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Why do you play videogames? - A Scientific study
Xifel
Registered User new member
Registered User new member
Hi! I'm a student doing a study about what it is that actually makes people play games. The reason for this is that alot of the research being made on videogames today don't seem to realize that it is a pretty big area, and many treat games as a weird waste of time that only kids are into. So I hoped that I could start a discussion about a question I try to get an answer to:
Why do you play games? And what makes you keep playing a game?
More specifically I try to find the motivators and elements in different games that people enjoy most, and how you could describe them.
Oh, I probably should mention that I probably will quote some of you in the report. Of course you will be anonymous (since I do not know you names), but it is a ethical thing that I mention that.
I hope that some of you take some time and write something, it would be very appreciated!
Why do you play games? And what makes you keep playing a game?
More specifically I try to find the motivators and elements in different games that people enjoy most, and how you could describe them.
Oh, I probably should mention that I probably will quote some of you in the report. Of course you will be anonymous (since I do not know you names), but it is a ethical thing that I mention that.
I hope that some of you take some time and write something, it would be very appreciated!
Xifel on
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And what Klyka said
http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr11b
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr258
http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr278
Basically, the five profiles boil down to:
Spike - Competitive player. He wants to show mastery of the game. Prove his skill.
Johnny - He wants to win, but he wants to do it his way. He's using the game mechanics as personal expression.
Timmy - He wants to experience things. Epic stories, big explosions.
Melvin - He's interested in the mechanics and metagame on an abstract level. He's likely to be interested in statistics or game design.
Vorthos - He likes to follow the fiction and lore of the game world. He's likely to read supplementary novels.
These profiles can overlap.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I like video games because there's a clear feedback response loop. I'm given a set of goals and the opportunity (within the mechanics of the game) to meet those goals. The ideal game to me would have multiple ways of meeting those goals and the opportunity for me to explore those different ways. (Much as a form of self-expression, such as Johnny above.)
I like this because I find it relaxing. The world of a video game makes sense. If I shoot an enemy X number of times, the enemy falls. If he didn't, there was a reason for it. Perhaps the variables that control these things are hidden or affected by random number generators, but ultimately the world is logical. There's a rhyme and reason to everything... and if something doesn't go the way I expect, I can always just restart the game and try again.
Contrast this to the real world, where an ill-chosen word can start a fight with a lover, a moment of distraction can lead to a car accident, circumstances completely outside my control might lead to a lost job. There's no coming back from these things; not easily anyway. You can't reload a saved state in the real world.
Video games are my safe space.
Edit: I don't mind if you quote me by my pseudonym.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Stress Relief - Sometime I enjoy coming home and sitting down to a game that requires little thought and is entertaining, something like the LEGO line of video games.
Boredom - I don't watch tv very often, and when I have nothing better to do I will start up a quick session of a game I know won't take any longer than 20-30 minutes to complete ( A couple games of Dungeon Defenders, a mission or two from a shooter campaign.)
Social - I love to sit in my living room with a bunch of friends and order pizza while playing Rock Band, or Mario Kart or another couch co-op/versus game.
Story - Games don't have as good of stories as books, but the added interactive element of gameplay does add a new depth to the stories given.
Entertainment - This is the big one and reason number one, I play games because they are fun, I play games for the same reason many watch tv or movies or read books. It passes the time enjoyably.
:P Poking fun at WOTC.
I play games because they engage me and are a good outlet for my brain when I'm not doing heavy science stuff.
Or, alternatively
Because you touch yourself at night.