Videogames Fill Psychological Needs for Players 143
codegen writes "The CBC (among others) is reporting that researchers at the University of Rochester and Immersyve Inc. have released a study indicating that people enjoy video games because they satisfy a psychological need. The study showed that the interrelations between players in MMOGs were particularly important. From the article: 'Gamers said they felt the best about their experience when the games they played produced positive outcomes in scenarios related to the real world ... The researchers evaluated players' motivations in virtual worlds by asking four groups of people to play different games, including a genre known as massively multiplayer online (MMO) games, which some industry watchers regard as the future of video games.'"
Different games... (Score:5, Interesting)
Reasoning? Pacman and space invaders are immersive escapes from reality. When you're sitting there controlling some pixels (or vectors if you're really old school) on a screen without interacting with anyone else around you, you have escaped our reality to enter another one for a time.
But in Counter-Strike, you can fulfill your basic psychological need to shoot annoying teenagers in the face. When the game is multi-player, it's just a disguise, an extension of the reality we live in. You interact with other real people, and kill them, or sell them blue items for gold, or zerg their base and capture their flags. It's still reality, but minus the consequences one usually faces for equivalent actions.
That's my take on it, at least.
Synthetic Achievement (Score:2, Interesting)
I'll go back to the genuinely fun game once I am no longer deficient in REAL accomplishments.
I think it's definately safe to say that while there would be a market for MMORPGS if they didn't tap into people's psychological deficiencies for enjoyment, they definately are built around doing just that. So many people play it like work or out of a sense of obligation or investment long after the fun has been tapped out. Just check out the forums for ANY MMO.
It's about the timescale (Score:3, Interesting)
I imagine jobs that have more "bite sized" achievements are better. For example, some doctors get the satisfaction of treating multiple patients each day. Of course, then other things kick in. For example, if you screw up in WoW, you can just restart the quest or dungeon. If you screw up at work, it can cost you your job.
I think it might be true... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:The reason is obvious (Score:3, Interesting)
Speak for yourself.... life would probably be less boring if you'd go out and do something instead of sitting playing a video game in the first place!
Anyway, I'd suggest that they serve as not merely a passtime, but rather an outlet, or a release for things we can't do in waking life, because we are limited by physics, law, morals, etc. Hmmm... sound familiar? Freud believe that our dreams serve this purpose of "wish fulfillment" while we sleep. To me gaming seems identical - a way to unplug and enter a fantasy world where the mind can be temporarily freed from the hindrances of the ego and the physical world.
Significant real world benefits of Mmorgs. (Score:5, Interesting)
2) greatly improved ability to flirt casually.
3) managing a guild of 90 members made managing a team of 22 people at work easy.
4) managing the logistics of a large guild's advancement made managing the logistics of large projects easier.
5) greatly increased confidence
6) greatly increased ability to let everyone bitch and stay above it (a "rare" quality commented on by senior management to me recently).
7) greatly increased skill with alcohol that has lead to being able to hold interesting conversations about Port and other fine drinks with afficianados. (it was a drinking guild and we get together for annual boozy fun parties and that lead to my fall from near teetotaler status).
8) led to RL buds that has led to two extra RL skiing trips (one in whistler) which lead to two 22 year old pretty blond australian girls dancing and flirting with me because I was a texan cowboy. which is funny since I'm in my 40's.
There may be more.
There were downsides.
At the height of my addiction, I let my real personal life go to hell for about 24 months. It was pretty much - work 8 hours, play 8 hours, sleep/bathe/eat in the other 8 hours. It was a magical world that did fill all my needs and then one day in 2002ish I finally got full and got back on with life. I still play 7 to 15 hours a week.
It definitely contributed to carpal tunnel (tho my job does that anyway).
It lead me to be much less idealistic and much more realistic about how many people (80%) out there are users (some purposely- more subconciously).\
It lead me to appreciate those people who are real (i'd say about 20%?).
Re:Synthetic Achievement (Score:4, Interesting)
That being said, do with your lives whatever you see fit. It's none of my buisiness. I just personally have given up RPG's because of this realization.
Adarn