How is it that games are able to entertain millions of people around the world for hours every day? How is it that a game can motivate players to play through hours of content, completing numerous missions, dying, restarting, failing, but ultimately reaching the end of the game while offering no real, tangible incentive for doing so? Why is it that when we play a game we feel numerous heightened emotions, from excitement to empowerment, even though games, at face value, aren’t even real? If you’re a gamer you know that a game can make you feel larger than life.
Games don’t achieve this through some bizarre pixel-magic. At their centre, games are psychological powerhouses. Developers know what it is that makes gamers tick, and they turn the desires, imaginations and emotions of gamers into a product of entertainment. Entertainment, however, is just one small part of gaming. The true power of gaming comes from understanding how games motivate and empower gamers.
Once you understand how games motivate you and make you feel empowered, you can apply the same laws to real life. In this article we will be revealing the many wonderful ways in which games work psychologically, and then applying those gameplay mechanics to real life. We’ll cover all major gaming genres, from shooting games to RPGs, looking at the psychological rules governing their gameplay, and then applying those rules to real life. What this means is that if you’re a gamer who loves RPGs, you’ll discover why you love RPGs, how RPGs motivate you to keep playing and how you can turn the laws of RPG design into laws for real life. Or, if you’re a fan of shooters, you’ll discover how shooters make gamers feel empowered, and likewise apply those laws to real life. Games have the power to motivate, to empower, to create joy and happiness and many more positive. Continue Reading
