I Can't Wait To Play Grand Theft Auto V!!!

[Greenguy]

Rockstar Games released some new screencaps from the upcoming Grant Theft Auto V (aka GTAV) and while I was looking & drooling at them, this one caught my eye:



I have no idea what that weapon he's using is, but I do know this:

I WANT TO USE IT AND I WANT TO USE IT NOW!!!

Are there any other Rockstar fans around besides ?

[Cleo]

I don't get computer games.
You sit at the computer using it but it doesn't make you any money. What is the point?

[Greenguy]

But Cleo!! They have things in the game that might even interest YOU!

[Cleo]

Originally Posted by Greenie

But Cleo!! They have things in the game that might even interest YOU!

Wow, just think of all the health benefits from getting out and getting all that fresh air and exercise.... Oh Wait.

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by Cleo

I don't get computer games.
You sit at the computer using it but it doesn't make you any money. What is the point?

Back in the early to mid 1980's I used to write the damn things for a living (for machines like the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair/Timex machines). I still use that as an excuse when playing games. I.E. I am not wasting time, I am researching the market in case I ever want to get back on that horse - so it is work!

[Fonz]

Greenie, you should check out "Sleeping Dogs" while you're waiting on GTA V
I'm playing it now. It's kind of similar to GTA.

[Greenguy]

Thanks for the recommendation, , but I think I'm gonna pass on that one - it doesn't look anywhere up to snuff with R★

[Simon]

Timex/Sinclair ... my first computer...brings back memories, that does.

I haven't really played any video games since the old text-based Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Hint: Do you need the towel? Only always!

While I've never played any version of GTA, there is one sig I saw at the Zoo that makes me laugh: "The most important thing I learnt was from Grand Theft Auto and that is if you beat the whore after you're done you get most of your money back."

Of course I don't know if that actually works...in the game, I mean.

[javbucks]

Originally Posted by Cleo

I don't get computer games.
You sit at the computer using it but it doesn't make you any money. What is the point?

First of all, one important consideration is that people play games for fundamentally different reasons, depending on their personality, motivations, and current mood.
Marc LeBlanc has written and lectured extensively about game design philosophy, and he categorizes games and game enjoyment under "8 Kinds of Fun":
Sensation - Game as sense-pleasure
Fantasy - Game as make-believe
Narrative - Game as unfolding story
Challenge - Game as obstacle course
Fellowship - Game as social framework
Discovery - Game as uncharted territory
Expression - Game as soap box
Submission - Game as mindless pastime
Any one game can provide multiple different kinds of fun, either simultaneously or alternating with the pacing of the gameplay, but in general games tend to be primarily focused around 2 or 3 of these.
The kinds of games you are talking about are ones where the main motivation behind the gameplay is problem solving, developing new mental models to approach unique challenges, and then mastering those challenges. For me, and I suspect many of us who would consider ourselves more "serious" gamers, that ability to stretch your mind, set goals, and then accomplish them is incredibly rewarding and leaves you feeling smarter, mentally sharper, and just plain satisfied in a job well done.
I like to think of challenge-oriented games as being like a mental testing ground. In real life, when you try and fail, when you compete against others and lose, there are real consequences. We are innately wired to try and avoid those kinds of negative outcomes. This can either result in powerful motivation to succeed, or paralyzing fear of consequences which result in inaction.
In gaming, however, there are no real, tangible consequences for failure, unless you're a pro-gamer or something. Thus, I feel free to fully engage this competitive mental space knowing that I can go all-out, and if that's not good enough, nothing will happen. It's like a testing ground for mental strength and endurance, that I feel carries over into real-world benefits. It helps me better understand my own mind, what drives me to succeed and what holds me back. If I spend a Sunday engaged in intense Starcraft ladder practice, I come back to work the next week feeling more motivated, I have better multitasking, and it's easier to stay cool under stressful circumstances.
Not everyone understands this, or plays games with this kind of mindset however. Hell, even the most competitive of us sometimes just want to play an easy mindless game as a way to disconnect and unwind after a long day, pursuing fun through Fantasy, Sensation, or Submission instead of Challenge.
OP, perhaps it would help if you think about your wife's personality and which of these 8 Kinds of Fun she tends to value in her own leisure activities. That may help you find games that better match up to the kinds of experiences she will really enjoy. Perhaps that means a co-op game that gives the two of you a chance to work together and to interact, or maybe she would enjoy a simple game that is primarily story driven instead of challenge oriented.
TL;DR: People enjoy games, and leisure activities in general, for different reasons and with different underlying motivations. Finding someone's motivations will help you find out what kind of games they'll enjoy.




Source: http://www.reddit.com/r/truegaming/c...fun_at/c8zwkj1