On the subject of games scaring you...

Personally, the first horror movie I saw was the Grudge and it scared the crap out of me (sue me, I was in 5th or 6th grade and hadn't been exposed to any horror before). Since then no movie has really scared me, and I have seen somethat I have heard where supposedto be terrifying(The Shining, Silence of the Lambs, Alien, the Descent, the Ring, Nightmare on Elm St., and about a million others). None of them have managed to scare me, movies just don't scare meanymore.

On the other hand, say what you will, certain games have scared me. I mean I haven't ever had nightmares from playing Resident Evil or anything THAT far, but they seem more capable of scaring me than many movies. You are actually in the game, not just a spectator.

For example, I always played Halo (the original) at my friend's house. We both got really good at the campaign mode, but I was never there long enough to make it to the part with the flood. We played on legendary, and we finally made it to the flood and holy crap, neither of us wanted to go forward. I remember one part in particular (don't remember the level), where I rounded a corner and suddenly see an orangeish tentacle hanging over my screen from behind.

Another example, just today (this is what got me thinking about video games scaring you) I was playing Resident Evil 4. I just got it for Wii and am having a blast. Man oh man, I'm not like unable to play it or anything but the feeling of suspense it keeps going is mindblowing for a video game. Even at the very beginning of the game, turning around only to be greeted by a revving chainsaw to the face is much freakier than I could imagine a movie being. Later on it gets worse. I'm past rescuing (small spoilers I guess) Ashley from the church and am going back through the village. Everything is dark and you can't see past 5 feet in front of you, but lightning occasionally lights up the place. Man, it's great, you hear a moan but you can't see where the damn guy is coming from, then the lightning hitsand you just see the outline of a farmer about to throw an axe at you. It's very intense, and I have yet to have that much suspense OR jump-out type scares put on me from any movie.

Even Doom 3 had a few great pop-out scares in there. The first time you fight that giant ugly dog thing (don't know what it's called) was a pretty intense part, and near the beginning of the game when you first start seeing the hell creatures or w/e come out of the shadows you can get a few cheap jumps.

So in conclusion, though none of those three gamesreally scared me a TON or anything (I wasn't shaking in my sleep or anything), eachat least startled me or put me in suspense enough to beat or match any movie I have seen.So what about you? Am I the only one that feels this way?

You shouldput an RE4 spoiler warning at the top.
I have not played it but it sounds like you give away the first freak out that sets the mood for the game. The other stuff didn't seem like that big of a deal so I doubt it will affect the game for me.

Back on topic.
I think it says a lot about your personality.
Games can be a very personal experience that involves you in a way that movies don't. It's commonly referred to as immersion. It's also emotional. If you care about the people portrayed in a game it makes for a much better game. If you hate this guy or that guy its going to be a lot more fun to pump 50 bullets into his knee or you might waste a brick of C4 taping it to his head just for a fun kill. Something can creep you out because you don't know if your going to see it or not and if so when. In a movie if you hear the creepy moaning guy or see a mutant in a flash of lightning you can pretty much expect it will be showing up within the next hour. In a game you might not see it until you have played the game for three more days or maybe RIGHT NOW BOO!! lol

A good game will create an emotional connection with tension and relief. A good action game (especially FPS) will dole it out in carefully choreographed portions to keep you off balance. A good RPG will help you flesh out a story ether by design or preferably one that is created along the way as you go. If a game can get you focused and comfortable they have you by the giblets, your wide open for the proper event to snap on fear, anger, confusion or whatever else the game maker is trying to get.

In your case you were (how shall I put this, jaded isn't right neither is spoiled) hardened by your movie experience as a small child so now you distance yourself when you view them. Your brain quickly reminds you before your scared that the movie is not real. In a good game that little switch is left off or at least not on as sensitive a circuit breaker for you.

Right now I'm playing Rainbow Six Vegas and it really gets me going. I often find myself freaking out when things go wrong and am scrambling to figure some things out to the point of panic. No big scares in this game but I forget that I'm not really going to get shot or it really doesn't matter if I send my buddy into someplace he probably will get shot. I feel involved and I don't think "well this isn't going well I'll just restart so I know what to do." It gets my adrenalin pumping and I can tell. When I'm playing other, weaker games I don't get that. I might be startled but then its just ok well back up duck do this do that ok on to the next thing or oh I died, crap, now I have to start from the beginning

As far as getting scared I have to set myself up for it by playing a scary game alone at night in the dark ect. ect. Many people can get this experience from a book or movie or even art like a sculpture or painting. Not me.

Sounds like you're a gamer buddy! Your just showing your stripes. 8)
Me too.

The "dream" levels in Max Payne freak me out.

Also, one thing that always scares me is the dog-jumping-through-the-window scene in Resident Evil. I played RE ever since it came out, but the scene always seems to get me, even though I knew it would come.