I think a lot of people play video games to get some kind of psychological release. Obviously you see this a lot with FPS games. Games give us a chance to do what we can’t do in real life.
What gives you some form of catharsis while gaming? For me, it is games which allow me to take action against social ills I can’t do anything about in real life (i.e. striking out against bigotry). Even though nothing real is accomplished (obviously), there is still a sense of emotional satisfaction I can't experience IRL.