So what is it about games that is so appealing? Every attendee may give a different answer. For me, I love entering a new universe built solely for my entertainment!Admittedly, game developers may have more than one person on their mind when creating a game. No doubt, making a profit does enter into their design choices. Still, when I enter a new game it feels like a personal odyssey as the game begins to engage me physically, mentally and emotionally.

I started playing games back when Atari consoles were the big thing. Thanks to my love of Tolkien, at fifteen years old I got hooked on Dungeons & Dragons and by sixteen I was starting to build my dark elf army in Warhammer. In my late teens I was a member of my university wargaming society. Alongside tabletop games I played computer games from the first launch of Doom and Duke Nukem all the way through their various reboots. Comparing the first iteration of Castle Wolfenstein to last years’ Wolfenstein: The New Order shows how far computer games have come in graphics, gameplay and narrative development.

When I play RPG’s or MMORPG’s such as Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Star Wars: The Old Republic my moral choices within the game have a consequence on the storyline. In real life, we don’t have the opportunity to shape a universe with a single choice. In the virtual world, we do, and that’s an incredibly empowering feeling, whether you are male or female.

As a writer and avid reader I love a good, solid storyline. Story is the one area that many otherwise spectacular games fall short in (I’m looking at you Destiny!) When a superb narrative combines with excellent gameplay, the effect on the player is a truly immersive gaming experience.

Narrative plays a strong part in the puzzle games Portal 1 and 2. Who doesn’t want to test their problem-solving skills while being insulted by a sarcastic supercomputer? The FPS series Halo has a faceless protagonist who nevertheless manages to evoke our sympathy and admiration through his tragic storyline. MMO games such as WOW and WOT may be light on story, but strong in developing real social ties to other players. We create our own stories in the virtual world as these relationships play out for good or ill.

There’s a hero (and a villain) within all of us. It’s thrilling to be able to play out those roles in a virtual environment where resurrection grants us all immortality.

Now I’m off to play World of Tanks. See you on the battlefield!