Richard Dyer's Utopian Solutions Theory
“Utopia” is an imaginary ideal world; the term comes from Thomas More's 1516 book. Richard Dyer argues that “entertainment
offers the image of ‘something better’ to set against the realities of day
-to-day existence.”
This is the idea of “escapism”. Dyer proposed that the entertainment world offered solutions to "real world" problems: e.g. if you are tired the entertainment world is full of energy; if the real world is dreary the entertainment world is vivid and intense; the excitement of the entertainment world offers an alternative to the boring real world. Whilst the real world is a world of scarcity and poverty, the entertainment world is one of abundance and plenty. And, critically, whilst the real world is fragmented and lonely, the entertainment world is one of togetherness and community.
Inside the world of a video game your existence can be “better” –
or at least, “different” - than in the reality of day-to-day existence. You can be more powerful, the world can be more exciting and vivid, you can feel community and togetherness with people even when you are alone.