Introduction to the Theory of Player Experience

Introduction to the Theory of Player Experience lecture outline & key points Aki Järvinen aki@gameswithoutfrontiers.net http://www.gameswithoutfrontiers.net

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 Frontiers A 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 Frontiers A Resource for Game Studies & Design

Psychology of Goals • The not be overemphasized player experience importance of goals for can • The road to attaining goals is beset by emotions • Emotions function inset as primary of goals. i.e. the managing which goals players • Goals are embodied into the design of game components, characters, environments, and their attributes Games without Frontiers A 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 Frontiers A Resource for Game Studies & Design

Variables aecting 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 Frontiers A 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 oer 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 Frontiers A 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 Frontiers A 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 aect the intensity of emotions Games without Frontiers A Resource for Game Studies & Design

Game states as scenarios for eliciting conditions Games without Frontiers A 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 Games without Frontiers A Resource for Game Studies & Design

Introduction to the Theory of Player Experience

by Aki Järvinen

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