Why We Play Games, Part 1
There exists some ephemeral quality that separates gamers from
the rest of humanity, some thing that makes us, us and them, not
us. I've never been able to quite put my finger on it, but it is
inescapably there. Today, in hopes of moving closer to that
essential quality of gamerosity, we examine part of what makes
us tick. In particular, we take a look at what draws different
types of gamers to the hobby. Every gamer plays for different
reasons, but there are common threads that tie the experience
together.
Many gamers are motivated by the challenge a game can present.
Success in a game may be governed by any of a wide variety of
abilities. A First Person Shooter requires twitch reflexes, a
steady hand and the ability to remain calm under pressure. A
word puzzle game may require an extensive vocabulary and the
ability to rethink the uses of old words, but no measure of
speed. A sports simulation might well require an in-depth
knowledge of the topic, in addition to arcade skill, but is
unlikely to have terribly much concern for linguistic acumen.
The common thread is that all of the games challenge some subset
of a player's abilities. This challenge can be a powerful
motivator. The Challenge Motivated gamer is drawn to a game that
tests their skills, preferably one that tests them to their
limits. The gamer may also be motivated by the natural
improvement that comes from working at peak. They are driven
then, not only to excel, but to improve. Challenge Motivated
Gamers thrive whenever a game pushes their skill set of choice,
but may be disinterested in games that fall too far away from
the target.
Competition is a close cousin of challenge. Many gamers are
driven by the need to prove they are the best, to be pitted
against their fellows and come out on top. Competition minded
gamers range from those looking for a challenge in a fair fight
to the sort of win-at-all cost leet speaking infants that give
us all a bad name. Competition can be easy to take too far.
There is nothing inherently wrong with being driven by
competition. To some extent, competition is merely challenge
taken to the extreme. It is only when it leads to mistreating
your fellow player that it begins to become less a motivation
and more an unfortunate personality quirk. Competition Motivated
players thrive on those games where they are pitted against one
another with the outcome dictated by skill at playing the game.
They will often wane in those environments that either require
cooperation, such as many MMORPGs, or in games where skill plays
a much smaller role, such as in less sophisticated card or dice
games.
Next week we will take a look at some other common gamer
motivations, including Creativity and Escapism.