I think it depends on the person as we all game for different reasons. I guess for me escapism is a pretty likely reason though. I don't think its to escape from anything specifically because I like my life, but simply the concept of leaving this world, and entering another is enchanting to me.

When I was growing up, video games were my escape. An escape from a challenging childhood growing up in a community that had a minimal understanding of Asperger's Syndrome.

As I have gotten older, I have grown to not only see the entertainment value that video games have, but I have also seen how video games helped me out mentally. I wasn't much of a strategist during childhood, but as the years went by, certain video games required a strategy element, which had a twofold effect: I had learned how to strategize through a variety of video games, and I had learned how to strategize better in real-world situations.

Yes I do play games for the escape from reality. Whether it is becoming a professional footballer in Fifa, surviving a zombie apocalypse in Dead Rising, saving the planet in Super Stardust HD or just fighting in a heavily stylised war in Call of Duty it is all escapism for me as none are ever going to happen in my life time so it's fun to experience.

Games are an escape in more ways than one.Like today has been shit so I played some DR2 because killing always makes me happy GTASA is my favourite game to escape lifes crap.

As well as escape I think it's a good way to feed your desires. As Gamesta said it can be enjoyable to kill things in games, and I think that's a good release.

People argue that games fuel violence and create it, but I think they're a good release.

Of course gaming is an escape. This is logic 101. That's the point of gaming; to escape from the harsh reality and indulge in something false, as every form of entertainment is.