What draws the average person to enjoy video games? Is it the violence? The game itself? Taking your mind off from the real world? What draws people to video games…? And what keeps people coming back to the world of gaming?


There are loads of different genres of gaming, it all starts with the concept of gaming…and branches out to what gaming is today. Titles like Pac Man, Legend of Zelda, Mario, Tetris and more have forged the way for gaming. Gaming itself has expanded to various consoles, extending to the next gen consoles of today.


Platforms of gaming are the basis to playing a game, without an Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo DS or any of those types of gaming platforms, digital gaming in the sense wouldn’t be kick starting. Let’s not forget that there’s board games, card games and other types of games but here I’m talking about gaming on platforms of technology such as gaming consoles, handheld gaming and computers.


This Christmas I asked for a different type of console, the new Nintendo 3DS XL in metallic blue. Why you ask? Previously to this request for a Christmas present I was more of a console gamer, both a PlayStation user before the old ps3 was sold, and a little bit of an Xbox one user. But, I have a problem with next gen gaming and the whole deal of downloading onto the hard drive of said console.


I used to love playing the Halo titles on the old Xbox 360 but for a long time I’ve steered towards pc gaming. That being said, I’m not the “pc master race” type. It is strictly each to their own, provided you don’t push your opinion. Now I consider myself a purveyor of playing the Nintendo 64, Super Nintendo (and its later gen) on the odd occasion. Mobile gaming is also something I like to partake in playing Monster Galaxy and Farmville 2 Country Harvest.


I got into the world of gaming not from a young age as many others would, but during middle of my high school years. And even now, since the lush year of 2008 I still play good ole minecraft. Owning a steam account has given me opportunity to enjoy a myriad of other games that the world of gaming can offer.


I currently own 78 games on my steam library, ranging from war- style (Sniper Elite 1- 3), RPG maker games (Close Your Eyes) to AAA titles such as Life is Strange. I also enjoy indie games such as Steamworld Dig and Terraria. But this is only an example of how I’ve branched into the world of gaming.


I’ve already purchased both Viva Piñata Pocket Paradise and Legend of Spyro the Eternal Darkness preowned on the DS handheld. Pokémon initially grabbed my interest in wanting to get the new 3DS XL but the idea of getting into a new style of gaming platform now interests me more so than ever.


Gaming in the last 50-100 years has expanded to a crazy variety and sub- genre of titles and has inspired artists like TryHardNinja and Groundbreaking to create songs based from videos games such as the Batman Arkham Knight, Infamous 2, and more. Gaming in my experience, isn’t just for the sake of wasting time (for one example) but it can also provide an educative side through multiplication games, addition and subtraction, there are numerous websites that have flash games, some of these websites are a platform for educational games designed for the benefit of educating the player in the subject.