Economist has an atricle about video gaming. I love this quote:
But look beneath the violent veneer of “Grand Theft Auto”, and it is really no different from a swords-and-sorcery game. Instead of stealing a crystal and delivering it to a wizard so that he can cure the princess, say, you may have to intercept a consignment of drugs and deliver it to a gang boss so he can ransom a hostage. It is the pleasure of this problem-solving, not the superficial violence which sometimes accompanies it, that can make gaming such a satisfying experience.
George Chen DOT COM 
True, except after a long game of GTA, I find myself walking down the street wondering how much money someone has on them and whether or not I could “take them”. And while I never played Dungeons and Dragons games, I doubt I would have considered casting a spell on someone to steal their orb or what their body armor or fighting score was.