by Steve Hall
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There exists some ephemeral quality that separates gamers
from the rest of humanity, some thing that makes us, us and them, not us. I've never
been able to quite put my finger on it, but it is inescapably there. Today, in hopes
of moving closer to that essential quality of gamerosity, we examine part of what makes
us tick. In particular, we take a look at what draws different types of gamers to the
hobby. Every gamer plays for different reasons, but there are common threads that tie
the experience together.
Many gamers are motivated by the challenge a game can present. Success in a game may
be governed by any of a wide variety of abilities. A First Person Shooter requires twitch
reflexes, a steady hand and the ability to remain calm under pressure. A word puzzle
game may require an extensive vocabulary and the ability to rethink the uses of old
words, but no measure of speed. A sports simulation might well require an in-depth knowledge
of the topic, in addition to arcade skill, but is unlikely to have terribly much concern
for linguistic acumen.
The common thread is that all of the games challenge some subset of a player's abilities.
This challenge can be a powerful motivator. The Challenge Motivated gamer is drawn to
a game that tests their skills, preferably one that tests them to their limits. The
gamer may also be motivated by the natural improvement that comes from working at peak.
They are driven then, not only to excel, but to improve. Challenge Motivated Gamers
thrive whenever a game pushes their skill set of choice, but may be disinterested in
games that fall too far away from the target. |
Competition is a close cousin of challenge. Many gamers are driven
by the need to prove they are the best, to be pitted against their fellows and come out on top.
Competition minded gamers range from those looking for a challenge in a fair fight to the sort
of win-at-all cost leet speaking infants that give us all a bad name. Competition can be easy
to take too far. There is nothing inherently wrong with being driven by competition. To some
extent, competition is merely challenge taken to the extreme. It is only when it leads to mistreating
your fellow player that it begins to become less a motivation and more an unfortunate personality
quirk. Competition Motivated players thrive on those games where they are pitted against one
another with the outcome dictated by skill at playing the game. They will often wane in those
environments that either require cooperation, such as many MMORPGs, or in games where skill
plays a much smaller role, such as in less sophisticated card or dice games.
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