Lecture for Level 2 of The Los Angeles Film School's Survey of the Videogame Industry course.

1. Level 2
David Mullich
Survey of the Videogame Industry
The Los Angeles Film School

2. Man The Player
 In his 1938 book Homo Ludens, Huizinga
discusses the importance of play and society.
 Huizinga suggests that play may be the primary
formative element of human culture.
 Coined the term “play theory”.
 "Man only plays when in the full meaning of the
word he is a man, and he is only completely a man
when he plays."
Johan Huizinga
1872-1945

3. Characteristics of Play
 Play is free. It is, in fact, freedom.
 Play is not “ordinary” or “real” life.
 Play is distinct from “ordinary” life both as to locality
and duration.
 Play is connected with no material interest, and no
profit can be gained from it.
 Play creates order, is order. Play demands order
absolute and supreme.

4. Our Need For Order
Humans are motivated by order
and we desire organization.
Did you ever wonder why
games like Candy Crush or
Bejewelled are so popular?
Something inside your brain is
telling you, “That's all messed
up! Tidy it up now!”

5. The Magic Circle
Inside the magic circle, real-world events have
special meanings.

7. Emergent Play: Episode 12 - The Magic Circle (3:34)

8. Discussion
 What is the Magic Circle?
 When do we enter a Magic Circle?
 How is a Magic Circle different from “real
life”?

9. Immersion
 Immersion creates the illusion that
you are another person or in another
place.
 An immersive experience can be
achieved through theme, story,
character, graphics, and audio.

10. The Magic Circle - How Games Transport Us to New Worlds -
Extra Credits (6:19)

11. Discussion
 How does the Magic Circle relate to
Immersion?
 What elements of a game create an
immersive experience?

12. Intertainment Taxonomy
Chris Crawford

13. Intertainment Taxonomy
 "Intertainment" is the class of activities that entertain
through their interactive nature
 "Interactive stories" are conventional stories with some
small interactive element added (Manhole)
 "Playthings" are systems that entertain through their
response to the player’s actions
 "Toys" are playthings without defined goals (SimCity)

14. Intertainment Taxonomy
 "Challenges" are playthings with clearly defined goals
 "Puzzles" are challenges with no purposeful opponents
(Tetris)
 "Conflicts" are challenges with purposeful opponents
 "Competitions" are conflicts without impeding action
between the competitors

15. Intertainment Taxonomy
This leaves “games” as interactive
entertainment with conflicts in which the
players directly interact in such a way as to
foil each other’s goals.

16. Definitions of “Game”
Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein “In my view, the explanation is that a word like
“game” points to a somewhat diffuse “system” of
prototype frames, among which some frame-shifts
are easy, but others involve more strain”
Philosopher Bernard Suits “The voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary
obstacles”
Game Designer Sid Meier “A series of meaningful choices”
Game Designer Jesse Schell “A game is a problem-solving activity, approached
with a playful attitude.”
Game Designers Eric Zimmerman and Katie Salen “A game is a system in which players engage in an
artificial conflict, defined by rules, that results in a
quantifiable outcome.”
Game Designer Amy Jo Kim ”A structured experience with rules and goals that’s
fun.”
Gamification Guru Andrzej Marczewski “Voluntarily undertaking tasks within a system
constrained by a set of rules, to achieve a desirable
outcome.”

17. Game Traits
 Form of play
 Objectives
 Rules
There are so many types of games, they can be hard to
define. But most games have the following traits:
 Feedback
 Conflict
 Choices

18. Which of the following are games?

19. Painting
 Form of play: Yes (especially for artists)
 Objectives: Just what you set for yourself
 Rules: None. You don’t even need a brush!
 Feedback: Just what you and others think
 Conflict: How well you meet your own goals
 Choices: Infinite
How would you make painting into more of a game?

20. Slot Machine
 Form of play: Yes (especially for grandmas)
 Objectives: Win more money than you put in
 Rules: Put in coin and pull lever
 Feedback: Matching symbols and coins returned
 Conflict: Odds of matching symbols appearing
 Choices: None
How would you make playing slots into more of a game?

21. Jigsaw Puzzle
 Form of play: Yes (especially for kids)
 Objectives: Connect all the pieces to form a picture
 Rules: All pieces must be used and fit together
 Feedback: Image formed by connecting pieces
 Conflict: None. You can keep trying until done
 Choices: Orientation and placement of pieces
How would you make a jigsaw puzzle into a game?

22. Checkers
 Form of play: Yes (especially for grandpas)
 Objectives: Capture all the opponent’s pieces
 Rules: Pieces move diagonally; jump to capture
 Feedback: Board and pieces
 Conflict: Your opponent is trying to win too
 Choices: Pieces to move and where to move them
Yes, checkers is definitely a game.

23. IS
AN ACTIVITY OR A GAME?

24. A Relevant Question?
Extra Credits: What Is A Game (5:16)

25. Discussion
 Why does Extra Credits think “What is a
game?” a wrong question to ask?
 Do you think it is useful to distinguish
between a game and “an interactive
experience”?

27. We Play Games Because It’s FUN!
Duh!
So, what is fun?
“Fun is the enjoyment of
pleasure.” Horst Streck

28. The Four Keys of Fun
 Easy Fun (Novelty): Curiosity from exploration,
role play, and creativity
 Hard Fun (Challenge): Fiero, the epic win, from
achieving a difficult goal
 People Fun (Friendship): Amusement from
competition and cooperation
 Serious Fun (Meaning): Excitement from changing
the player and their world
Nicole Lazzaro

29. Play Value
Play Value is the reasons why a player
chooses to play a particular game.
Many players can’t explain well why we like to
play a particular game, so game designers
will look towards Behavioral Psychology and
other models to better understand why certain
aspects of a game appeal to particular
players.

30. Playing Games Make Us Happy
According to Professor
Victor Manrique, people
play games because they
experience emotions that
are closely related to the
main factors of happiness.

31. So, What is Happiness?
Psychologist Martin Seligman provides the acronym
PERMA to summarize the factors that seem to make
people happy:
 Pleasure: tasty food, warm baths, etc.
 Engagement (or flow): the absorption of an
enjoyed yet challenging activity
 Relationships: social ties have turned out to be
extremely reliable indicator of happiness
 Meaning: a perceived quest or belonging to
something bigger
 Accomplishments: having realized tangible goals

32. Fun Things
In his book "Game On", John Radoff lists 42 things that are fun, and
mostly all of them involve emotions that are related to a PERMA factor:
1. Recognizing Patterns
2. Collecting
3. Finding Unexpected Treasure
4. Achieving a Sense of
Completion
5. Gaining Recognition for
Achievements
6. Creating Order Out of Chaos
7. Customizing Virtual Worlds
8. Gathering Knowledge
9. Organizing Groups of People
10. Noting Insider References
11. Being The Center of Attention
12. Experiencing Beauty and
Culture
13. Romance
14. Exchanging Gifts
15. Being a Hero
16. Being a Villain
17. Being a Wise Old Man
18. Being a Rebel
19. Being the Ruler
20. Pretending to Live in a Magical
Place
21. Listening to Stories
22. Telling Stories
23. Predicting the Future
24. Competition
25. Psychoanalyzing
26. Mystery
27. Mastering a Skill
28. Exacting Justice and Revenge
29. Nurturing
30. Excitement
31. Triumph Over Conflict
32. Relaxing
33. Experiencing the Freakish or
Bizarre
34. Being Silly
35. Laughing
36. Being Scared
37. Strengthening a Family
Relationship
38. Improving One’s Health
39. Imagining a Connection with the
Past
40. Exploring a World
41. Improving Society
42. Enlightenment

33. The 16 Human Motivators
Dr. Steven Reiss describes 16 basic human motivators and their
object of desire:
Motivator Object of Desire
Power Influence
Curiosity Knowledge
Independence Self-reliance
Acceptance Being part of a group
Order Organization
Saving Collecting things
Honor Loyalty to one’s
parents, community
Idealism Social justice
Motivator Object of Desire
Social contact Companionship
Family Raising children
Status Social standing
Vengeance Competition, getting
even
Romance Sex and beauty
Eating Food
Physical Activity Exercising the body
Tranquility Emotional calm

34. Motivators in Games
We see many of these motivators satisfied by the games that we
play.
Motivator Game
Power Diplomacy
Curiosity Civilization
Independence Oregon Trail
Acceptance Guild Wars 2
Order Tetris
Saving Farmville
Honor Sports
Idealism Social justice
Motivator Game
Social contact Pictionary
Family The Sims
Status World of Warcraft
Vengeance Angry Birds
Romance Leisure Suit Larry
Eating Pac Man
Physical Activity Tag
Tranquility Candy Crush

35. 4 Major Gaming Forces
When we play a game, we experiment 4 main motivations
defined by game designer Richard Bartle:
 Achievement: Trying to get more points
 Immersion: Imagining oneself in the game world
 Competition: Trying to defeat opponents
 Cooperation: Working together as a team
No matter what game we play, we will be always driven by these
4 major gaming forces that are closely linked to the 16 human
motivators of Reiss making the connection between games and
happiness even stronger.

36. Games Satisfy Our Motivators
When we play, our player motivations are linked to
our human general motivations.
So, according to Victor Manrique, the most important
aspect of games is that, through fun, they satisfy our
human motivations, making us happier.
But let’s look at some other theories…

37. What Does This Dude Think?
Vsauce: Why Do We Play Games? (12:12)

38. Discussion
 According to Michael of Vsauce,
why do we play games?
 What do games offer that real life
doesn’t?

39. Why Else Do We Play Games?
 We build skills like confidence
 We strengthen relationships with
others
 We develop creative skills
 We problem solve and tinker
 We learn to be flexible
Edutopia: The George Lucas Educational Foundation

40. Elements of Play
The Strong Museum of Play

41. Aesthetics of Play
Game Designers Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc and Robert
Zubek divide aesthetics within games into 8 categories:
 Sensation: Game as sense-pleasure
 Fantasy: Game as make-believe
 Narrative: Game as unfolding story
 Challenge: Game as obstacle course
 Fellowship: Game as social framework
 Discovery: Game as uncharted territory
 Expression: Game as soap box
 Submission (or Abnegation): Game as mindless pastime

42. Aesthetics of Play
Extra Credits: Aesthetics of Play (9:41)

43. Discussion
 What are Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics?
 Which does a Game Designer handle first when
creating a game?
 What does a player experience first when playing
a game?
 Why does Extra Credits think we should define
genres in terms of aesthetics rather than
mechanics?

44. The 5 Domains of Play
 Novelty
 Challenge
 Stimulation
 Harmony
 Threat
According to game designer Jason VandenBerghe,
these are the elements of a game that appeal to
primary human motivations.

45. Novelty
 Distinguishes open imaginative experiences
from repeating, conventional ones.
 Novelty can be conveyed through theme (art
and story) or mechanics (randomness and
sandbox modes).
What games would players who like novelty play?
Low High
Reality-Based Fantasy-Based
Predictable Surprises
Practical Tasks Artistic Tasks

46. Challenge
 How much effort or self-control the player is
expected to use.
 Challenge can come through mechanics,
resources, opponents, and objectives.
What games would players who like challenge play?
Low High
Easy Goals Difficult Goals
Procrastination Discipline
Disorganization Order

47. Stimulation
 Stimulation is the emotional element and
social engagement of play.
 Stimulation can be introduced through player
format, objectives, and mechanics.
What games would players who like stimulation play?
Low High
Slow-Paced Fast-Paced
Unemotional Excitement, Humor
Passive Assertive

48. Harmony
 Harmony reflects the rules of player-
to-player interaction.
 Harmony can be achieved through
player format and objective.
What games would players who like harmony play?
Low High
Competition Cooperation
Harm Help
Destroy Build

49. Threat
 Reflects the game’s capacity to trigger
negative emotions in the player.
 Player format, objectives, and environment
are the primary game elements used to
incorporate threat.
What games would players who like threat play?
Low High
Low Risk High Risk
Calm Tension, Suspense
Cheerful Gloomy

51. Richard Bartle
Richard Allan Bartle is a
British writer, professor and
game researcher, best
known for being the co-
creator of MUD1 (the first
MUD) in 1978 and the
author of the seminal
Designing Virtual Worlds.

52. Bartle’s Player Types
 Killers like to provoke and cause drama over
other players
 Achievers are competitive and enjoy beating
difficult challenges
 Explorers like to explore the world – not just its
geography but also the finer details of the game
mechanics
 Socializers are often more interested in having
relations with the other players than playing the
game itself

54. Intrinsic Rewards
 Higher Score
 Unlocked Items
 New Challenges
 New Levels
 More Story
 Having Fun
Rewards within the game

55. Extrinsic Rewards
 Making Friends
 Earning Money
 Losing Weight
 Learning Skills
Rewards outside the game

56. Operant Conditioning
B.F. Skinner and the Skinner Box

57. Skinner Box
• Extrinsic Rewards can
motivate behavior
• Intermittent Rewards
are stronger motivators
than Constant Rewards
• Random Rewards are
strongest motivator
Behavior Psychologist B.F. Skinner

58. Making Rewards Fun
 Obtain reward after really achieving
something
 Require the player to fail a few times
before getting reward
 Give reward when the player doesn’t
expect it
 Present reward in a special way
 Give meaning to the reward

59. People Cannot Be Forced To Play
Games require a voluntary and playful willingness to
overcome the obstacles, challenges, or just to play.
No one wants to play Monopoly if your super cool
Economics Professor tells you to do so as a class
assignment. (Well, maybe we do, but it won’t be that fun if
a grade is given!)
Games are voluntary, and if forced, playing turns into
working. (And, as Johan Huizinga, pointed out, “play” is
distinct from “work”).

60. Do players spend time grinding in
because they enjoy the experience itself
OR
because of the rewards they hope to get?

62. Game Thinking
© Andrzej Marczewski

63. Entertainment
 Entertainment: Activity that
provides an enjoyable or amusing
experience
 Game: Play that has rules that the
player must follow.
 Toy: Play that has rules that the
object or system must follow.
 Art: Activity that provides an
elevating or inspirational
experience
 Advergame: Game used to
advertise something

64. Serious Games
 Teaching Game: Teaches you
something using real gameplay.
 Simulator: A virtual version of
something from the real world that
allows safe practice and testing.
 Meaningful Game: Uses
gameplay to promote a meaningful
message to the player.
 Purposeful Game: Uses games to
create direct real world outcomes.
Complete games that have been created for reasons
other than pure entertainment.

65. Game-Inspired Design
 Also called “Playful Design”
 User interfaces that mimic
those from games
 Design or artwork that is
inspired by games or the
way things are written
 Does not contain game
mechanics, dynamics,
tokens ,etc.)

66. Gamification
The integration of game design techniques into
non-game environments (e.g., work, exercise,
education, etc.) to improve engagement, loyalty,
and learning.

67. Gamification Video (6:04)

68. Discussion
 What is gamification?
 Why are some of the benefits?
 Why is this important for today’s society?
 What are the potential risks?

69. Octalysis

70. The Core Drives of Gamification
 Meaning
 Empowerment
 Social Pressure
 Unpredictability
 Avoidance
 Scarcity
 Ownership
 Accomplishment
WHITE
HAT
BLACK
HAT
LEFT
BRAIN
RIGHT
BRAIN
Yu-Kai Chou

71. Epic Meaning and Calling
 Narrative/Theme
 Worthy Cause
 Sharing Knowledge
 Access
 Beginner’s Luck
 Free Lunch
 Chosen One

72. Empowerment and Creativity
 Tutorials
 Branching Choices
 Signposting
 Unlock Content
 Boosters
 Voting
 Real-Time Control
 Development Tools
 Creativity Tools

73. Social Pressure and Envy
 Social Networking
 Friend Invites
 Sharing/Gifting
 Guilds/Teams
 Mentorship
 Social Pressure
 Bragging
 Competition

74. Curiosity and Unpredictability
 Mystery Box
 Easter Eggs
 Random Rewards
 Lottery/Gambling
 Anticipation
 Suspense
 Humor

75. Loss and Avoidance
 Sunk Cost Tragedy
 Lost Progress
 Guilting
 Grounded
 Scarlet Letter
 Weep Tune

76. Scarcity and Impatience
 Appointment Dynamics
 Fixed Intervals
 Prize Pacing
 Count Down
 Throttles
 Moats

77. Ownership and Possession
 Avatar
 Virtual Goods
 Collecting/Trading
 Recruiting
 Editing/Customizing
 Building from Scratch
 Care-Taking

78. Development and Accomplishment
 Learning New Skills
 Challenges/Quests
 Leaderboard
 Progress Bars
 Leveling Up
 Boss Battles
 Certificates
 Leaderboards

79. Gamification and Bartle Player Types

80. Warning
This is a
misrepresentation of
Bartle Player types,
and Bartle is pissed
about it!

81. Marczewski User Types
© Andrzej Marczewski