It is known that video games are played even more than movies are watched. They have long ago overcame the level of simple competition, chasing to goal, killing enemies, or simply collecting points. Games are today conceived as films, with complex scenarios, complications, multilayer actions and a multitude of characters. Video games in the 21st century are combining the most interesting novels, top movies and best music. The most talented screenwriters, illustrators, designers, composers are working on them. Their common product is a magical world full of adventure, crafts, characters and illusions. Every inclination of imagination and fiction difficully resists on their charms.
Due to the great popularity of this entertainment, gamers did not bypass negative stereotypes. Usually, we imagine them as relatively young men, sleep-deprived and pale from too much time spent in front of computers, oftenly fattened, isolated, lonely and socially unadjusted.
But who really are people who spend hours playing video games? The wrong answer is that the gamer can be called anyone who simply plays video games, and that they (videogames) are attractive just because they are fun. As these topics became more and more interesting to psychologists, we will look at some of the studies that have tried to explain this phenomenon more deeply.
Video games fulfill elementary psychological needs
As video games belong to the activities that we practice because of the satisfaction they provide and the interest in the content itself, they are considered to be internally motivated. According to cognitive evaluation theory, activities enhance internal motivation if they satisfy three basic human needs: for competence (feeling of efficiency), autonomy and feeling of belonging. Psychologists have proven that video games can positively affect our psyche, and that their attraction is based on the potential to fulfill exactly these three psychological needs.
For example, video game challenges are so designed that players feel their competence grow as long as they are in them. By improving the skill of the game, the challenge and complexity of the game itself grows. Maintaining the balance between the weight of the game and the skill of the player is the key to success and popularity. If it's too hard, frustration can occur, if it's too easy, it causes boredom. All this is actually an illustration of fulfilling the need for competence
The need for autonomy is best seen in games such as Final Fantasy or The Legend of Zelda, where a player plays the role of a fictional character and gives him the possibility of choice of strategy, goals or actions. Feeling of belonging is even more pronounced since there is a possibility of linking and interaction, collaboration and competition with other players from all over the world (World of Warcraft).
Who is addicted on video games?
79% of adult respondents claim that they sacrifice the basic aspects of their lives in order to maintain their status in the game, and play an average of 24.7 hours per week. Addiction on video games (if you are inclined to admit this kind of addiction), has nothing to do with how much time we dedicate to it. The problem arises only when it leaves the consequences on our real life. Therefore, it is possible to play at 40 hours a week, without any negative consequences for everyday functioning, and certainly in this case, we can not talk about addiction. The problem is sacrificing work, friends, family, hobbies, sleep, school, nervousness due to distance from the computer, or persistent gaming even when we do not enjoy or feel frustration.
Here is another interesting thing for the purpose of defending the passionate gamers - obsessive gaming is a consequence of the unfulfilled needs for competence, autonomy and belonging in real life. Games are not those who cause psychological distress. Excessive and compulsive gaming is a symptom and an indicator of other problems. Also, those who have fulfilled these three needs, only play when they really want to, and they are aware that they can decide whether to play or not. This is why they enjoy and acquire positive mood after playing.
What’s motivating us to immerse into the world of video games?
Video games provide a sense of immersion - as if we are really present in the virtual world of the game. We can feel physical presence (as if we are part of that world), emotional presence (the impression that events really have emotional weight) and narrative presence (involvement and investing in the story). Many believe that better graphics and sound make us more immersed in the virtual world. However, research shows that these two things are the least important. The most important indicator is how much the game fulfills the basic psychological needs for competence, autonomy and feeling of belonging.
Which video games atract women?
Although a much larger percentage of gamers is made of men (between 70 and 80%), women who enjoy video games should not be ignored. However, there are differences in the choice of the game. Thus, men prefer the ones that give them a sense of power and dominance over others, while women love games that provide a sense of successful ending of challenges, enjoy the world of fantasy and more often use them to escape from everyday problems and stress.
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Types of gamers
Vestvud and Grifits have come up with six types of gamers on their research.
Solo players guided by the story - for them, playing games is a special, personal experience. They are attracted by stories, graphics and sound, not competition and comparison with other players.
Social players - they motivate them to socialize, but do not compare their achievements with other gamers. Solo-restricted players - motivated by personal experience, but they strictly limit themselves on their time for the game.
Hardcore online gamers - they motivate them to interact with other players, compare their achievements with other participants, they love high-graphic games, and during the game they lose the notion of time. If someone interrupts them in this activity, they continue as soon as an opportunity arises.
Solo gamers control / identity - they are extremely identified with avatar or character in the game, for which they love coherent stories and try to reach the end of the game (or "complete" the game). If they encounter obstacles or "get stuck", they easily look for outside help (from other gamers or on the Internet). Occasional gamers - they are definitely not addicts. They play very little in their free time and are not motivated by loyalty to the brand or franchise (they play a game that seems good for them well, whichever it is).
Richard Bartle, one of the most famous video game researchers, and their designer, offered his multiplayer gamer types based on the perceived motivation and behavior. The winners are motivated by the goals set by the game itself and the goal is of course - to win. Societies use the virtual world of games to play roles and communicate with other gamers. Researchers are trying to find out more about the very concept of the game and how it works. Killers use the game to unnerve other players and give them the pleasure of mistreat and cause anxiety in other players.
The very identity of the gamer is based on playing certain types of games (the so-called core games), playing for a certain time by playing certain devices (Xbox, Nintendo Wii) etc. Although playing video games is just another way to spend free time, such as watching TV shows and movies, is it highlighted by the particularly negative connotations associated with this activity. As the gamers themselves are aware that it is not too clever to brag about their spending free time, they only talk about this topic with other gamers,therefore creating a marginalized, closed group which is the way for maintaining negative stereotypes. Also, it is much more likely that young people will point out their gamer status, unlike the eldery ones, because in that period, the gamer is more socially acceptable, and it is especially useful for teenagers who have the need to identify and feel group affiliation.