According to a study, people play games for a variety of reasons, including the opportunity to structure and change their internal experiences. Many adults enjoy the chance to fill their heads with thoughts and emotions unrelated to work or school, while others are drawn to the challenge and opportunity to test their abilities. Games offer a sense of efficiency and order that may be lacking in everyday life, and can provide a sense of excitement and relaxation.
Some people are attracted to the sensations that games can provide, such as the thrill of dirt-bike racing or the feeling of flying. These experiences may be out of reach in real life, due to a lack of skills, resources, or social permission. Others may use games as a way to escape the real world or escape its social norms. Nearly all players enjoy the feeling of complete absorption and challenge that games can offer.
Observation has shown that players experience a range of emotions while playing games. These emotions can be seen in players’ visceral, behavioral, cognitive, and social responses to the games they play. Some players may crave the increased heart rate and excitement of a race, while others may experience the skin-prickling sensation of wonder. Tension and frustration may also be felt, followed by a sense of accomplishment and pride (known as “Fiero”).
For some players, the appeal of games lies in the opportunity to relax and escape from their worries and thoughts. Others may use games as a way to build self-esteem or to gain a sense of perspective on their own lives. In any case, it is clear that games can have a powerful impact on players’ emotions and can offer a range of therapeutic benefits.
The Four Keys to emotion structure Player Experiences are four factors that can influence how players experience emotions while playing games. These factors are:
Players’ internal experiences
Players may find enjoyment from their internal experiences in reaction to the visceral (physical sensations), behavioral (actions and movements), cognitive (thoughts and perceptions), and social (interactions with other players) properties of the game. These players play for internal sensations such as excitement or relief from their thoughts and feelings.
Challenge, strategy, and problem solving
Players may enjoy the opportunities for challenge, strategy, and problem solving that games offer. Their comments may focus on the game’s challenge and strategic thinking and problem solving. This “Hard Fun” frequently generates emotions and experiences of frustration and Fiero (a sense of accomplishment and pride).
Intrigue and curiosity
Players may become immersed in games when it absorbs their complete attention, or when it takes them on an exciting adventure. These immersive game aspects are “Easy Fun” and generate emotions and experiences of wonder, awe, and mystery.
Social experiences
Some players use games as mechanisms for social experiences. These players may enjoy the emotions of amusement, schadenfreude (pleasure at the misfortune of others), and naches (pride in the achievements of others) that come from social experiences of competition, teamwork, and the opportunity for social bonding and personal recognition that comes from playing with others.
This research found that there is a dramatic contrast in emotional displays between players who are playing a game on their own versus those playing in a group. Players in groups tend to emote more frequently and with more intensity than those playing alone. This suggests that group play adds new behaviors, rituals, and emotions that can make games more exciting.
The researchers were also surprised by the usefulness of the concept of “Flow” in describing the challenge of games and the potential for games to improve the quality of life. Flow refers to a state of complete immersion in an activity, characterized by a feeling of effortless concentration and enjoyment.
For game designers, the Four Keys to unlocking emotion in moment-to-moment gameplay (internal experiences, challenge and strategy, intrigue and curiosity, and social experiences) offer new opportunities for generating emotion through player choice. This research suggests that by understanding and utilizing these keys, game designers can create games that effectively engage and evoke emotions in players.
Source:
Games, W. W. P. (2004). Four Keys to More Emotion Without Story.