Gaming is a hobby for some, a lifestyle for others, and a job for others still. We spend a lot of time blogging about it, reading about it, talking about it, and that doesn’t even factor in the times we’re actually playing games.

Like all good hobbies, there’s always an opportunity to do something else with our free time. There’s “family” and “friends” to spend time with. I’ve even heard of something called “the outdoors”, which is some kind of unfathomable void that Amazon and Newegg are magically able to traverse (I don’t ask how this voodoo happens). But a hobby is something that sticks out in our minds when we’re not doing it, and when we are, we tend to get lost in it. There’s something about whatever hobby we find our selves drawn to that motivates us to return to that trough again and again.

Since this blog is about “gaming”, I want to know what motivates you in a game. Any game and every game. Some games give you an obvious carrot, while others promise you a carrot. Others ask you to bring your own carrot, those cheap bastards, so each title or genre requires us to seek out different motivators.

I know some people could say “exploring!” or “loot!” or “it gives my life meaning!”, but think deeper than that. What does exploring do to you? What’s does getting that hard to find gear mean to you? Beyond that, how do these games use the tools at their disposal to motivate you, and what could they do to motivate you better when you start to lose interest?