Player Motivation in Game Design PDF

IT2012 Player Elements Escapism: Players often indicate that they are motivated to...

IT2012 Player Elements Escapism: Players often indicate that they are motivated to play to escape from the ongoing stresses and challenges of real life. An Player Motivation: Why do people play games? Understanding this imaginary game world follows its own rules, some of which are less can help you develop games that will fulfill these needs. Game restrictive than those in real life. Although people can escape into the developers should always consider this question so that the “worlds” of other media such as books and movies, they do not directly components of games that are most attractive to players will be participate in those worlds like they do in games. utilized enough to keep the players interested. Addiction: Unlike the comparatively “passive” entertainment of Social interaction: Social interaction can be a motivating factor for television and film, games offer players the opportunity to take active some players. Although social interaction can take place in the roles in the entertainment experience—including making decisions immediate environment (real-life interaction), it can also occur in- and getting feedback. This can be highly rewarding for players, but it game—especially in social games and MMOs. Players in MMOs are can also make them crave and indulge in continuous play to the point often allowed to communicate through the game itself—often of ignoring other more important areas of their lives. discussing non-game-related topics rather than “staying in character.” Game Market: If you plan to develop games, you need to understand Sometimes players who meet through games arrange to meet each the game market—the people who play games. You need to other in real life at game conventions. understand who your market is to create a compelling game that suits Physical seclusion: Players motivated by physical seclusion would your market’s needs. Learning how to identify target audience probably prefer to play games in a private place—such as their personas ensures that you can take your brand (games) to market in homes. The idea of seclusion might seem to be the opposite of social the most cost-effective and efficient way. interaction. However, players who want to be secluded are still Geographics: Geographics relate to the players’ geographic interacting socially with people—but in the privacy of their own locations, which could include various countries or even regions within physical environments. This challenges the definition of “being social.” those countries. For example, you can target players within the local Some would argue that people who prefer to stay home and play an country so that one specific language will only be used within the MMO must be antisocial. Others would argue that these same people game. must be highly social because they are most likely interacting with Psychographics: Psychographics consists of people’s values, many more people than would be possible. attitudes, and lifestyles. Unlike demographics, a group's Competition: Some players enjoy the thrill of competing with other psychographics are more difficult to guess externally, since these are players. The competitive spirit has been associated with games more relevant to their personality. throughout history— and it forms the basis of the tremendously Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): In 1943, Isabel Briggs Myers successful sports industry. and her mother, Katharine Briggs, developed a model to measure Knowledge: Players can be motivated to gain knowledge of particular personality types. concepts, processes, and strategies by playing games—although this Extrovert (E) vs. Introvert (I): Energy is more outer or inner- motivation often is unconscious. If players made it clear that they truly directed. wanted to learn while playing, game developers might market their Sensing (S) vs. Intuitive (N): Perception is more present or games as educational tools—providing “fun learning” for everyone. future-oriented. Mastery: Some players are motivated to master the game itself— Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F): Judgment-formation is more demonstrating their ability to dominate the game world and figure out objective or subjective. how to become advanced players. Mastery is most obvious during Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P): Approach to the world is more games that depend on increasing character skills to “win.” Players structured or spontaneous. motivated by mastery focus on assessing their status in the game by attaining high scores and rankings 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 1 of 2  IT2012 generation. o Boom Generation (Born 1943–1961) – Members of this generation were small children during the postwar boom. While young, they experienced a relatively safe but confined social climate based on material wellbeing. In reaction to this, they started a society-wide, values-oriented “spiritual” revolution in their famous coming-of-age during the 1960s and 1970s. If you were to create a game that focused on the Boom Generation, it is perhaps a game with a social, spiritual, or political message that would be ideal. o Generation X (Born 1962–1981) – Members of this generation were children during the social turmoil of the 1960s and 1970s—and were the targets of an anti-child cultural bias difficult for younger generations to understand. In their youth, they experienced the divorce epidemic, hands-off parenting, “latchkey” self-reliance, falling fertility, and declining investment in children. If you were to create a game that focused on Generation X, it is perhaps a game that focuses on an Figure 1. MBTI diagram independent, nomadic character who is “on the edge” and takes risks would be ideal. Demographics: The demographics of players include statistical o Millennial Generation (Born 1982–2002) – Members of this information such as gender, age, income level, education level, generation grew up during the 1982–2000 economic boom— marital status, ethnicity, and religion. the greatest in history and fueled by high-technology. A o Generation: Generations are considered part of both “wanted” generation, they enjoyed parents who deliberately demographics and psychographics. Although associated with a sought to conceive and raise them, resulting in an “echo boom” discrete age range, members of each generation as a group in the 1980s and 1990s. Compared to Xers, Millennials have have experienced particular historical events and climates— benefited from their parents' increased spending and the rising including economic, cultural, social, and political shifts—during standards in education. Suppose you were to create a game their lifetimes. Therefore, they likely have developed a that focused on the Millennial generation. In that case, it is particular set of beliefs, attitudes, and values. perhaps an online game involving a lot of communication and cooperation between players would be ideal. There are four generations of players currently in the United States: o Silent Generation (Born 1924 –1943) – Members of this generation experienced the Great Depression and World War II as small children—and came of age during the 1950s as the United States' postwar economy boomed. As children, they were sheltered and protected—and as young adults, they displayed a conformist, adaptive mentality. If you were to create References: a game that focuses on the Silent Generation, it is perhaps a Buttfield-Addison, P., Manning, J., & Nugent, T. (2019). Unity game development cookbook. game with heroes who are clean and cold—but who are not Sebastopol: O'Reilly Media, Inc. Novak, J. (2012). Game development essentials: An introduction (3rd ed.). New York: Delmar, motivated by cynicism or revenge—might connect with this Cengage Learning. 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 2 of 2