Why Do I Find Video Games So Addictive?

Why do i find video games so addictive? I never really put much though into this. Usually when people ask me how or why I manage to become to deeply focused into the virtual world of video gaming, I just tell them that “It’s just fun, plain-and-simple.”

After spending some time to myself, I decided to explore my mind for a more in-depth answer to this question. I have come to notice that my favorite genre of video-games are role-playing games (RPG). In these games, I feel like I am living a virtual life, outside of the real world. In more modern games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Saints Row the 3rd, I am able to really let-loose on the customizing, destruction, and god-like capabilities.

Is it that I love being able to escape the confines of the real world to a more fantastical virtual world? That I am able to escape the “bring-me-downs” of life? There are so many laws that apply to the real world that have no meaning in the world of video games. You died? You respawn in 5 seconds or whenever you last saved! You have a lot to do before you are able to get something done? There’s usually a cheat for that. You’ve become bored with your life? you could just put in a different game or you could start a new save file.

I’m aware of what an addiction like this can lead my life to, and I try to fight it. Sometimes I feel like putting down the controller and getting off the couch would be harder for me than quitting cigarettes would be for a 40-year smoking addict. I think that as video games become more and more advanced, the more I see them as a better comfort zone than the world around me. Sadly, like the world around me, I always have to make room for food, sleep, toilet breaks, and working for a living.

…Is there a cheat for that?