Why We Play Games, Part 2
In part one we started to get into the motivation of the gamer.
We discussed challenge and its ugly stepsister competition, two
of the most common motivators. Today, we look at two more on the
way to forming an overall model for what moves us.
Perhaps less common than the first two motivators, creativity is
nonetheless an important driving force in the gamer psyche.
Though at first gaming doesn't seem like a particularly creative
act, what with its formalized rules and structured systems,
there is much more room for self expression than one might
think. Some games play to this directly through unique
presentations or artistic themes. Music games and many of the
Sim titles are basically just expressive outlets that happen to
be governed by a computerized system of rules. Other creatives
find their outlet in multiplayer gaming. The modern MMORPG
sports equipment and decorative combinations numbering well into
the millions. The Creatively Motivated gamer takes pleasure in
designing how their character looks as well as changing how they
interact with their environment. Creatively Motivated gamers
thrive when outlets are available. Anything involving a high
degree of expression, decoration, or a large abstract component
draws them. They wilt in gaming environments governed purely by
numbers, and in those where presentation is extremely
homogeneous.
Though we sometimes don't like to admit it, escapism is a
motivation that lives in the heart of every gamer. By design, a
game creates an inherently different world. Even games which
have as one of their primary goals simulation of some aspect of
the real world recast the player into some role they find more
exciting than their own. Escaping into the role of adventurer,
pilot, quarterback or even zookeeper provides motivation for
nearly every gamer. Escapism Motivated gamers seek out games
where the environment is rich, comprehensive, real. They thrive
in worlds where suspension of disbelief is high, where they can
lose themselves in the depth and complexity available to them.
They gravitate toward role playing and simulation, environments
where the world is rich and believable. They tend to avoid
abstract games where the underlying reality is difficult to
believe or understand. It is a strange sort of paradox that
MMORPGS, with their incredibly deep histories and expansive
worlds, are not as attractive to Escapism Motivated gamers as
pure RPGs. This effect arises from the multiplayer aspect.
Players talking in a public channel about out of game topics or,
worse, about the mechanical and numerical aspects of the game
world may well ruin the escapists experience and cause them to
seek the company of non player characters or others who share
their motivation.
Much has been made of the downside of escapism. A gamer who
spends too much time in a world not their own can begin to lose
touch. This sort of disassociation with reality can, and has,
lead to all sorts of problems with work, school and personal
relations. This does not mean, however, that escapism is itself
an unhealthy thing. It is a basic part of the human experience.
The reason we vacation, watch moves, enjoy sporting events or go
camping is inherently escapist. As people, we are often
unsatisfied with out lot in life. It's natural to seek out
activities that allow us to experience something outside of our
day to day. Gaming is no different. However, as gamers, we are
an oft misunderstood community. We owe it to ourselves and to
the world at large both to fight with information, by spreading
the positive realities of gaming and gamer culture, and to fight
internally against obsession. No matter how good a substitute
for the real world a game may seem it is, in the end, only a
pastime. Leave it once in a while.
In the final part of this series we get to Social Interaction.
Then, we'll move on to some sort of unified theory about all
this.