From the graphics to the storyline and the music, video games are, excuse the pun, constantly upping their game. Not to mention the ever-evolving game consoles that attract faithful following. My partner, for instance, loves his new Playstation while his friend wouldn’t change his Xbox for anything else. But what makes gamers play stage after stage of their favourite game and what do they win?

Andrew De Giovanni

Age: 32
Profession: Website supervisor.

What does gaming mean to you?

It’s a hobby.

How often do you play video games?

Whenever life permits, I manage to play for a few hours throughout the week.

What type of video games do you enjoy playing?

I like racing games because of the precise replication of cars and tracks, car customisation and handling physics.

Which platform do you prefer?

I had decided to go for the Xbox One because of the choice of games available at launch.

What’s your all-time favourite game?

I would have to say the Grand Theft Auto series because each game has a little bit of everything.

What games are you currently playing?

Forza Motorsport 5. This is the best console racing simulation so far. Games that are currently in development and due for release in 2015 will shadow this game.

Grand Theft Auto 5. Absolutely brilliant.

How many consoles have you owned in your lifetime?

I’ve owned four consoles: I still have three of them of which I use two.

What was the first console you owned?

Playstation 1.

Why do you prefer gaming to, say, reading a book?

I would say that games are more engaging.

Have you ever participated in any gaming competitions?

No.

What current game would you recommend to fellow gamers?

I would recommend waiting until next month for the release of Project Cars. It’s the first racing simulation which was tested by an entire community of racing simulation fans and it promises to be the best yet.

Rachel Thake

Age: 21
Profession: Casino dealer and croupier.

What does gaming mean to you?

It’s my passion. I honestly don’t know what I would do without it.

How often do you play video games?

If I have a day off and nothing planned, I will spend maybe 12 to 15 hours on my computer. It sounds like a lot and it really is but I never get tired of it.

What type of video games do you enjoy playing?

There are many different games I’ve been interested in: everything from Super Mario and Command and Conquer to World of Warcraft and Call of Duty.

Which platform do you prefer?

My favourite console has always been the Wii. I’ve been backing Nintendo for pretty much all my life.

What’s your all time favourite game?

It has to be The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I remember it was the first game that I was really obsessed with. Having my brother, sister and cousins playing it constantly didn’t help with my obsession. It has a great storyline and the soundtrack is awesome too.

What game are you currently playing?

League of Legends. This is a very team focused game involving strategy, teamwork and communication. Although sometimes the game makes every single player angry, it still holds a massive fan base.

World of Warcraft. An amazing MMORPG in which you create a character and level it up slowly. There are different ways of playing it. I play the game to role-play. Not many people do. In fact there is a very small percentage of World of Warcraft subscribers who actually play the game to role-play. It’s great. It’s how I learnt a lot of my English too, especially when I was younger.

How many consoles have you owned in your lifetime?

I remember starting with the Nintendo64 and moving on to the Playstation 1 and 2, Nintendo Gamecube and the Wii. I mostly game on the computer, though.

What was the first console you owned?

Nintendo64 if I remember correctly.

Why do you prefer gaming to, say, reading a book?

Gaming just makes me feel good. I can’t sit down and read a book to save my life, but I will happily sit down at my computer desk and play for the rest of my life.

Have you ever participated in any gaming competitions?

I haven’t participated in competitions to date, although I do intend to in the future. I think it would be a great idea. I don’t feel I’m good at competitive games at the moment but I’ll give it a try when I feel a little more confident.

What current game would you recommend to your fellow gamers?

I would recommend a lot of different games, both old school and new. I would start with League of Legends and World of Warcraft. They’re both very different games and you can’t compare them, but they both pack a lot of fun.

Mark Bonnici

Age: 30
Profession: Senior software engineer

What does gaming mean to you?

It’s like living a life in a parallel universe. I always enjoy imagining the character I’m playing being another me in some other life, getting to do things that I wouldn’t in the life I’m living.

How often do you play video games?

Not as much as I wish. But I manage to play at least an hour a day.

What type of video games do you enjoy playing?

I like to play action-adventure games. I like to be able to see the character I’m playing instead of just seeing a gun and a crosshair like most first-person shooter games. I’ve also found a new liking for horror survival games with Outlast. I liked the suspense in it.

Which platform do you prefer?

In the beginning I used to play on a computer but now I prefer Playstation. Most of the games I like are out on Playstation and using a controller to play with made it more fun. With the vibrations in the controls and now the added voice commands and camera interaction, the gaming experience is more immersive.

What’s your all time favourite game?

It would have to be Mafia. Released in 2002, the game involved playing a taxi driver who ends up becoming involved with the mafia as a driver for the Salieri family. What is great about this game is the diversity in its gameplay. You get to drive around the city in some really beautiful classic American cars. You have car chases, third person shooting and racing. Sometimes you also get to do some mundane jobs like collecting debts from people. Apart from all the different things you get to experience in the game, it has a really good story and a brilliant ending.

What game are you currently playing?

Assassin’s Creed. I just started playing it and it already seems to be much better than its predecessor.

Batman. This is the best superhero game I’ve ever played.

Mass Effect. RPG game where your actions determine the course of the story. Very promising.

How many consoles have you owned in your lifetime?

I’ve only had three consoles and still have two of them.

What was the first console you owned?

A Sega Mega Drive 16-Bit Console in the early 1990s.

Why do you prefer gaming to, say, reading a book?

The biggest thing is the interaction for me. The fact that you’re moving the character yourself makes a big difference.

Have you ever participated in any gaming competitions?

No I haven’t. I don’t even play games that people compete in. Most of the games I play are one-player games.

What current game would you recommend to your fellow gamers?

Any comics or superhero fan should play the Batman games. They will not be disappointed.