Why We Play

     One motivation for why we play is for social contact. A large amount of the time kids are playing video games, it is with someone else. Whether they are physically together playing or just chatting through a headset, they are communicating and they feel good because they aren't alone. Jane McGonigal also talks about this during her Ted Talk. She talked about how video games create a social fabric and she even mentions how people like others more after playing games with them whether they are on the same team or not because it creates unity.
     Another motivation for playing games is there are goals and challenges in them. These keep us motivated because we want the best rewards possible and the challenges help us get there. McGonigal also hits on this point in her Ted Talk. She says that there's always something to be done when playing games and we get constant feedback when playing games. These are things that don't really happen as often in real life. McGonigal also says that people are always willing to work with you online which is another thing that isn't always true in the real world.