Why We Get Mad at the Games We Love

Last night while I was working on the computer, my husband Sam was getting very angry at the game he was playing. We’re talking full out yelling and pounding on the sofa.

I asked him why does he keep playing the game if it only makes him angry. He explained that it was just one challenge and that he really wanted to complete it. That’s ok, and I can understand that frustration.

What gets me further is that he continues in regular game play and is STILL getting frustrated.

I asked him again, and he said he really does love the game. I guess when it comes down to it things we love have the potential to make us angry in any part of life, even video games.

Take myself for example. I was stuck on the same Challenge level of Peggle for weeks. I must’ve tried for and hour persistently trying to complete it, but only getting angrier and I eventually stopped playing. Granted, a week later, I tried that level again and beat it on the first try. Go figure.

Right now for me it’s catching bugs in Animal Crossing: City Folk. There are these black spiders that leap and bite you if they either see you or you miss catching them with a net. You are then sent back to the doorstep of your house. I really want to catch that little….you know what.

Still, I play and I keep trying. Eventually, the spider will end up in my net and I won’t have to deal with them again, if I want. I would just have to avoid them.

We play games we love for the sense of accomplishment and for shear joy, but sometimes that comes with a little frustration. It’s like how life is at times, except in life you usually don’t lose an hour’s worth of play on a crashed game, except if you are really, really, drunk.