Getting Gamers

1. Video games tap into our psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness

"Self-determination theory" offers a framework for understanding why people are motivated to keep playing games. We do it to satisfy needs for "competence, autonomy, and relatedness."

Competence refers to feeling capable and effective in one's actions. Games satisfy this need by providing clear goals, immediate feedback, and progressively challenging tasks that allow players to develop and demonstrate mastery. Autonomy is fulfilled through meaningful choices and the freedom to approach goals in different ways. Many games offer open worlds, multiple paths to victory, or customizable characters to satisfy this need. Relatedness is met through social interactions, multiplayer modes, and narratives that make players feel connected to characters or a larger community.

• Examples of competence in games:
  • Leveling up systems
  • Skill trees and unlockable abilities
  • High scores and leaderboards
• Examples of autonomy in games:
  • Open-world exploration
  • Multiple dialogue choices in RPGs
  • Customizable loadouts in shooters
• Examples of relatedness in games:
  • Multiplayer modes and team-based gameplay
  • In-game chat and social features
  • Emotionally engaging storylines and characters

2. Anonymity in online gaming can lead to both positive and negative behaviors

"Gamers aren't innately toxic. It's all about context. It's about context inside the game and outside the game and how they can twist behaviors. How they can create toxic behaviors even in good people."

Deindividuation is a psychological state where people's sense of individual identity fades, making them more susceptible to environmental cues for behavior. In online gaming, anonymity can lead to deindividuation, resulting in both positive and negative outcomes. On the negative side, it can lead to toxic behavior, harassment, and "trolling." On the positive side, it can allow people to express themselves more freely and form connections they might not otherwise make.

Game developers have implemented various strategies to combat toxic behavior:

• Implementing honor systems and positive reinforcement for good behavior
• Using AI to detect and moderate toxic language
• Creating social norms and expectations through game design and community management
• Offering players more control over their social interactions, such as mute and block features

3. The psychology of cheating in games mirrors real-world motivations

"Cheating in video games covers many different kinds of behaviors. Many of the systems in modern games (scores, rankings, losing in-game rewards) incentivize cheating thanks to psychological phenomena such as loss aversion, overvaluing sunk costs, and a desire to win out during social comparisons."

Loss aversion plays a significant role in cheating behavior. Players are more likely to cheat to avoid losing progress or status than to gain something new. This mirrors real-world behaviors where people are more likely to cheat on taxes to avoid owing money than to get a bigger refund. Social comparison also drives cheating, as players want to perform well compared to their peers.

Factors influencing cheating in games:

• Perceived fairness of the game's systems
• Strength of anti-cheat measures and consequences
• Social norms within the gaming community
• Personal moral standards and self-image as a "non-cheater"

Game developers can discourage cheating by:

• Designing fair and balanced game systems
• Implementing robust anti-cheat technology
• Fostering a community that values fair play
• Providing alternative ways to progress or recover from losses

4. Fandoms and brand loyalty in gaming stem from identity-based attachments

"Possessions also help define our identity, especially high-commitment ones like gaming that require a great deal of time and/or money."

Identity formation through gaming choices leads to strong brand loyalty and fandoms. Players often see their preferred games, consoles, or genres as extensions of themselves. This attachment can lead to defensive behaviors when their choices are criticized, as it feels like a personal attack. The phenomenon is similar to brand loyalty in other consumer products but is intensified by the interactive and time-consuming nature of gaming.

Factors contributing to gaming identity and fandom:

• Time and money invested in a particular game or platform
• Social connections formed through gaming communities
• Nostalgia and personal history with a game franchise
• Perceived status or expertise within a gaming niche

The strength of these attachments can lead to both positive outcomes (passionate communities, user-generated content) and negative ones (toxic fandoms, resistance to criticism or change).

5. Nostalgia plays a powerful role in our gaming experiences and preferences

"Nostalgia is an emotion and can be manipulated like other emotions. It's generally defined as a sentimental longing for the past, especially in reference to how things used to be better."

Emotional resonance of past gaming experiences shapes current preferences and behaviors. Nostalgia in gaming is particularly powerful because it often combines personal memories, social experiences, and a sense of mastery or achievement. Game developers and marketers leverage nostalgia to create new products that appeal to players' fond memories.

Effects of nostalgia in gaming:

• Drives interest in remakes and remasters of classic games
• Influences game design choices in new titles
• Shapes marketing strategies for gaming products
• Creates a market for retro-style games and hardware

Nostalgia can also lead to the "rose-tinted glasses" effect, where players remember past games as better than they actually were. This can sometimes lead to disappointment when revisiting old favorites or unrealistic expectations for new entries in beloved franchises.

6. Game design leverages psychological principles to keep players engaged

"The Zeigarnik effect and the endowed-progress effect describe our preoccupation with tasks that are begun but not yet finished. Think side quests here."

The Zeigarnik effect states that people remember uncompleted tasks better than completed ones. Game designers use this by creating multiple unfinished objectives, quests, or collectibles that nag at the player's mind. The endowed-progress effect occurs when people are given a sense of progress towards a goal, making them more likely to complete it. This is used in loyalty programs and achievement systems in games.

Psychological principles used in game design:

• Variable reward schedules (like in loot systems)
• Flow state inducement through balanced challenge
• Social proof and competition through leaderboards
• Sunk cost fallacy exploitation through time-gated content

These principles, when applied ethically, can create engaging and satisfying gameplay experiences. However, they can also be used manipulatively, especially in free-to-play and mobile games, to encourage excessive play or spending.

7. In-game purchases and subscriptions exploit cognitive biases

"In-game currencies are to credit cards what credit cards are to cash. That is, they are even less transparent and more temporally separated from the pain of payment."

Mental accounting plays a significant role in how players perceive and make in-game purchases. By using virtual currencies, games create a psychological distance between real money and in-game spending. This makes it easier for players to make impulsive purchases or spend more than they initially intended.

Tactics used in monetization strategies:

• Virtual currencies with complex exchange rates
• Limited-time offers creating a sense of urgency
• Bundled purchases obscuring individual item values
• Subscription models leveraging status quo bias

Game developers and publishers must balance profitable monetization strategies with ethical concerns about exploiting psychological vulnerabilities, especially in games popular with children or vulnerable populations.

8. Social proof and peer influence drive gaming behaviors and purchases

"Cheating appears to spread through a social mechanism. The presence and the number of cheater friends of a [noncheating] player is correlated with the likelihood of her becoming a cheater in the future."

Social influence is a powerful force in gaming communities. Players are more likely to adopt behaviors, make purchases, or try new games when they see their peers doing so. This principle applies to both positive behaviors (like cooperative play) and negative ones (like cheating or toxic behavior).

Ways social proof manifests in gaming:

• Popularity of streamed content and "Let's Play" videos
• Influence of user reviews and ratings on game sales
• Spread of in-game trends and memes
• Adoption of new games or genres within friend groups

Game developers and marketers leverage social proof through features like friend activity feeds, social media integration, and influencer partnerships. Understanding and managing social dynamics is crucial for maintaining healthy gaming communities and ecosystems.

9. Avatar customization affects player behavior and self-perception

"Enclothed cognition" is a theory about how the clothes we wear affect our thoughts and assumptions about what we can do. This can extend to video game avatars, especially when we can customize them.

The Proteus effect describes how the appearance and characteristics of a player's avatar can influence their behavior and self-perception. Players tend to act in ways consistent with their avatar's appearance, even if it differs from their real-life personality or appearance. This effect can be observed in both short-term gameplay and longer-term identity formation.

Implications of avatar customization:

• Potential for positive behavior change through aspirational avatars
• Risk of reinforcing stereotypes or negative behaviors
• Opportunity for identity exploration and self-expression
• Marketing potential through avatar-based product placement

Game designers can use avatar customization to encourage desired behaviors or create more immersive experiences. However, they should also be aware of the potential for unintended consequences or reinforcement of harmful stereotypes.

10. Violent video games' effects on aggression remain controversial but complex

"The evidence from research on violent video games is not as clear-cut and definitive as people on the extremes of either side would have you believe."

The debate over violent video games' effects on aggression is ongoing and complex. While some studies suggest a link between violent game exposure and increased aggressive thoughts or behaviors, others find no significant relationship. The General Aggression Model (GAM) proposes that exposure to violent media can prime aggressive thoughts and behaviors, but critics argue that laboratory measures of aggression may not translate to real-world violence.

Factors complicating the violent video game debate:

• Methodological issues in existing studies
• Difficulty in isolating video game effects from other influences
• Short-term vs. long-term effects
• Individual differences in susceptibility to media influence

While the debate continues, it's important to consider the context of violent content in games, the age and maturity of players, and the potential for games to also promote prosocial behaviors.

11. Action video games can improve specific cognitive skills

"There is a growing body of research that shows video games can help people improve a variety of skills related to perception, attention, and visual acuity."

Contrary to popular belief, action video games, particularly first-person shooters, have been shown to improve various cognitive skills. Research by Daphne Bavelier and others has demonstrated that action game players often outperform non-gamers in tasks involving visual attention, spatial reasoning, and multitasking.

Cognitive skills improved by action games:

• Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity
• Attention allocation and divided attention
• Spatial cognition and mental rotation
• Task-switching and cognitive flexibility

While these improvements are specific and may not generalize to all areas of cognition, they challenge the notion that video games are purely entertainment with no cognitive benefits. This research has implications for cognitive training, rehabilitation, and educational applications of video games.

Last updated: March 11, 2025