Escapism Vs. Addicting

Video games....why do we play them? I mean whether you're a gamer or not there's usually one game a person enjoys playing. For some people it's just a mere escape from reality. Some temporary relief from the real world that brings satisfaction. However, for others, it's strictly an addiction. They've become so wrapped up in a game that for them reality doesn't exist, only their virtual world. Now depending on the game it's very easy to cross that escapism line and become an addict. Here are some examples of what I think are escapism games:

1. Solitaire- It's a simple game that doesn't take the place of reality. It's a game a person strictly plays as a way to  have fun and ease the mind of real world stresses.

                                            

2. Mario Kart- Doesn't have a direct story line so it's harder to become addicted. This game is usually played briefly and is easier to step away from. In Mario Kart for either Nintendo 64 or the Wii i short played with four rounds. 

                                          

Games that I feel are ADDICTIVE:

1. My favorite game of course, The Sims 1, 2 or 3. The Sims triology is definitely an addictive game because it has no end. You can constantly create and delete and create families and goals in this game. It's hard not to get wrapped up into this game as if it was your own life. 

                                         

2. World of War Craft-Now although I've never played this game personally I have yet to meet anyone who has played this game and not become addictive. From what I've heard about it it's like a fantasy world. 

                                      

3. Super Mario- This game is addicting. I use to play this game when I was younger and I'd isolate myself for days on end to constantly make it to the next level. The story line of Mario in search of Princess Peach drags you into a world of adventure, suspense, and challenges. Because this game takes a long time to beat it's so easy to get sucked into it and forget reality. 

                                       

So my point that I'm trying to make is that video games can sometimes take the place of reality in a good or bad way. It's o.k. to take a brief break fro reality but it can be damaging if a game takes the place of reality full time. 

The Sims Trilogy

So anyone who knows me knows that I'm obsessed with The Sims games. I've been playing them since I was younger and every time I play I get a new type of high. 







The Sims: This was the very first Sims game that came out in 2000. I remember I had heard about it through friends from school. Everyone seemed to have it! I would love playing with it at my best friends house. I loved making the families and getting them to get married and also the children with school. I loved everything about it. I would stay up late at night on my computer playing this game getting lost in the stories I created. At the time I didn't think they could get any better especially with the awesome expansion packets they had. It was a dream!

The Sims 2: Now I'm not sure what made me stop playing the first Sims but I stopped playing for years! It wasn't until last year that I kept seeing The Sims games everywhere. Everytime I  would see a commercial for a Sim game I'd want it. So as a gift I received the Sims 2. Now after not playing the Sims games for a while I was a little rusty. But after a few hours of non stop playing, reading, and figuring out, I go the hang of it. After that I became OBSESSED!! Literally this game took over my life day and night. I'd go to sleep playing it and get up in the morning and play it. I'd wait until the very last possible second to do homework because they game consumed my life. For me though it wasn't just a game, it was a whole new world. In the Sims 2 there were so many new features like clothes, houses, people, story lines. The details were indescribable. Everything was enhanced to a higher degree then in the first one. 








The Sims 3: It wasn't much longer before I was given Sims 3 and just exploded with joy! It's the game that I currently have and am in love with. Currently I'm not so addicted but when I first got it, again I isolated myself to play this game for hours on end. The features in this game were mind blowing! It's hard to think that the first Sims ever existed. In Sims 3 you can create your Sim in such details from body types, skin tones, more hair styles, clothes, colors, age. They have more personality traits, aspirations, dreams. They have cars and they can age. The stuff that Sims 3 has is unbelievable! Every time I play it I find something new. I can never get bored with it because if I do I just start over with a new family. This is seriously by far my favorite game!!

Old School Gamer

In the 21st century video games have taken such a dramatic turn that it's hard to imagine video games ever existed two dimensional. However, with all the new and exciting games that have been founded and created in the last decade, I still have to say I'm an old school gamer. For me, old school games from the 90's and late 80's just can't be beat. They're classics!! Here are my Top Four:


4. Street Fighter: Who doesn't remember playing this game? It's simply timeless. I remember playing this game with my older brothers. Now I'm not the most competitive person but this game I can't help but get aggressive and just want to kick someone's butt. For me it wasn't too violent or crazy like some games but still got the point across. Still one of my top favorites.


                                                       
3. When I think of this game I cant help but to laugh. The idea of a hedgehog as a main character cracks me up. This game I remember was a fun challenging game. You could play by yourself(which I did alot) or play with others. I remember having to collect the gold rings and trying to learn his spin move. Although it wasn't the most popular of all games at the time, I still label it as a classic that I loved. 


2. Mortal Kombat- For me, Mortal Kombat is a more intense and violent version of Street Fighter. This was one of my favorite games to play when I was younger and even to this day I'll play this game all night sometimes. It just brings out my inner beast. Something about learning new moves and learning new ways  to hurt your opponent that makes the game better everytime I play. I use to be very bad at this game for the longest time. It wasn't until a year ago that I got better after hours of endless practicing, blood shed and screaming at the television. This to me is still one of the best fighting games around. 


1. Super Mario 64- Last but not least is Super Mario. Now this game is definitely by far my favorite game ever to be created. This game has a great story line, challenges, characters, and great imagery. Everything about this game is perfect. I remember when I first got this game as a child and would isolate myself for days on end to play this game just go try and get to the next level. The first time I beat the game it took me a while. After that, I beat the game another 3 times easily learning more tricks and different tactics. This game will always be a classic and will always be remembered!




So those are the games that I grew up with. I love them all in their own way. All these games helped I think, to define certain video games today. These games had huge impact on the game industry today and should always be acknowledged for their greatness!