Player Elements

HANDOUT 3 (GAME DEV)

Player Motivation

Understanding this can help you develop games that will fulfill these needs. Game developers should always consider this question so that the components of games that are most attractive to players will be utilized enough to keep the players interested.

Social interaction

can be a motivating factor for some players. Although social interaction can take place in the immediate environment (real-life interaction), it can also occur ingame—especially in social games and MMOs.

Physical seclusion

Players motivated by physical seclusion would probably prefer to play games in a private place—such as their homes.

This challenges the definition of “being social.” Some would argue that people who prefer to stay home and play an MMO must be antisocial. Others would argue that these same people must be highly social because they are most likely interacting with many more people than would be possible

Competition

Some players enjoy the thrill of competing with other players.

Knowledge

Players can be motivated to gain knowledge of particular concepts, processes, and strategies by playing games—although this motivation often is unconscious.

Mastery

Some players are motivated to master the game itself— demonstrating their ability to dominate the game world and figure out how to become advanced players.

Escapism

Players often indicate that they are motivated to play to escape from the ongoing stresses and challenges of real life.

Addiction

Unlike the comparatively “passive” entertainment of television and film, games offer players the opportunity to take active roles in the entertainment experience—including making decisions and getting feedback.

This can be highly rewarding for players, but it can also make them crave and indulge in continuous play to the point of ignoring other more important areas of their lives.

Game Market

Learning how to identify target audience personas ensures that you can take your brand (games) to market in the most cost-effective and efficient way.

Geographics

relate to the players’ geographic locations, which could include various countries or even regions within those countries.

Psychographics

consists of people’s values, attitudes, and lifestyles. Unlike demographics, a group's psychographics are more difficult to guess externally, since these are more relevant to their personality.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

In 1943, Isabel Briggs Myers and her mother, Katharine Briggs, developed a model to measure personality types.

MBTI: Extrovert (E) vs. Introvert (I)

Energy is more outer or innerdirected.

MBTI: Sensing (S) vs. Intuitive (N)

Perception is more present or future-oriented.

MBTI: Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)

Judgment-formation is more objective or subjective.

Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)

Approach to the world is more structured or spontaneous.

Demographics

The _____________ of players include statistical information such as gender, age, income level, education level, marital status, ethnicity, and religion.

Generation

this is considered part of both demographics and psychographics.

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.

it is perhaps a game with heroes who are clean and cold—but who are not motivated by cynicism or revenge—might connect with this generation.

Boom Generation (Born 1943–1961)

Members of this generation were small children during the postwar ____.

it is perhaps a game with a social, spiritual, or political message that would be ideal.

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.

it is perhaps a game that focuses on an independent, nomadic character who is “on the edge” and takes risks would be ideal.

Millennial Generation (Born 1982–2002)

Members of this generation grew up during the 1982–2000 economic boom— the greatest in history and fueled by high-technology.

___________ have benefited from their parents' increased spending and the rising standards in education. Suppose you were to create a game that focused on the __________ generation. In that case, it is perhaps an online game involving a lot of communication and cooperation between players would be ideal.