Here is a nice write-up of what needs video games fill: http://nautil.us/blog/how-video-games-satisfy-basic-human-needs http://nautil.us/blog/how-video-games-sa

Here is a nice write-up of what needs video games fill: http://nautil.us/blog/how-video-games-satisfy-basic-human-needs http://nautil.us/blog/how-video-games-satisfy-basic-human-ne... tldr from the article: the chance to “self-organize experiences and behavior and act in accordance with one’s own sense of self”; the ability to “challenge and to experience one’s own effectiveness”; and the opportunity to “experience community and be connected to other individuals and collectives.” > what is missing in contemporary life such that makes computer and video games so appealing? What is missing in life that makes TV, movies, novels, comic books, religion, folklore, or stories by the fire-side so appealing? Story telling is one of the things that make us human, it's not a new phenomenon. Just presented in a different way. For me, video games provide a number of things. I've played thousands of hours of video games during my 29 years on this earth. Gaming is my TV. I don't watch television, I get home, I cook dinner with my girlfriend, smoke some weed, and boot up a video game. It's very easy for me to get into "flow" state when I play a video game because it's what I do and have always done. It's relaxing and enjoyable and challenging. I love the complexity of modern video games. I love making assumptions about those systems and then testing them. I love picking or building a character that represents my values and preferences. I love building and honing little engines to break the rules of the games. I also love to "challenge and experience my own effectiveness." I am a big fighting game fan, and I enjoy practicing at home and then jobbing at the local tournaments.