What Attracts a Kid to Videogames?

Kids are, whether they like to admit it or not, attracted to the next, big, shiny thing. But the qualities about the shiny thing that attract them, especially when that shiny thing is a fifty or sixty dollar videogame, depends on a whole host of different traits of the child in question, and how they view a game.

The most obvious difference would be gender, and while it’s an over stated assumption that boys tend to play game more than girls, it’s for the most part, true (at least in regards to the home console and computer game market that I’m implying) . But why is that? Well, a study of teenagers recently found that males and females tend to associate different, and often polar opposite feelings when playing a video game. Guys tend to feel more ‘positive’ emotions, such as a sense of accomplishment, and a sense of pleasure, and focus on the rewarding side of a game. On the other hand, girls lean more towards the negative side of the emotional spectrum, focusing instead on the frustrating and stressful aspects of a game. (SOURCE 1).

Obviously, this isn’t necessarily an all-encompassing law; in my personal experience, I know of several girls who love videogames, and guys who can’t stand them for the same reasons as their respective counterparts listed above. But, I feel that this can give a bit of insight about why the gender gap in gameplay can be so large sometimes. However, that’s another argument for another time.

Before the question of gender even comes into play though, it’s all about what the particular child views a game as. In my opinion, this falls under three different categories, each a legitimate view on interactive games. First, games can be a form of entertainment and leisure, and for most of us, this is why they draw us in. In the same way that a good movie can leave us with memories and an evening well spent, videogames can give us something to do with our spare time.

Second, I feel for a good portion of gamers, videogames are a source of competition. Versus games can feed that inherent spirit in almost all of us to prove that we’re good at something; that we can best our fellow man or woman at some form of competitive play.

And finally, games can be seen as some sort of escape from reality; a retreat from a life that may be going through a rough or tedious patch. A good videogame can tell a captivating story, or create an immersive universe in which to lose oneself for an hour or two. And who amongst us can say that they’ve never had a day when all they wanted was a little downtime from the pressures and stresses of everyday life?

So ultimately, it could be any one of the above reasons that attracts an adolescent into playing a videogame. They could play for a good feelings of accomplishment, the need for entertainment, the draw of competition, or simply the desire to get away from it all for awhile. But, just like everything else in life, each player will look for something slightly different in a game; it all depends on the kid’s individual taste.

SOURCE 1; http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/research_documents/studies/video_games/vgc_summary_findings.cfm