Most gamers don’t spend much time analyzing why we game and what games we enjoy. In fact, much of the pleasure in gaming derives from the ability to disconnect from the real world. Nevertheless it’s worth asking: What makes gaming fun in the first place?
Richard Bartle’s taxonomy of player types uses psychology to provide clues as to which games certain gamers might enjoy by analyzing the way they play. And while his insightful 1996 analysis remains relevant nearly three decades later, it doesn’t explain why gamers game to begin with.
Adrian Krion is the CEO and Founder of the Berlin-based blockchain gaming startup Spielworks and maker of the user-friendly gaming wallet Wombat.
Many people see Web3 gaming as the next frontier of gaming itself, but so far the industry has been a little slow going. Is there anything crypto gaming could learn from the foundational principles of gaming to improve?
The psychology of failure
Renowned Danish game developer Jesper Juul also taps into the psychology of gaming by claiming that failure is a motivating factor among gamers. Juul posits in his 2016 book “The Art of Failure: An Essay on the Pain of Playing Video Games” that one of the main reasons people play video games is to fail, because it gives us the chance to learn and improve.
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In real life, we often view failure as a stop on the path to success, and it certainly serves as a motivating factor to help us overcome life’s challenges. But for video games – a recreational activity – the idea that failure could be a major motivating factor for gamers ahead of entertainment may sound absurd to both gamers and non-gamers.
In his book, Juul notes that “we generally avoid failure” in life, yet we “seek out games” where the experience itself either involves or is about failure. Juul refers to this as the “paradox of failure.”
This paradox doesn’t mean gaming isn’t fun, however difficult a certain mission or level may be. A game that is too easy is likely boring, but a challenging game that causes us to fail gives us the chance to improve. This has a powerful impact on the psyche and can be applied to other aspects of life. After all, improvement and overcoming adversity serve as confidence boosters.
Any gamer can tell you that beating…
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