ONTDGames

I largely play in part because I grew up on the culture, and because it was a great way to escape reality. I had a pretty nasty childhood/young adulthood, and now, I have a chronic pain disability and am limited in the things I can do, so gaming helps me kind of forget about that for awhile (as well as live vicariously through my characters).

That's why the listing of an "other" option is standard in polls like this. :P No blatting for that - this isn't game-related ignorance - but...

I marked "For entertainment." alone, but here are some I would have chosen (along with entirely optional embellishments) were they there:

"Because they are awesome. Duh."
"For intellectual stimulation. ...Stop looking at me like that!"
"To challenge myself. Bring it on!"

- ZM

Been playing since I was 5. Always just interested me, don't know why. :D

Been playing since I was 4/5 and got my hands on my brother's Super Nintendo (and "helped" him with games like Duke Nukem 3D), mostly because it's fun. Playing a lot less now mostly because I don't have the time and most games aren't worth the time I have left for them.

I've never not gamed... I don't even know what I'd do with myself, lol.....

My family has owned a computer since I was a toddler. I grew up playing a DOS version of monopoly, and then when I was older I loved the Secret of Monkey Island and Jazz Jackrabbit. I never really thought I was doing something subversive or dangerous. Video games were just another fun thing in my house, like books or the TV. By the time I was a teenager I was pretty depressed, so then video games became a way to have structure and simple, achievable goals in my life.

Now they've looped back around to "just something fun to do" though. :P

Entertainment, I guess. It's always been something fun to do with friends and family too.

Mines a mix.
A) It's actually really social. I play with my cousin and my mates all the time. We plan to get games together so we can play together. Not to mention I've made some good friends via things like Xbox Live.

B) Try as I might I'll never be Nathan Drake. Playing Uncharted and actually finding myself shouting at the screen, making noises when my character is shot and feeling a load of different emotions is something I can't get elsewhere. I love books, comics and movies but they just don't compare.

I've been playing games longer than even I remember. The furthest back I can recall is playing Duck Hunt and the original Super Mario Brothers on the NES. I also can remember watching my grandpapa playing the first Zelda game (which started my obsession with the series, I'm sure) and grandnana playing Tetris. What I mean is, video games have been a part of me for so long I can't imagine not playing them.

Escapism from reality is another reason because life can suck sometimes. It helps to make me forget about the crappy things, even just for a little while. And lastly, I find video games to be highly entertaining. =)

To get to the other siiiiiiiiiiiiiiide!

I've been gaming since I could read A, B and START on my uncle's NES controller. I didn't appreciate them as a form of media or storytelling until I was 10 and got addicted to The Sims and Age of Empires, and didn't start hardcore gaming with shooters, RPGs, RTSs and TBSs until I was 16.
In the past year, though, I've had two major depressive episodes during which I usually could not get out of bed and didn't get anything done at work or school (if I could go)... unless I played games that morning. I don't know if it was the small feeling of success when I won a match or simply the stimulation without much energy or thought input, but it helped significantly.

tl;dr Gaming as therapy.

I like the idea of a reality made by someone else, a world that doesn't exist for real, with people who can do extraordinary things. Lately, I discovered that I could learn things playing video games. I've always been bad at learning dates and countries' history but now, I learnt a lot about Japan's and China's history playing video games =3

I've played them since I was a little girl with my Atari 2600.

I play:

- For the physical engagement of my tweaky hands.
- To see neat things happen.
- Because I enjoy learning and experimenting with engines that click with me. Plot and character development are nothing to me - just give a fun game I can learn and enjoy, and I'm happy.

Sometimes, they can help inspire things to write, or draw, or to get your mind off of things. Look at it this way, it is better to play video games, than do other things, and besides, you don't get hurt doing stupid stunts on video games, like you do in real life. Just remember, video games aren't reality, but they sure do help you escape from reality.

I remember playing Mario and stuff when I was little, along with going to arcades and playing fighting games and DDR. My videogame love exploded when I finally got a PS2 in high school and got caught up in fun titles like Persona, DMC, Silent Hill, MGS, etc.

Another reason I play is escapism. Being jobless and unsocial gets me really depressed so videogames are one of my sources of happy, though I'm not one of those creepers who can't distinguish reality from fantasy js.
And lastly, most games are really entertaining! They've made me emote more than books and movies combined, lol.

I had a miserable childhood, and even worse teenage years. Games helped, an unspeakable amount. I came out the other end a near-fully functioning (if highly medicated) adult pursuing a degree in games research. Not bad eh.

I've been playing since I was 4. My dad was (and still is) a huge gamer and got my brother, sister, and myself into gaming. We always used to play together and against one another (back in the NES days when we all tried to get the highest score or be the first to beat a game). So many consoles and fun times.

We still play games together and all of us can't wait to 4-player co-op through Borderlands 2.

For entertainment, mainly because I seldom need anyone else to enjoy a game.

Well, truth be told, I hate myself so it's fun to play as somebody else for awhile. I get the most out of horror games but am also a fan of Skyrim and The Sims 3.

Chose options 1, 2, 3, and 6.

But mainly I play them because they're fun and enjoyable. I've been involved with video games since I was very young (though I never actively started playing them until I was about 8 or 9) often watching family members play DOS games (Doom was a favorite). If you want a more in-depth answer than that, I probably couldn't give you one; I just like 'em.

I do it because its entertaining and its something my husband and I can do together (for the most part- I still refuse to play MW3 with him, that spawncamping jerkface.)

Oh, and definitly improving hand-eye coordination. Z-Day is coming, yo.

They're interactive, the story -- mass effect, metal gear solid, etc -- are damn good, fun, and timesinks for people with no life like me.

To escape reality.
I have a lot of work and pressures coming from every which way, so when I can it's nice to save Hyrule and to stop GLaDOS.

For entertainment.
I love a good story with games, and I don't see why some people see them as pointless and boring.

To improve my hand-eye coordination in preparation for when the zombies attack.
Duh. ;)

I started playing with my brothers when I was little. I played A Link to the Past, I didn't really get into it until Pokemon though, I've always loved gaming though on my own I don't do much. Now a days I play for fun and because it gives me and my Husband something to do together.

All in All I do it for the Fun and because its fun to set people on Fire with my Voice ^_^ I love Skyrim

It started with my dad. He used to play Doom on the PC, and would let me hit the shoot button. We also had a SNES, where I was afraid for years to play Zelda because I didn't want to die (lol.)

It was an escape from reality in high school, I played World of Warcraft for a while back then, my raiding guild became more important than most of my social relationships at school.

College doesn't really let me play many games though, so when I do play stuff its usually with an artistic eye to help me with ideas for my own games, and not an "entertain me" perspective.

the voices tell me to.

Trufax.

Ive Been Playing Video Games Since I Was 3 (( Ahh The Nintendo 64 )) Thanks To My Uncles(:

Video Games Are Like An Addiction To Me :D

i only play casual games like animal crossing and pokemon lol

I play games as a cheap way to have fun with my friends. So it's entertainment, I guess, although don't play by myself.

I play because my older brother got me into them. Plus, damn, they're so much fun! I also like it because when I play sports, there's usually no teamwork and makes me feel pressured if I fail, but in videogames like Left 4 dead 2 you can find a game with much better teamwork in just a few minutes :D.