but even today, don't you write code to solve a problem? to fix a bug in an application? to achieve something?

feels to me not that different. just that the targets are no longer games but other kinds of applications.

Of course. But still it's not the same.

What's different is that I found the journey can be just as interesting and engaging as the destination. I read papers, books, and even spend time around here... not because the solutions require it, but because I care about the craft and the process itself.

So yes, the resulting solution is the prime mover, but the process of finding the solutions is no longer just a means to the end, it's part of the motivation of being involved in the profession at all.