Aki Järvinenaki@gameswithoutfrontiers.net

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