etc..etc.. all those things, whether it be gaming or "real life" are made-up things, one not less silly than the other.

(It is actually pretty cool that we humans have this ability to accept a "fake" reality as relevant, whether it be watching a movie, reading a book, playing a game etc. For example, we all KNOW that nothing in Star Trek is 'real', that Patrick Steward is not an actual Captain of a space ship but an actor. But yet, despite this knowing we can watch a show where everything is made up and accept it as "real", at least for the time when we watch it. One of the most fascinating things about humans my opinion)

As for gaming experience in general, I totally agree with you. We actually had the most memorable experiences/friendships etc. in games (especially back then when we played WoW)... a depth of experience which is actually rare to have in "real life", IMHO.
 
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poofyhairguy

Lifer
Nov 20, 2005
14,612
318
126
I really like how continuous it is compared to consoles.

With consoles you get locked into generations, aka this is a PS2 game and this is a Ps3 game. Backwards compatibility and PS's streaming service blurs that line a little, but there were a lot of indy games I bought online for the Xbox 360 that are basically locked to that console. I hate having a ton of consoles hooked up, so I would always do without what could be played on the newest one.

With PC gaming that is not a problem. In my Steam account I have games I played over ten years ago in college (CS Source) that would have been Xbox 1 generation, indy games that I also once owned during the Xbox 360 generation (Outland, Double Dragon Neon, etc.) plus new games that would only run on an Xbox One. At any point I can easily access and play any game I have loved that would otherwise require hooking up yet another box and I really appreciate that. Add in emulators and the PC can basically be made into a Superconsole.
 

DefDC

Golden Member
Aug 28, 2003
1,858
1
81
Very true. The removal of vanilla WoW is just like tearing down the mall I used to hang out at as a teen. :)
 
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flexy

Diamond Member
Sep 28, 2001
8,464
155
106
Very true. The removal of vanilla WoW is just like tearing down the mall I used to hang out at as a teen. :)

We here played right until Pandas hit. Pandas were just too much. It was crazy since back then I made passive money from websites and didn't have to actually work - so we played like 95% of our time and had all the time in the world :) We had a guild, wife GM etc...and then of course all the drama etc. which seems to always come at some point :) MANY amazing memories. sigh.
 

Blue_Max

Diamond Member
Jul 7, 2011
4,227
153
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We here played right until Pandas hit. Pandas were just too much. It was crazy since back then I made passive money from websites and didn't have to actually work - so we played like 95% of our time and had all the time in the world :) We had a guild, wife GM etc...and then of course all the drama etc. which seems to always come at some point :) MANY amazing memories. sigh.

I wasn't a WoW die-hard... only had one 'toon but pretty maxed out. Then pandas... stupid freakin' pandas... *sigh*

But, yes, some amazing memories of high skill or even just impossible luck that makes for a huge memory.

Wing Commander II, for example. In one mission you were pitted against two capital ships but not given any torpedoes so they were impossible to destroy - your job was to take out all fighters amongst the gunfire and ship flak- then return home. I lost a couple times and on my third replay of that mission, during a furious fighter dogfight between the two, the two capital ships collided and exploded! It was an utterly insane stroke of dumb luck that stunned me so badly I was almost shot down by the last remaining fighter! :D (Of course, the next mission was scripted so I had to do a bombing run on the same magically-reappeared capital ships!) :D

This is where music, voice, etc can make such an impact to the immersion. I really feel people are missing out when they turn off the audio and listen to their iPods instead.
 
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