Since they don’t have any useful value other than providing entertainment to the user, why they exist?
To provide entertainment to the user, mostly.
I believe you just answered your own question. Sometimes people just want to have fun.
How dare they
But using video games for recreational purposes was outlawed!
Providing entertainment is useful value. How many thousands and thousands of years back do you need to look to finally hit a point where there is absolutely no evidence of some form of entertainment being “produced.”
Hell there are even animal bone “flutes” for making music going back to like the neanderthals or something like that.
We need to stop with this “if it doesn’t lead to making money it has no place in society” nonsense.
Edit: I think you can actually see the divergence between extracting value from games (AAA devs absolutely ruining their reputation seeking profit over entertainment) and creating entertaining games.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Ask the same about any other art like music, paintings, sculptures. What useful value do they have other than entertainment?
Artistic expression. Whether anyone is entertained by it is a byproduct. :)
And can the same not be said about interactive media like video games?
Absolutely. It’s a matter of artistic expression.
Nobody was REALLY entertained by “Irritating Stick”, but the creators expressed themselves.
To provide entertainment.
Other than entertainment? Why do any games exist?
Develop cognitive function, mental plasticity, social engagement with the group.
An excellent philosophical question, that we all ask ourselves at some point - why do we play?
I’ll answer your question with one of my own: what is productive labour for after all? To allow for more productive labour?
I could cite some evolutionary hypotheses about how we came to enjoy play and beauty for their own sake, but that doesn’t tell you what we ought to value.
For my own part I think thoughtfully maximising life’s pleasures is a good goal (though I would rank diminishing pain as higher priority).
providing entertainment to the user
Entertainment is crucial for mental health.
