Why do we enjoy death so much?

There is something strangely satisfying about shooting someone in the head.

Or bludgeoning them with a crowbar.

Or setting them on fire.

And so on.

But why?

I find games like TF2 and HL2 fun, and games like No More Heroes where there seems to be an excess of blood.

I meant that the satisfaction is why we play them.

Why we are satisfied by such is beyond me. Humans must just be a morbid species.

Why is listening to music fun? Why is sex fun? Why is anything fun? What you're asking is a much more complicated question then "why are FPS's fun?". The real answer here probably involves Biochemistry and the release of some sort of chemical in your brain when you "kill" someone.

In the end it comes down to conditioning. We play them because they're a semi-accurate depiction of the world around us-- one in which we can act without genuine consequences. And also because a lot of money is invested in marketing the games and convincing people they actually want to play them.

While humans are driven to dominate and exert power, this is not an inherent genetic drive, but a product of the socialization and acculturation processes.

As more different kinds of games are developed, and as societies become more peaceful, I think FPSs will become far less popular.

We enjoy what we are afraid of most.