Quote:
Originally Posted by computeruser
Do grown-ups actually play these video games? I always thought it was a kid thing - once you were old enough to drive, go places, make money, chase women, etc., you went and did that sort of stuff instead.
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If we're going to ignore the vast amount of material made for an adult audience, then the same could be said about TV or film, no? Why bother watching Mad Max when you can go out and "drive, go places, make money, chase women, etc."?
Games are simply a creative medium. Some games are for kids, some are for adults. In fact, the medial age of gamers these days is around 31. Further, lot of games address more complex themes and social issues suitable for adults. For instance, Deus Ex: HR deals with issues of transhumanism, the role of technology in society, and social inequality. MGS4 dealt with the military-industrial complex and the proper way to fry eggs. Even "low-brow" games like GTA5 still address things like the ineffectiveness of torture as an information-gathering tool.
Bottom line is you can't write off a $100billion/yr industry as kid stuff.
Edit: more specifically with racing games like NFS, even if they don't deal with complex social commentary, it's still fun for adults to tinker with mods they couldn't afford in real life and drive in ways that would normally get them arrested. It's just fun.