I believe that games offer a belief of escapism. When you're playing a game, you are leaving the problems of the physical world to work towards goals in an otherwise imaginary landscape. While in this landscape, the escapism is few and far between, because the game still fits within the rules that are prompted by our real world and society that we exist in, pitting us against a computer, fellow gamers, or even oneself to get to the highest score possible be it kills, progress, time to achievement.

I find this point to be incredibly engaging because it shows how people are so easily manipulated into engaging with, and trying to attain, a number that is given intrinsic value. In the same way that people are pit against one another to get the highest number of capital in their bank account, attain the highest credit score, and kill the most zombies in a video game. Putting value onto numbers creates a trap for the people who engage with them. Our society of capitalism invites competition, and does not function without it. The easiest way to demonstrate competition in a tangible way is by associating a number with it, so, within schools, deans and administrations are prompted to offer an exact score to prove that you have won the competition. It's a game that we all compete in whether or not we actively work to participate in it.

For me, physical and virtual gaming mediums, while competitive, are generally things that I engage in to enjoy a fun shared experience with friends and family. I think that games have an amazing engagement in getting people to feel a visceral connection to this medium that otherwise does not affect the world around us; but it manipulates people into a position of immense engagement with this unsubstantial medium.