Here comes a cliché saying but I have been a fan of video games since I was a child, but then again isn’t that how all lifelong interests and hobbies start? With the enthusiasm associated with a child?

Well cliché or not that’s how it started for me, way back in the earl 90s (wow does it feel weird saying way back in the 90s!) with my first console, the mighty Sega Master System, with Alex the Kid and Sonic 1 taking up most of my time. Ever since those amazing days I have been completely hooked on video games, and for my first article I would like to delve into why I, and many people call themselves…Gamers.

Firstly Video Games are a unique form of entertainment, really it’s the only form of modern entertainment where you are not guaranteed to have the full content. How many games have you played in your life that you haven’t finished? And now compare that to the amount of movies and books you have started but not finished, I imagine if its anything like my ratio games are winning on that front.

So what makes us spend in excess of £50.00 these days on something we may not even get half way through? The easy answer to that is obviously personal choice, you may buy a game from a recommendation from a friend or a favourable review but you get it home, stick it in and it’s just not for you.

However, I bet there are a lot of you and this includes me, where you buy a game, play it, love it and then it just sits on your shelf collecting dust. An example from me is Metal Gear Solid V, now I love the Metal Gear series, MGS1 on the PS1 is up there with my all time favourite games and I have played and loved the rest of the series, however Metal Gear V just sits there, on my shelf unloved. I always convince myself that I will go back to it once I’m done with what I’m currently playing but I haven’t yet, and really if I’m honest with the release schedule for the rest of the year I don’t think I will.

CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE