The first reading this week by Noah Falstein delved into the idea of fun and why we play games. Fun is a word that describes a source of enjoyment.
It really got me thinking about what our ancestors did for fun and things they did to keep themselves entertained. It also got me thinking about how similar we are to our ancestors. We all need the ability to maintain a place in our families.
Physical fun
The primary urge of human beings is to survive. Games immerse players and tap into the theme of survival. This creates an automatic instinct of survival. Physical fun captures peoples attention because our ancestors participated in activities such as hunting and gathering.
Social fun
Humans need to interact with other people because we are social beings. Games bring people together because they allow us to socialize with each other. Many games have chat rooms where people can talk and share their experiences. eg MMO games
Mental fun
Games challenge players as they require people to think and adapt. Humans have developed larger brains over time, this gives them a better advantage of survival because it gives them the ability to store more information and to make better decisions.
Blended fun
Some games use multiple funativity types to attract a wider audience. People are interested in different types of fun. Including more than one type is a great way to build on a games player base.
The second reading for this week by Richard A. Bartle focuses on MUD games. A MUD is a predecessor to the MMO games of today. I had never heard of MUD games until I read the article because these games were popular before I was born. I also have no interest in this game genre.
The four types of players in these games are explorers, achievers, socializers, and killers. This article focuses on the types of players suited to MUD games.
Explorers - Spades
Explorers like searching the game for new locations and treasure.
Achievers - Diamonds
Achievers regard other achievers as competition. They like reaching goals and overcoming challenges in the game.
Socializers - Hearts
Socializers use the game to meet and chat with other players.
Killers - Clubs
These players don't care about the game objective, they prefer to just killing enemies.
It really got me thinking about what our ancestors did for fun and things they did to keep themselves entertained. It also got me thinking about how similar we are to our ancestors. We all need the ability to maintain a place in our families.
Physical fun
The primary urge of human beings is to survive. Games immerse players and tap into the theme of survival. This creates an automatic instinct of survival. Physical fun captures peoples attention because our ancestors participated in activities such as hunting and gathering.
Social fun
Humans need to interact with other people because we are social beings. Games bring people together because they allow us to socialize with each other. Many games have chat rooms where people can talk and share their experiences. eg MMO games
Mental fun
Games challenge players as they require people to think and adapt. Humans have developed larger brains over time, this gives them a better advantage of survival because it gives them the ability to store more information and to make better decisions.
Blended fun
Some games use multiple funativity types to attract a wider audience. People are interested in different types of fun. Including more than one type is a great way to build on a games player base.
The second reading for this week by Richard A. Bartle focuses on MUD games. A MUD is a predecessor to the MMO games of today. I had never heard of MUD games until I read the article because these games were popular before I was born. I also have no interest in this game genre.
The four types of players in these games are explorers, achievers, socializers, and killers. This article focuses on the types of players suited to MUD games.
Explorers - Spades
Explorers like searching the game for new locations and treasure.
Achievers - Diamonds
Achievers regard other achievers as competition. They like reaching goals and overcoming challenges in the game.
Socializers - Hearts
Socializers use the game to meet and chat with other players.
Killers - Clubs
These players don't care about the game objective, they prefer to just killing enemies.
Computer Gaming
(Link to Image by blahter09)
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Hey Breadman!
ReplyDeleteI really like the fine details you included in your blog post. I also found the image really funny although I shouldn't have. Keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing more blogs from you in the near future. I see you as a role model Connor. I really big Role model in my life.
Love,
James