Player psychology, motivation & behaviour
How players perceive, think and remember; who plays (Bartle, Yee, Quantic Foundry); why they play (Maslow, self-determination theory, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation); and how design shapes behaviour, including where it turns into dark patterns.
Slides: use the arrow keys or swipe; press F for full screen and Esc for an overview.
- Explain how perception, decision-making, problem-solving and memory shape play.
- Compare Bartle's player types with Yee's components and the Quantic Foundry profile.
- Apply self-determination theory and intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation to real mechanics.
- Judge how games predict, influence and encourage behaviour, and when that becomes a dark pattern.
Take the 12-question Hexad user type test and note your top type: you'll need it in the Week 2 practical. Optional: the Quantic Foundry Gamer Motivation Profile.
Key reading
Bartle, R. (1996) 'Hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades: players who suit MUDs', Journal of MUD Research, 1(1). Link
Ryan, R. M., Rigby, C. S. and Przybylski, A. (2006) 'The motivational pull of video games: a self-determination theory approach', Motivation and Emotion, 30(4), pp. 344–360.
Yee, N. (2006) 'Motivations for play in online games', CyberPsychology & Behavior, 9(6), pp. 772–775.
Zagal, J. P., Björk, S. and Lewis, C. (2013) 'Dark patterns in the design of games', Foundations of Digital Games 2013.
Lazzaro, N. (2004) 'Why we play games: four keys to more emotion without story'. XEODesign.