Why are games interesting?
Various studies have already been conducted and papers have been published in this field, but in this article I would like to write a little from the perspective of what kind of interpretation is easy for game developers and players to understand, rather than from an academic perspective.
Rules and objectives
First of all, I would like to point out that games have rules and a purpose .
This is generally said to be the idea that games have rules, and by working within those rules to achieve a goal, you can feel a sense of accomplishment.
This is true regardless of whether it’s a digital game or an analog game, and it’s also the mechanics of the game itself. Without rules and objectives, players wouldn’t know what to do and the game wouldn’t work in the first place.
In the development of digital games, how to adjust the rules and objectives is an important issue related to the fun of the game.
For example, in the case of an action game that moves from left to right, such as Super Mario, “players must not touch the enemy from the side,” “must not fall into holes,” “players can dash and jump,” and “players can’t touch the flag that marks the goal.” If you touch it, you will achieve your goal.”
The same is true in RPGs, such as “When you defeat an enemy, you get experience points and money.” “As you accumulate experience points, you level up and become stronger.” “You can use money to buy equipment.” “When you defeat the final boss, you get the objective.” Set rules and objectives such as “Achievement”.
This example is quite simplified, so in reality more precise rules are required. As a developer, you need to make sure that the rules are clearly communicated to the players.
By setting the rules and objectives correctly, players will be able to try and devise strategies within the rules to reach their objectives. Objectives are often set in detail even in a single game, for example, stages are divided into small sections, or there are many missions before reaching the final goal.
By gaining the experience of achieving small goals on a regular basis, you will enjoy continuing to play the game.
Increased value
The author believes that another important factor is “increase in value.”
By playing a game, the value of some element in the game increases, and the experience becomes enjoyable.
Specifically, for example, in an RPG, if the main character’s level increases or he is equipped with stronger weapons, he will be able to defeat enemies that he could not defeat before, or he will be able to travel to distant cities. This means that the value of the protagonist’s strength increases as you play the game.
Or in the case of a simulation game where you create a town, the value of the village increases as it starts out as a small village, then becomes a town, and then a city.
In action games, fighting games, etc., players’ skills improve as they play, allowing them to clear stages they were unable to clear or defeat opponents they were unable to defeat.
In the sense of playing against each other, Go and Shogi have the same fun, and by getting to know and understand these games deeply, you can gain the experience of becoming stronger yourself.
The increase in value in a game is similar in element to the increase in value in real life, but in a game you can experience the grandeur of value relatively more easily than in reality.
You can enjoy the experience of gradually becoming stronger, growing your town, earning more money, and being able to do more things.
This experience of fun can also be called a simulated experience of effort or success, and I think that if used well, it can lead to motivation in the real world.
In fact, such efforts are being made within the framework of serious games, such as using games to promote behavioral changes toward learning.
There are many other factors that make a game interesting, such as how beautiful the images are, how pleasant the effects are, how easy the controls are, and the story, but it is important to understand why a game is interesting. By thinking about it, you can not only create more interesting games, but also find possibilities for applications other than games.
コメントを残す