What Are You Most Thankful For In The Video Game World?

So it's Thanksgiving again and it's time to give thanks for everything you have and appreciate. Pay homage!

So what is that in the world of video games? Obviously, none of them replace family and friends nor can games be as high on the priority scale (and if they are, you should seriously reevaluate your life). But hobbies are an important part of life, too, so what about video games are you most thankful for?

Personally, I'm just thankful for the de-stressing they do for me. I've never gotten into multiplayer and it's almost entirely because I find most multiplayer - with the exception of some co-op fun - to be highly stressful and just plain annoying. I play games to relax, unwind, and escape. I use them in much the same way others use meditation or something; when my brain is working overtime, I pick a favorite title and play it until my mind has finally managed to step back and breathe. Books can do that, too, and they often have in the past. But interactive entertainment is unique.

So for me, it's all about sitting there alone, indulging and losing myself in a different world while just about every facet of existence melts into the background. In short, it's like getting all mellow even when things aren't going so well in your life. So what about games do you give thanks for?

Tags: thanksgiving, gamers, video games, gaming culture

11/22/2012 1:25:48 AM Ben Dutka

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firesoul453
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 1:50:16 AM
Reply

Video games will (hopefully) give me a job that I love!
Their also so fun to play! They can be an absolutely amazing way to tell a good story! Or some fun with friends!

2 up, 0 down

gunblademaster
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 1:54:18 AM
Reply

Final fantasy, kingdom hearts. Enough said.

Last edited by gunblademaster on 11/22/2012 1:54:47 AM

3 up, 0 down

Killa Tequilla
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 2:55:21 AM
Reply

Im thankful someone created a game called Persona 4 Golden for PSVita. Not only did I need a new game for my PSVita (2nd purchased game), it is also a new experience for me. Liking it so far, only about 2 hours and 30 minutes in so far. Great game.

Im also thankful Sony keeps going even though they get so much hate. They have done so many great things for their fans and gamers.

5 up, 2 down

___________
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 3:17:18 AM
Reply

something we dont get enough of, a story!
its amazing how much your willing to put up with if your invested in a story.
in fact i was just sitting in a mansion listening to all the banter the guards were doing last night in hitman.
dident want to kill them, dident want to go finish the mission, just sit and listen.
one thing i really want to see next gen is more reactive AI.
so many games these days once you hit a certain point the AI goes to a predesignated spot and wont move from there, everything feels so stale and scripted.
i wish every game would become reactive, enemies are just sitting there doing their job.

thats one thing i hate about hitman though, i mean if your a guard are you going to stand in one spot guarding a area?
or are you going to roam around and guard, the WHOLE area!
its so annoying how guards always sit in one spot no matter what you do they always magnetize back to a spot.

3 up, 0 down

Ludicrous_Liam
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 2:02:18 PM

How is Hitman for you? I remember playing the old ones on PS2, but found it incredibly annoying how you had to plan everything out to a meticulous level. I'm little older now so I actually enjoy that those types of games. Kinda like you, in MGS4 for example, I just crouch back and observe everything, before going in for the perfect run.

If you've ever played MGS4, is it like that?

By the way, I disagree with the scripted enemies. It really helps with the level design and how you progress. If A.I were totally unpredictable, it would get so annoying trying to figure out a tactic. It sounds cool in theory, but honestly, I doubt it would work.

0 up, 0 down

___________
Friday, November 23, 2012 @ 9:23:07 AM

when it wants to it can be allot of fun!
some levels are so well designed and theres so many areas to hide and get around enemies.
but thats the problem, the game does not know what it wants to be.
its really annoying, almost every level has certain areas you can flank and other areas you cant.

as for the AI id be easy to predict what there going to do, just watch them.
one thing i hate about hitman is they have set paths and that is always in the way where you want to go.
and its really annoying how the guards are set up in groups, and each group watches another group.
so if you throw a object to distract 1 group of guards, you think ok they have left the door now so i can move in.
oops, i got caught because theres another 5 sets of guards on each other end of the room.
its impossible to just distract guards so you can waltz in because theres always multiple groups of guards watching a area, and you can never distract every guard to a spot only 1 group goes.
its really unpredictable which group investigates too.
sometimes the closest guards to the distraction are the ones to investigate, sometimes its the ones farest away.
you can never throw a object and say this is the guy who will go search, its always the opposite to who you want to distract.

when the game lets you go around the enemies its so much fun, but when it doesent, when it forces you to waltz stright past the guards its not.
the distraction and AI just makes that impossible.

im missing the sniper demo they released too.
it made me think allot of the missions would be like that, your on a rooftop building opposite and you need to snipe all the guards past.
it was so much fun observing your surroundings and trying to use your sniper to kill and hide bodies.
but the actual game VERY rarely lets you do that.
99% of the time the only way to hide guards is to pick them up and waltz them over to a dumpster.
it would of been so much more fun if they had the levels designed like the demo.
pools of water, open elevator shafts, ect, ect, for you to shoot your enemies into.

1 up, 0 down

Lawless SXE
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 4:06:37 AM
Reply

Well... It's allowed me to write in a volunteer capacity for another site, which has given me the opportunity to both write for an audience and refine my skills, so I'm thankful for that and hopeful that it will lead to greater opportunities in the future. I'm thankful for the hundreds, if not thousands of hours of entertainment that I've enjoyed over the last five years. I'm thankful that I can come home after a day at work, plug in and use it as a kind of therapy in much the same way that Ben wrote above. I'm thankful for the ideas and inspiration one can garner from playing a wonderfully crafted game and I'm thankful for the people that I've met through a shared love of gaming.

Yeah, there's quite a bit :)

2 up, 0 down

Lawless SXE
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 4:39:30 AM

Also Ben, second to last word should be "thanks" ;)
I know, I'm a nuisance like that.

2 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 11:04:20 AM

As I've always said, provided people aren't being a di** about it, correcting mistakes isn't a "nuisance" to me. It's helpful. :)

And it was really late when I put that up last night so it was probably inevitable. LOL

4 up, 0 down

Jalex
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 4:15:42 AM
Reply

In general, far too much to go over in a single comment. But at the moment, two things spring to mind:
As a fairly longtime 'Hitman' fan, I'm extremely glad that, in my playthru so far, 'Absolution' stands well among the series. It's too early to say for sure, but I'm enthusiastic enough to say that it may be the best entry in the series.
Aside from that, I'm extremely thankful (and I think Ben will appreciate this) for Best Buy's $24.99 sale of 'Dishonored.' I immediately took advantage, of course.

1 up, 0 down

Solid Fantasy
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 4:19:32 AM
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At the moment, I'm thankful for RAGE and ASCIII:L. Plus a bunch of demos from the PSN I need to play.

0 up, 0 down

kokoro
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 5:30:09 AM
Reply

Probably for the many childhood memories with games like Crash Bandicoot, Final Fantasy, Tekken and Bust a Groove.

0 up, 0 down

Knightzane
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 5:47:46 AM
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Used to be thankful for the immersive worls, fun stories, interesting gameplay, and creative fields of imagination. Now its all shooters so thats kind of out the window. However im thankful for Demons souls. Thankful to atlus, thankful to bioshock, thankful to oblivion, thankful to killzone, thankful to quantic dream, and of course im thankful to Sony. Like killa tequilla said and i would like to add, they try so hard to keep the imagination alive in a gaming community obsessed with shooters. killzone and resistance are both shooters, but are so unique that it doesn't matter. I also thank them for PS plus. They've proven that even when people say the 1$ for xbox is warranted, that they are still superior.

I've never paid for anything like plus, i mean a year of free games and discounts for 50$? Thats it? Im also thankful to the fellow gamers like you peoples who try and keep diversity within your gaming time and dont pour it all into CoD. Also to ben, who has worked all year, and still works, to bring reviews to games and updates us with the latest in the gaming world. So have a happy thanksgiving everyone and ben, try and take a few days off and play something you wanna play. You know you wanna.

0 up, 0 down

BikerSaint
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 6:20:23 AM
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I'm thankful for this site, Ben, John, & all the commenter's who have helped to make it what it is today.

I'm also truly thankful that even though I've turned 60 this month & have been out of a job & broke for the last 19 months now, that I still have a gaming collection to look forward that also acts to help me get away for a little bit from my financial burdens & all of it's related stress.

Well, at least during the night, that is.

OK enuff said, it's now back to Godfather: The Don's Edition for me.....

Last edited by BikerSaint on 11/22/2012 6:23:22 AM

6 up, 0 down

Huey
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 7:12:52 AM
Reply

Happy Thanksgiving guys and gals. I am thankful that I still have the mental and physical capabilities to play games (although slower), and the means for which to do it.

1 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 9:32:30 AM
Reply

Oric-1: My first home computer and what got me interested in programming. This is the platform I wrote my first games.

Commodore Amiga: My first "real" gaming machine, and also the machine that made me discover the joy of composing and producing music.

MMORPGs: The fantastic years in Anarchy Online and Star Wars Galaxies. I made friends there that I still am in touch with now many years after I stopped playing. And the moments I will always remember from that game is far too long to list here.

BioWare: An important reason I am still a gamer. No less.

Co-op: Gaming would not be the same without it.

... I guess I could go on forever. :D

Last edited by Beamboom on 11/22/2012 9:32:55 AM

1 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 11:05:40 AM

Duuuude, I am SO thankful for my first PC, the Tandy. 640K RAM, text adventures, and Earl Weaver's Baseball and Hero's Quest running slower than molasses.....but I loved it all. :)

3 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 2:11:38 PM

Yeah hehe - the text based adventure games, typing your actions; "go north", "open chest", "take key", "look east"... But the graphics were *fantastic* thanks to our imagination. :)

0 up, 0 down

AcHiLLiA
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 9:55:15 AM
Reply

The #1 one thing I'm thinkful for when it comes to gaming is my dad, without him I probably wouldn't be as much as a gamer.

Last edited by AcHiLLiA on 11/22/2012 9:56:38 AM

2 up, 0 down

T2X
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 10:12:23 AM
Reply

Hey Beanboom! I also was a big time Amiga head back in the day. Loved that machine. I am thankful for quite a few things. For one: I am thankful for my wife and our continued health. I am thankful for my new Cat and hope she's with us for many years. Thankful to still have a decent steady job that allows me to enjoy among many other things, my gaming hobby! Thankful for companies like SONY and Nintendo and MS for bringing these amazing experiences to people from all walks of life!! And thankful for the cease fire between Palestinians and Israel too. Everyone have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!!

2 up, 0 down

Zen_Zarab
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 10:37:01 AM
Reply

Im thankful for PSASBR. :D

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 10:48:03 AM
Reply

I'm thankful for you guys.

3 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 11:05:49 AM

Awwwww... ;)

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 11:25:07 AM

Really, it's the best internet community. We have our squabbles but everyone who lasts has much more in common than in difference. When I first found this place it was a dark time in my life and even having some people online to talk to about something I loved helped a lot.

Hope everyone has a meaningful day :)

7 up, 0 down

Fabi
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 12:50:46 PM

I second that. I have a love/hate relationship with Ben's opinions. But I'm always there to take what he writes into consideration even if I disagree, which isn't too often either way.

I think I love the site so much because I agree with 95% of what is said.

3 up, 0 down

Beamboom
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 3:23:55 PM

Yup, awesome community. Lots of great guys.

I particularly like how we can disagree and discuss, even heated at times, without getting all personal or going haywire about it. That's not something to take for granted.

Last edited by Beamboom on 11/22/2012 3:28:34 PM

2 up, 0 down

xenris
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 11:37:53 AM
Reply

I'm thankful my father put some basic computer games on our crappy computer when I was 3 for me to tinker with. I'm thankful that he bought a super nintendo for his waiting room office and let me play it when I visited. I'm thankful he brought it home on the weekends for me to play, and eventually let it stay at home.

I'm thankful I was exposed to hard games at a young age and had nothing better to do than to beat them :)

I'm thankful for games like Journey helping me through issues in my own life and shifting my perspective.

I'm thankful for the games that tug on my heartstrings like kingdom hearts, Xenosaga, and shenmue.

I'm thankful for the dreamcast and all of its funky and colourful games like jet grind radio, and phantasy star online, that helped me when I got bullied in highschool.

I guess I'm just thankful that they exist at all :)

4 up, 0 down

Fabi
Friday, November 23, 2012 @ 1:59:34 AM

Awesome.

1 up, 0 down

PoopsMcGee
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 12:51:02 PM
Reply

Happy Turkey Day all!

I'm thankful for my Vita this year (and every game I've played on it)!

Let the fools watch the Macy's Parade I'll rock some LBPVita!

0 up, 0 down

Jed
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 1:43:23 PM
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I love that I can leave everything behind and jump into another world. Just power up that console and get immersed, a great way to escape reality.

These days it's mostly single player, but I cherish all the great times spent playing with friends. I loved going to my friends house and playing his NES, he would come over and play on the Genesis.

I'm thankful for all that Playstation has done for gaming. The amazing first party games, the sheer variety of great PSN games, and the best consoles the last 3 generations.

And I'm also thankful for this site and the great community. PSXE is the best gaming site on the web, and everybody else here just makes it better. Happy Thanksgiving everybody.

2 up, 0 down

Oxvial
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 3:35:53 PM
Reply

My Snes memories, cool days.

1 up, 0 down

gungrave
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 4:25:58 PM
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Thank you Team Ico, Hideo Kojima, Squaresoft, id, Sega, and Sony. These companies delivered some amazing gaming moments in throughout my life. Shout out to the psxextreme community.

1 up, 0 down

Jawknee
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 5:22:30 PM
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I'm thankful we get the freedom to play games in general. It's easy to forget how good we have it in the west with all that's going on in the rest of the world.

3 up, 0 down

YashaZz
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 5:27:47 PM
Reply

I thank all the developers that created things that are nailed dead to my heart.

0 up, 0 down

daus26
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 5:40:21 PM
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A lot to be thankful for but I'm really thankful for Sony's free online and Gran Turismo. The free online is big for me and for GT, I can write a novel on what it has done for me, but I doubt anyone would bother to read it lol.

0 up, 0 down

JDC80
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 9:00:11 PM
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I'm thankful for Madden because it seems that's the only way I will see the Lions win the Super Bowl. I'm also thankful games like Uncharted and InFamous not only the games were great I really enjoy the story.

1 up, 1 down

bigrailer19
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 9:00:55 PM
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Happy Thanksgiving to everyone at PSXE and the community. This is a great place to visit and comment.

I'm thankful for a lot but after eating and being bloated I can't wait to relax and catch up on some video games over my exteded weekend! Enjoy everyone!

3 up, 0 down

bigrailer19
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 11:32:34 PM

Edit: I just furthered my back log. I just returned from wal-mart "black Friday" (but it's Thursday night) and got Little Big Planet: Karting, Dead Island, and Dishonored for a grand total of $60!

Gonna be a long winter!

4 up, 0 down

homura
Thursday, November 22, 2012 @ 10:38:27 PM
Reply

I'm thankful to Allan and Christian who introduced me to the world of Final Fantasy and JRPG. Thanks to Ragnarok Online and to my guild Genocide, my assassin years in MMORPG. Thanks to Ben and this site for the informations and to the community for the tips and discussions. And I'm very thankful to my father for buying me my first console "The Family Com" it's your fault I'm in to this. Haha. Video Games thanks for memories and for the memories that still yet to come. Happy Thanksgiving to you all, even though I'm from the Philippines. Hehe.

2 up, 0 down

THEVERDIN
Friday, November 23, 2012 @ 1:53:15 AM
Reply

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