gaming Video games and why you like them: A poll.

[Krall 263]

I posted this poll on another forum I frequent, and I want to see how our results compare with theirs.

 

Please read this post before voting, or it's likely you will not understand the categories.

 

Okay, so, this poll is essentially about video game genres. Conventional video game genres are pretty useless as categories - think about it; Portal, Fallout 3, and Call of Duty: Black Ops are all FPSs, but they're different types of game that we play for fundamentally different reasons - so I'm here to tell you about the generally accepted 8 core game aesthetics.

 

A core game aesthetic is a fundamental reason we play a game. Games usually deliver on two to four of these, but they can deliver on a lot more. Most games contain elements of all the 8 aesthetics, but are only played for two or three (for example, Mario games have storylines, but I don't think anyone plays them for the narrative).

 

These 8 core game aesthetics are:

 

 

1. Sensation

This one is easy to define - it's any game that gives you pleasurable sensual stimuli (or "sense pleasure"). It's a game you play because it looks great, or because the music is amazing. Games that fall clearly into this category tend to be music-focused rhythm games - things like Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution - but there are other games that we play because of the great sensations we get from playing them - Cave Story has great music, as do most Mario games, so they deliver on the aesthetic of sense pleasure.

2. Fantasy

Games that you play for fantasy are those that you play because they let you take on a role that you couldn't or wouldn't do in real life. It's playing Call of Duty because you want to be a badass US Marine, or Star Wars: The Old Republic because you want to be a Sith and shoot lightning from your hands.

3. Narrative

Narrative is games as drama. These are the games you play for the story and the characters. Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, and The Sims are all great because of their strong, dramatic narratives.

4. Challenge

Challenge is when you play a game specifically to overcome the arbitrary obstacles it places in your path. This is not the same thing as difficulty - difficulty can deliver challenge, but there are games which are centred around challenge, but that you can never actually lose. Most games (try to) deliver on the challenge aesthetic, but the most obvious examples are puzzle games - like Portal. Essentially, challenge games make you feel great for beating them.

5. Fellowship

This is when you play games in order to work together with or alongside other players. Any sort of team-based or co-op multiplayer game delivers on this - Team Fortress 2, World of Warcraft, or Journey.

6. Discovery

This is when you play games to, well, discover new things. It could be discovering how to make a pickaxe in Minecraft, to uncovering more of the map in Skyrim. Games that delivery on discovery give you plenty of opportunities to explore what they have to offer, without telling you up front exactly how stuff works/where everything is.

7. Expression

This is when you play a game in order to express yourself. Stuff like building things in creative mode in Minecraft, or designing your character in City of Heroes (RIP). Expressive games let you make choices in order to create something that's entirely your own; even the class and race systems in World of Warcraft count, as they're letting you make choices in order to create your own character.

8. Abnegation

Abnegation is games as a past-time. When a game lets you just tune out and do whatever without thinking too deeply or putting any great obstacles in your path, this is abnegation. Grinding for levels in Pokemon or World of Warcraft is abnegation, as are most Facebook games like Farmville.

 

 

So, those are the aesthetics - which ones do you most like to play games for? I know you can't choose just one (most games deliver on more than one aesthetic, after all) so I've made this multiple choice poll.

Oh, and if there's some reason you play video games that doesn't seem to fit into the above categories please feel free to mention it in the comments. 

[NewCalamity 3,454]

First and foremost, I am extremely fond of "Fellowship".  To me, there is nothing more important these days than interacting with your friends and teaming up to face evil! (or buggering around crashing cars into one another, either way)

Comradeship and simply having a blast while also using coordinated teamwork is a huge selling point for when it comes to games. 

 

Often there are times in which I solely think of the fun I can have with friends when looking into a game.  For example, the deciding factor in my purchasing of Guild Wars 2 was peer pressure from a select couple of members.  I can blame them without hesitation.  Tactical and coordinated teamwork is a huge excitement for me and has made me drag a few friends in to play such games with me. 

 

You know who you are.

 

"Expression" would have to be my second choice.  Individuality and expression of personal character is a very important aspect for a game of mine to possess.  I find it important to stand out from the rest of the crowd and be recognized as a sort of person who likes to specialize in a particular role, or weapon, depending on the video game.  A good example is my affiliation with German long-range tanks in 'World of Tanks', and for shooters, I've' a preference for medium-long range weapons that are fairly standard.  (ie. if you give me a sniper rifle, I'll keep missing, and if you give me a shotgun, I'll be caught out in the open)

 

I seem to have a bit of a thing for profiles and statistics in which show off "favourite X" or "most used Y".

 

Finally, I have a soft spot for a bit of "Discovery".  I tend to gravitate towards free-roaming games more and more these days, as it seems they've been improving over the years.  The joy of finding something new, whether it be a secret area, glitch, or simply an aesthetically pleasing area.  I'm a fairly relaxed person when it comes to video games, so the lack of a linear, pushy goal is a breath of fresh air to me.  Free roaming discoveries allow me to waste as much time as I could possibly ever need to!

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

Why did I pick challenge, you ask? Because popping bloons (no, its not misspelled) with dart/tack/gun/boomerang/cannon/magic-wielding monkeys.

 

You have a problem with that? OK, then. You obviously haven't played Bloons Tower Defense 5

[Bronium 512]

Whilst I voted for Fantasy, Discovery and Expression, I feel that I primarily play games for discovery and expression. I actually find that when I play most MMORPGs, I have way too much fun making characters. I mean, I made characters for D&D in my spare time, and I know that I probably won't even use them.

 

And discovery is always nice. To find cool features and neat tricks is great. Kind of sucks these days though. Everything being so laid out for you. I mean, even in the platforming sections of AC:R, you just had to move your LS forward. They pointed everything toward you. And even the "hidden" treasure is at the end, waiting to be picked up. When I was playing those sections, I just wanted more control so when I see something cool, it feels a lot more cooler, because it was hard to find and hard to reach.

[Roachling23 18]

Discovery, because I like to explore, find new stuff, backtrack, and get upgrades and expansions, and maybe beat up a new boss. I am having fun with Metroid Prime 2, already got Light Beam and Dark Beam, and now trying to get back all the powerups that are stolen by the Ings.

 

I still do play Ghost Recon Online, but I just love to discover new weapons to use against foes, just like in other MMOFPS games like Combat Arms. (Not playing that at all since it is filled with hackers.)

[Retro*Derpy 3,186]

I voted Fantasy, Fellowship, and Challenge. Fantasy, I really like because you can interact with a make believe world, and do all sorts of crazy things, and with fellowship, you can do those crazy things together. One thing I really look for in a game though, is a CHALLENGE. If the game is too easy, I won't like it. The game needs a good balance of fun and hard, for me at least.

[SrFrog 927]

I gotta say challenge, and that's basically due to me wanting to perfect the playstyle of the game. It doesn't matter if it's a shooter,fighting or rpg, to me it's all about learning the workings of the game. Even if it's a solo game, I'll always aim for that.

[Just some guy 1,070]

For single-player games,I usually look for narrative and challenge.I always enjoy a good story,and I will replay a game over and over for just the story alone (especially KoTOR 2.Oh God,I just love that game to bits. ),but I always love to have a challenge present itself.Sadly,I have yet to play a game that combines both well,so my collection ended up being a mix of heavy story-based games and heavy challenge games.

 

For MMOs,I just look for fellowship.I could care less about the game itself,I just want to have a good time with others in the game unless it's a competitive game like LoL.

[angels_gal 204]

challenges.    All my games except the pokemon games are challenge games and my two favorites are the professor layton series and the phoenix wright series.  both have fantastic story lines and witty writing which makes them a joy to play.

[Evilshy 5,090]

Fantasy and narrative. I often play games because they either have a great story, or you get to play as something awesome, in an awesome setting, or a combination of those. I'll play games with subpar gameplay or that are almost boringly easy because they have a good story or setting.

I play more RPGs than any other type of game, because they generally supply both a good fantasy and narrative.

 

I play shooters for the above reasons, but also for the challenge. Not just FPSs, shmups, too. In fact, I play shmups almost exclusively for the challenge, while FPSs are usually more fantasy/narrative and challenge.

 

Also, a little sensation. I like things that look or sound really cool. Audiosurf is a great example of something covers both

Edited December 6, 2012 by Evilshy

[miygaiya 138]

So I've played The Elder Scrolls III-V, and I must say that these are my favourite games to play in the whole of videogamedom.

 

Fantasy: They're all fantastic (in both the fantasy way and quality way), and they have such rich lore, and such a deep character/world development and possibility that you can actually play them for hundreds, if not thousands of hours, just for this reason.

 

Narrative: The main quests of the Elder Scroll games are all very well written (barring the Arena quest lines), and all have a sense of deepness and branching out that you don't get in most games.

 

Challenge: Morrowind and Oblivion both were challenging just because the games really forced you to choose your class and stick with it, unyielding when you try to be a thief when you're a battlemage. Skyrim is easier because of the openness of the class and skill system, but for devoted fans of the RPG genre, you can put the limits onto yourself (i.e. avoiding confrontation, high or low moral standards, etc), making every character have endless possibilities.

 

Discovery: Nothing is more appealing and rewarding to me than going out and discovering in TES games. III, IV, and V all have very huge maps, with dozens upon dozens of caves, towns, settlements, landmarks and ruins that you can stumble upon just by walking to your next main objective. I was walking to the College of Winterhold to do the mage quest line, and instead of being a half hour walk, it took nearly seven hours of walking and exploring just to get to Winterhold, which I spread across three days IRL.

 

I know that the thread is supposed to be about video games in general, but TES is such a good example of these four main aesthetics that I thought it would be a little nice to throw it in :3

[Batbrony 16,055]

Without going into too much detail (but in a definite order from 1-5, 1 being most important), I'd probably say that the most important reasons that I play video games are:

 

1) Narrative

2) Challenge

3) Fantasy

4) Discovery

5) Sensation

 

My favorite games are those that present a great narrative, are challenging, and immerse me in a unique and very interesting world to explore; examples of my favorite series that have especially achieved this for me would be Halo, Mass Effect, Fallout, and Gears of War.

Edited December 6, 2012 by Batbrony

[Night Shine 767]

Ooh, intriguing topic. I like how you expanded the categories; I could not have thought it through that far or that accurately.

 

I'd say that it depends when for me. I used to be super-into the EarthBound/MOTHER series, which is for sure Narrative--i swear that series has the best bucking characters and story ever...

For a while I was into Minecraft, which was Expression because I love to create, before it pushed me into a horrible depression which I needed MLP to recover from. >.<

Now I occassionally play TF2, which is Fellowship as I play to play with the people.

 

Of all of these, I most preferred Narrative, because of the feels from the end of Mother 3 really can't compare with anything I've ever felt.

 

...Strike that, My Little Dashie and Past Sins could compare...

[Sky Warden 2,243]

The most important for me is the "Fellowship". Game isn't interesting unless you can talk about it with your friends and play it with them. Fantasy and Narrative is important as well. My favorite genre is MMORPG. You can start the game at the same time with your friends, help each other to be stronger, and see each others development.

The pity is that most MMORPG is lack of challenge. The only system I want for an MMORPG is a permanent death. I mean, your character is deleted when (s)he die, so you really have something to fight for.

My dream game is an MMORPG about a massive war where you rely on your fighting skill to survive (not level or attribute system, but more like training system where you get stronger when you hit or fight more. If you know Rising Force online you will understand), with permanent death system.

Edited December 6, 2012 by Sky Warden

[gypsy_tambourine 18]

I've gone for sensation, fantasy, narrative, and abnegation. It seems most games I play fit into these:

 

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (fantasy and narrative)

The 3rd Birthday (fantasy and narrative)

Silent Hill (sensation and narrative)

Hot Shots Golf 4 (abnegation)

 

Just to give an idea of the games I've been playing lately and hoe they fall in the categories I'd chosen.

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

I shall reward this excellent idea with a detailed response, listing the aesthetics from most to least important.

 

Fantasy: Easily my first choice. I play video games to escape the real world and jump into a better one. Immersive, dramatic RPGs and cathartic old-school FPS and fighting games are my major preferences, because they allow me to get away from whatever is troubling me.

Sensation: It doesn't matter how good a game is. If it doesn't make me feel, if it doesn't hit my sweet spot, I won't have much fun playing it. I have a rather narrow list of favorites I stick to because only they offer me those intangibles: Radiata Stories, Final Fantasy IX, Soul Calibur II, WCW Backstage Assault and several others all have sentimental importance.

Abnegation: Tuning out and just passing the time = another big reason I play. Running around 25 levels of ruins in Evolution: The World of Sacred Device bored a lot of Dreamcast gamers back in the day, but for me it is bliss.

Expression: I like it when I can customize a gaming experience to my whims and preferences. In Radiata Stories I can pick my own favorite party from 177 potential recruits. In Final Fantasy X I can put everything I have into developing Rikku (cause I love Rikku) and make her the most skilled character in the game. Granted, this is stuff I'm mainly expressing to myself, but it's still great fun.

Narrative: As an avid writer and reader, I love a good story. It's not essential, but it can keep me emotionally invested in a game. Xenosaga Episode I's many long cutscenes frustrated some gamers who felt like they were "playing a movie." But I loved them. ^^

Discovery: It's always fun to run around and find new areas and skills, isn't it? But at the same time I like a game to be somewhat linear, because I hate getting lost and not knowing what I should do next.

Challenge: Not too important to me. I am easily frustrated by difficult games and have to quit so I can blow off steam. Gaming is a fantasy for me, I want it to go the way I want, not boggle my mind with puzzles or kick my ass.

Fellowship: The least important of the eight factors. It can be fun to play with (or against) someone else, but gaming is very much something I do for myself, by myself. For this reason I am totally disinterested in MMORPGs, Xbox Live and stuff like that, and stick to the single-player experience.

Edited December 6, 2012 by TailsAlone

[Commander Urdnot 2,680]

Sensation: The game's gotta give me a good feeling when I play it to keep me interested.

 

Fantasy: The most important aspect imo. I like games that immerse you in a role and make you FEEL like you're that video game character game character.

 

Narrative: A good story is a must. I don't just play games for the gameplay; I also play them for the story.

 

Discovery: I love games that make it so every single playthrough is different, and have lots of stuff for you to discover.

 

Expression: I like it where games allow you to make choices that impact the ending of the game. It helps immerse the player.

[Fire_Fly 499]

Fellowship and expression are a close second and third, but what I really love about video games is the fact that it's manipulated entertainment. Video games have genres, classes and themes like books, art and movies. What makes them bold is the fact that they give control to the player, but still manage to provoke interest and emotion. We may be in control, but it doesn't stop games from causing us to react in ways we might if we were watching a movie, reading a book, or looking at artwork. 

[Radiance64 7,053]

I'd say I play games for all of those reasons, mostly for fantasy and least for fellowship. A game that can get me immersed in a good fantasy can hold my attention for a while, and a good narrative is always welcome but not required(because honestly, most games just don't quite excel in that department). Discovery is always fun in more open games, and can sometimes be a welcome treat in more linear games as well. Challenge really depends on the game, as long as it isn't too frustrating and somewhat rewarding I'm okay with it, and welcome it in certain types of games. Expression is also welcome in certain types of games, as long as the game is more focused on the player rather than a character, because some types of games work better going one direction or the other. Sensation is something in every game really, different games give different sensations. Abnegation is also pretty much the purpose of every game so I don't really think about it. And while I like some co-op games, fellowship isn't something I usually look for in a game, but it can be welcome at times.

[Brave Hooves 113]

Fantasy and discovery. I think that Zelda does this very well but most of the Metroid series does this perfectly. You're all alone on a planet that was once inhabited by intelligent species but now all that remains is their ruins and space pirates. Discovery of new paths and secret powerups is always satisfying and no other game does it like metroid, I think it's the sense of isolation that amplifies it.

[Fridge 382]

Seems like someones a fan of Extra Credits

 

I would add that there is another catagory to add that I often find I play games for; emotional investment. There are many games I've played and enjoyed not because they were 'fun' but because they were harrowing or tense. Spec Ops - The Line was one such game.

 

But of the ones mentioned I play for Discovery, Narrative and Challenge.

 

To me a game needs a strong narrative, if you've not got a plot for me to follow that actually hooks me then I abandon it, Halo was one such game series I felt lacked a plot of worth, Gears of war too. One of the best games for narrative I've played in recent years was a little gem called Nier, another is the Walking Dead game series.

 

Challenge is another one I love in a game, as much as I love a strong narrative I need it to actually challenge me, mentally and in skill. The reason I love stealth games like Thief and Dishonored so much, you have to plan your actions ahead of time. Think about the situation your in and adapt accordingly.

 

As for discovery, thats a minor thing to me but one I do love to do. I love it when a game company does enviromental storytelling (Bethesda is by far the best for this so far). Leaving hints around the world for me to discover and work out what happened, Fallout 3 and New Vegas were great for this,

[Kamarat 103]

Sensation and Fantasy always makes things more interesting and enjoyable so most of the fun comes with this.
Fellowship and Discovery These are also good reasons to play a game and make it enjoyable if it is nicely done. Not all multiplayers are fun or discoverings are interestings but there are really some that they are. Some games are really fun when you are playing with your friends or some people and feeling that you are a team is awesome and discovering new and interesting things or ways to achieve something makes game more playable or gives it an awesome replay ability. Also co-operations are also pretty fun
Narrative Well a game is complete with it's characters and stories and that kind of stuff but my majority is about gameplay and stuff like that. It is also pretty important but it is not the first one to come in my list.
CHALLENGE This is one of the best things to have in a game or play for it. Sometimes it is bothering but usually I love it! I even play the games I never played before in hardest difficulty and try to make it realistic and in the same time more hard. That feeling you feel when achieve, it is the feeling of extreme success knowing that you were almost perfect (or maybe even perfect ) and planned every little detail and thing and succeeded it. It is just Epic!

So as I think, one of the most fitting game is for me the Hitman. Sensation and fantasy and lots of discovery and way to act and of course challenging! The feeling of a successful contract and leaving like a shadow = epic

Edited December 6, 2012 by F.Tarik Comrade

[Envy 6,169]

For me I definitely play games for Sensation, Expression, and Abnegation.

 

Sensation, I won't even try to deny it: I do get more out of games that are aesthetically pleasing. I like games to be beautiful graphically (although the ultra-realistic games often turn me off, probably because the vast majority of them are violent, and I don't like violence in my games.). So I don't necessarily mean super-realistic graphics. It's really something that adds on to the game, and if the graphics aren't super impressive to me, it doesn't matter too much. Although most games are enough to me, because it's ntot always about being super realistic. For example some of the locations in Skyward Sword looked amazing to me (like the desert). Music is also very important for me. A great soundtrack helps to make a game memorable.

 

Expression, lets just say I enjoy a game that will "challenge" me more to be creative. I like games like The Sims and Animal Crossing where they give me a lot of opportunities to design and build. The truth is that oftentimes I have more fun in The Sims designing Sims, landscaping, and building then I do actually playing through families themselves. Although I do play families as well.

 

Abnegation, definitely fits me. I play games to relax, not to be challenged. If I get frustrated with a game I put it down. I don't play games to be frustrated. That's why I enjoy games like Animal Crossing and The Sims more as well. However, games like Zelda and Pokemon provide just the right amount of challenge for me to feel satisfied beating them, but not being so overtly hard (Pokemon can be frustrating, though.).

 

Discovery could be a fourth for me. Although minor compared to the rest. While I don't like challenge, I do like knowing that there is challenge out there that I can pursue, if I wish to. The key is that it is by choice, and not forced.

Edited December 7, 2012 by Envy

[Jon the VGNerd 885]

Let's see...

 

1. Sensation

 

To me, it builds up adrenaline whenever I use them for some games with custom soundtrack support, such as Gran Turismo 5, Killzone 2, or even ModNation Racers, so it'll keep me confident on racing whilst listening to my own songs. Although there are most games I own do have good music, I pretty much prefer the custom soundtrack feature

 

2. Fantasy

 

Fantasy is where it gets to me greatly, like whether I'm in a role of a rookie driver seeking to become legend, or even a wastelander from Fallout: New Vegas to venture through unfamiliar places and do my best to defend myself from deadly creatures or insane enemies that would try and kill me for no reason.

 

3. Narrative

 

Although I'm not too big on narrative stuff, I do read biographies about cars from Gran Turismo 5, or listen to the logs from Fallout 3 or New Vegas, but the narrative in inFAMOUS is pretty interesting whenever Cole narrates something throughout the story, in my honest opinion.

 

4. Challenge

 

While I may like challenges, be it easy or tedious, I'm not one for impossible challenges, especially the trophy from Wipeout HD. That's something that is not worth both the acheivement and the challenge in any way.

 

5. Fellowship

 

Fellowship is one of the biggest factors for me, be it the co-op shooting games like Capture the Flag, Team Deathmatch, or even defending the base, which is from Team Fortress 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, or a co-op based game like Bulletstorm.

 

6. Discovery

 

I always let curiousity get the best of me when it comes to finding hidden items to collect or finding easter eggs in different video games, even finding new places that can give you a chance to earn new and better items you would find to benefit your chances of winning.

 

7. Expression

 

The only expression I would have are the Emblem Creators, which you would find in Black Ops and Black Ops II, as well as vehicle customization you would find on the NFS series that features customization. And in Call of Duty 4 franchises, you can customize your guns, like attachments, camo, etc etc.

[Celtore 2,770]

Sensation

 

While I really don't care about the environment that much graphically, I really love a great soundtrack. Phoenix Wright is a fantastic example of that as the graphics aren't really that good, but the music is incredible. Who would think a game where you play as a lawyer would be so thrilling, the music dramatically increasing in pace as you slowly corner the murderer. VVVVVV is also one of my favourite games because of just how incredible the music is. Souleye really outdid himself with that.

 

 

Challenge

 

Coming from a guy who beat qwop, Kaizo Mario World (1+2) and I Wanna Be The Boshy, BRING IT ON! I love a good challenge once in a while and the touhou series certainly is showing difficulty. I want to beat hard mode on Touhou 6 with no continues. I've beaten it but sadly I had to use one continue so no EX mode for me yet. Also, once you beat a really hard challenge, it feels awesome.

 

Fellowship

 

Whether we face each other in the heat of battle or we fight side by side, I love enjoying the gaming experience with my friends. Isn't this what gaming is all about, sharing expiences? I used to play metroid prime hunters a lot with my friends and we enjoyed exploiting the heck out of it. We shared many laughs as we broke the game beyond belief, glitching outside the stage, becoming invisible or blasting ourselves through walls.