Obviously you love games, you wouldn't be here if you didn't. But...why exactly do our staff love games? It's a thinker by all means, but our staff take a shot.

Why do you love games?

The Ethereal: I guess I'm drawn to them on impulse really....sitting down with a controller in my hands just feels natural, always has done. I got my first gameboy when I was 5, my brother got a Sega Master System when I was 4, and since then we just...kept buying games. It was just a fun way to pass the time when I was younger, but as I've grown up it seems to be more of a general interest rather than a pseudo-hobby. I look out for games now, plot the release dates, track the game, rather than just notice it once it's out and think 'oh, I've been wondering what's happened to that lately...'

So, I guess I love them because I've grown up with them, and don't all kids love stuff they grow up with?

Link: It's all about interactivity and escape. Before video games people had books and movies to escape the reality of their lives. Movies, though, lasted only an hour and two and books, though, longer were too linear for a person to trully believe that they were the hero of the story. Enter games. At first, when games were simple, they were all about having fun. As the technology got better, though, and as developers started to concentrate more on content video games began to be a real escape from life and even created a virtual world. Games like Ultima Online and EverQuest created a world for people to escape to and to be their own hero, their own legend. From masterpieces such as the Zelda series to near-future releases such as Fable, games that give control to players allow them to forget about current troubles and allow them to relax.

Of course escape isn't the only thing that people, inlcuding me, like games. Having fun is a huge part of it as well. Though more deep than the games of yesterday, the fun factor of games is still a critical reason of why people like games.

So, for me, games bring fun, escape, and interactivity that no other media can really capture.

Paul: I have to agree with Link, they are a great escape from reality for a while, and give you freedom, where as films and books are short and predecided.

I also love them because it reminds me life doesn't always have to be serious, mature and 'grown up' all the time. Though there are times where this is appropriate, I'd sooner play Super Mario Sunshine than explain to someone the meaning of life.

Following on, the remind me of when I was a little un', playing on my NES and Mega Drive / Master System, and the original Mario. And some wonderful IR controllers, and the coool arcade stick and...see what I mean?

I think that the majority of folk play games for one of both of these reason :- it's a pleasant activity and reminds you that not everything has to be serious or real. Games are just as fun!

The Ethereal: Paul, games are predecided as well....you can't change the fact that at the end of Mario 64 you have to beat Bowser

Lamsh: I don't really see games as a way of escaping reality. I think I just like to be challenged, wether it is by puzzles (Zelda & Resident Evil), by learning enemy patterns (Ikaruga & Viewtiful Joe) or by having to master controls (Super Monkey Ball & Tony Hawk 4). I really like having to think about things and practise on things, and games are ideal for this. At other times I just want to be amused. Like movies and books, games can make me laugh or be afraid or whatever. Games like Wario World and Luigi's Mansion have nice puzzles but aren't very challenging, but they're a lot of fun to play just because of the style and originality.

It's kinda hard to explain... Maybe I just like to be kept busy :)

Paul: Even so Ethereal, there is much more freedom even if there is a predetermined fate, as everything does. Same with life, we'll all die eventually, so in Mario, we will all eventually fight Bowser. It's the fact you decide what you do before you get there, in both (good) games and life.

Mark: This is one hard question, isn't it?

I suppose firstly I would agree with what some of the other have said, its about escapism- getting away from life in its totality even for a few minutes. And boy, is that good. Of course, taking on the persona of another person, be it human or animal is another reason- while playing games you really can become someone else- what other entertainment medium offers that? None is the answer.

Another reason I play games, partcularly Nintendo-developed games is that they are works of art to be admired; games, when done correctly, are as legitimate an art form as paintings or music. The Wind Waker is testament to that. Admiring the intracacies of each game, the graphics, sound and general experience is something my mind delights in. Sometimes its the plot, sometimes the music that makes you love a game. Other times its the beautifully refined gameplay mechanics. But most of all its seeing the love and toil that has gone into making a great game what it is. Its called, friends, the love of gaming.

Conor: Here's a predictable answer: I'm not quite sure. All I know is that gaming is a passion that burns inside of me. Like comic books, reading and writing I just love it. It's hard to explain.

I guess I love to get away from it all. To load up a game and get away from the dreary hum-drum of life is a gift developers give us. I love escapism in general really - whether it's games, films, books, comic books or even the odd bit of good television. To enter a whole new world, one of fantastic possibilities. I can do things there's no way I could do in real life - race through traffic at 150mph, take down an entire army single-handedly or save the world and get the babe in one go.

Then of course there's fun and challenge. After a hard day slaving away in school or work, there's nothing I need more than a blast on the console. It's just damn good entertainment. And if I'm up for a challenge, games provide that for me too. Nothing can match the satisfaction of finally nailing that boss you've been blasting for months.

I just love gaming, full stop. I always have and always will, until crippling arthritis forces me to stop playing. And even then I'll just watch.