#11: The Childhood Dream
Everyone had an ideal career picked out as a child. The majority of the time they are unrealistic goals that will likely be unmet. Kids want to be pro athletes, super heroes, secret agents, and music icons. Who hasn´t pretended to hit the game winning home run in the World Series, foil a super villain´s evil plot for world domination, sneak around the house as if they were on a top secret mission or play air guitar to their favorite song? These dream jobs are out of reach for the average person. Thus we find one of the reasons why gaming can be so damn satisfying; you can be whatever you want to be. Whether you want to be Joe Montana, Spider-Man, a double agent, or a member of the Black Sabbath there is a game for you.

Examples: Madden, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, X-Men Legends, Splinter Cell, Guitar Hero

# 10: No Ticket Required
My life has, as of yet, not taken me anywhere west of the Mississippi but I can go anywhere around the world simply by placing a round disc into a gaming console. My efforts to build a working time machine have failed--fortunately though, I have an Xbox 360 that can take me back to the 1940´s to battle Nazis or any other time period for that matter. Most people will never set foot on the moon, but I have explored more worlds than we know exist. The places and eras that can be seen and experienced through the powerful machines known as video game consoles are limitless. Visits to a bunker in Berlin, pyramids in Egypt, jungles in Africa, unknown planets in far away galaxies, or the depths of the ocean are all possible without leaving the comfort of your home.

Examples: Call of Duty, BioShock, World of Warcraft, Oblivion, Star Wars