Maybe Now You'll Understand Why We're Gamers

This commercial is probably one of the best commercials for a gaming console I've ever seen (even though I'm an Xbox kinda guy). The depiction of the characters as real explains why all of us that intensely play video games become consumed by the ideas of achievements, trophies, and personal gratification. Video games take the elements of film (a great script/plot, acting, cinematography) and completely immerse the consumer in a world that is nearly fully interactive. I wouldn't necessarily call it "escapism" because I, personally, don't want to ESCAPE the real world, I just want to interact with elements and characters that I would never get to interact with on a daily basis. Video games allow the user(s) to reach a common goal and feel good about it at the end because you have a whole squad or guild relying on what you can bring to the table in order to achieve that given goal.

Whenever you create a character on games such as Skyrim or World of Warcraft, you're not just giving those characters traits and clothing that defines the character, they're an extension of the creator. There are times when gaming does consume us, but responsible gamers know when to flip the proverbial switch and not play. Granted, we've all had those nights where we lose track of time and find ourselves getting three hours of sleep before class the next day, but we know that video games aren't "real life". I just thought that this video was not only well done, it gives a commentary on how we as gamers feel about the characters we play as in video games. They're extensions of us. For a brief moment in time we're in another world with a different set of rules, while still being grounded in reality. We use moral judgement to make a tough call in games like Fable. We work hard to save our whole squad because there is no man left behind. I may be 23 years old, but when I buy a new video game, there is a feeling of excitement when I peel off that plastic and know that I'm about to become immersed in a whole new, never-before-seen world for a few hours in the night.