I've been working my Brain over the last week or so, going back and looking at some of the old faves, Seven and Eight, Half Life, Shenmue and that...

So, I've been looking into game theory, what makes these games tick... the way they toy with our very emotions, the way they make us feel that we ARE Cloud Strife, Squall Leonhart, Gordan Freeman and Ryo Hazuki.

How do games get through to us?
Alter our Perception?
and make grown men weep?

Umm...they dont.

A good story that we are an intricate part of. That's what makes them tick:D

Much like movies I am sure they have scripts, stories, morals and all that junk that they try to convey to the viewer, in this case of video games, players. Well thats what i think anyways.

Err... perhaps in the same way that when playing Resident Evil...

You think 'Oh no! They're gonna kill ME'
instead of
'Oh no, they're gonna kill Chris!'

Get me?

i think the reason y ppl think they r characters because in games like FF u play with the characters them for a long time and an emotional bond develops between u and the character,also u actually start to care about them beucase each person has their individual story to tell:)

Yeah, that's it.

How do they do that?

Create a bond?

I think it's the perfect combination of atmosphere and deep, relatable characters. If you can combine these just right, then you can make the players feel what the in game characters are feeling.

Well video games are pretty much SUPPOSED to make it feel like it's actually YOU in control. Look at First-Person Shooters. THe term, "First Person" is self explanitory. It makes it look, and feel like it's actually you in that haunted house, and you who's shooting those zombies. Or driving games.

I myself have developed a personality made up of different video games characters. A few are:

Squall Leonheart
Shadow (Sonic Adventure 2)
Zero Omega (Megaman X)
Sephiroth

All together, I'm a lonewolf with sick fantasy's of killing people! Yet on the inside, I can be quite sensitive and sweet.

Video games ownz0rz U. LOLLOLOLOL!!!1111

(Anyway, yeah, in some ways, they DO make you feel like that)