introduction to the theory of player experience
DESCRIPTION
A short introduction to the theory of studying and designing player experiences I've developed in my Ph.D. thesis. The set outlines a 90 min lecture on the subject.TRANSCRIPT
Aki Jä[email protected]
http://www.gameswithoutfrontiers.net
Introduction to theTheory of Player Experiencelecture outline & key points
Games without FrontiersA Resource for Game Studies & Design
Contents• Introduction to key psychological concepts
• On the psychology and ludology of goals
• Theories of entertainment & enjoyment
• Player abilities in the context of human abilities
• Emotion theory in terms of applied ludology
• Examples of practical applications for game studies and design
• Exercises
Games without FrontiersA Resource for Game Studies & Design
What is Player Experience?• The cognitions, emotions, and physical
activity during playing a game, and immediately afterwards
• I.e. a play experience in the particular context of a game
• Studying player experience equals studying psychological, cognitive, physiological, and emotional aspects of gaming encounters
Games without FrontiersA Resource for Game Studies & Design
Psychology of Goals• The importance of goals for player experience
can not be overemphasized
• The road to attaining goals is beset by emotions
• Emotions function in the managing of goals. i.e. which goals players set as primary
• Goals are embodied into the design of game components, characters, environments, and their attributes
Games without FrontiersA Resource for Game Studies & Design
Types of Emotions• Ortony, Collins & Clore: The Cognitive Structure of Emotions (1990)
• Emotions are valenced (+/-) reactions towards agents, events, or objects in the world
• Games create micro-worlds with agents, events, and objects
• Emotion categories according to the OCC model:
• Prospect-based emotions
• Fortunes-of-others emotions
• Attribution emotions
• Attraction emotions
• Well-being emotions
Games without FrontiersA Resource for Game Studies & Design
Variables affecting intensity of emotions• Sense of reality
• Proximity
• Unexpectedness
• Arousal
• The variables have consequences for identification with goals, immersing oneself to the game as a world, how surprised one feels about events in the game, etc.
Games without FrontiersA Resource for Game Studies & Design
Player abilities as uncertainty factors• Any game that allows use of skill in attaining goals (instead of,
e.g., pure chance) must offer opportunities for the skills to develop.
• Skills are based on abilities and aptitudes
• Requires an interpretation of general human abilities from a ludological perspective (see Thesis chapter)
• Identifying non-trivial abilities in the face of goals and game mechanics
• Analysis method: which abilities make a successful performance of game mechanics uncertain, i.e. which player abilities contribute to the margin of error?
Games without FrontiersA Resource for Game Studies & Design
Player Ability Sets
• Player Ability Sets: sets of human cognitive, psychomotor, and physical abilities that cater for specific skills and aptitudes
• What constitutes a ‘dance game’ ability set? How about a ‘brain flexing’ set for crossword puzzles and Sudokus?
Games without FrontiersA Resource for Game Studies & Design
Player performances as sources of emotions• Performance can also be conceptualised through the
three-fold division to self, other, and system
• In games of skill, hopes and fears of players are anchored to their own abilities to perform in the face of goals
• Skill is a prospect for prospect-based emotions
• Thus, performance-of-self is the source of pride and disappointment
• And self-judgment on one’s abilities has consequences for the variables that affect the intensity of emotions
Games without FrontiersA Resource for Game Studies & Design
Game states as scenarios for eliciting conditions
Games without FrontiersA Resource for Game Studies & Design
Harvesting exercise• Use 5 mins to come up
with game state scenarios where there is high emotional intensity or potential
• After which we’ll analyse their constitution in terms of game design
• Let’s practice with Zuma