What is unfortunate about good video games (games that are honorable to play) is that you don't get paid to play them. You have to go work at your day job, and then make time for your video game. You (probably) don't get to spend time with loved ones in the video game. It's a tax on your time.
What do you have to show for it? You gain a type of street-credibility with others who play the game. The fandom of a game maintains a certain literacy with the game's rules and lore. You are not a "normie" when you converse with others who know these facets of the game. For over 99% of video game players, this is the only reward you can acquire by playing the game. Sure, many video games are entertaining or thought-provoking. But no one thinks a session of entertainment is something to brag about. Not in the way they think being courageous during gameplay is something to brag about.
That this is the only reward our society can provide is sad.
I disagree that people play videos games simply to have fun. I believe they play video games to earn the high regard of their peers. I think this honor is implicitly recognized by others who don't spend time playing video games. At least, it can be. I understand that there is a whole sector of society that still holds contempt for young adults who invest a lot of their time into a video game. But, among adults who pride themselves on intelligence, there is a recognition of the pride that video game players can build for themselves.
What I am saying also explains the drama that comes along with exercising your choice of which game to play. Some games are held in higher regard than others. All games are supposed to provide an opportunity for a player to show that they are honorable, but not all games provide this opportunity to equal extent.
The three video games I logged the most hours in were Unreal Tournament, Starcraft I & II, and World of Warcraft.
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