I've been a gamer as early as I can remember. Whenever a game was being played, I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to figure it out, learn its strategy and find a way to win.
For me, gaming goes beyond electronic gaming. Board games, card games, word games and sports are all included within my sphere of gaming.
Eventually, during periods of coming-of-age introspective existentiality, I asked myself why. Why do I like games so much?
1 - They are interactive. Every type of game involves some sort of interpersonal interaction. While this is obvious with sports and multiplayer games, the same is true even with a single player experience. Someone created the game. The game creators' ideas are what's being competed against. Although it's not quite the typically direct personal experience of a multiplayer game, I'm sure if a serious gamer was ever to rub elbows with a game developer and strike up a conversation, the opinions and insight that are shared would be more passionate than average.
2 - They present problem solving situations. Every game, whether it be chess, Resident Evil, football, or Go Fish, has some sort of logicality to it that must be mastered in order to succeed. They test your problem solving capabilities on some level, depending on difficulty. Personally, I prefer a higher than average level of difficulty in the games I play. Usually, simpler games rely more on random luck to gain an advantage than actual ability, rendering a player's intelligence a moot point.
3 - They are stimulating. Narrowly escaping the clutches of a zombie horde, nailing the final kill in an online death match, kicking a last second field goal, or beating a boss with few remaining hit points usually provokes a reaction of relief, joy, celebration, or even fear. Moments like this are what I appreciate most about gaming.
