| Last week we started to get into the motivation of | | | | and complexity available to them. They gravitate |
| the gamer. We discussed challenge and its ugly | | | | toward role playing and simulation, environments |
| stepsister competition, two of the most common | | | | where the world is rich and believable. They tend to |
| motivators. Today, we look at two more on the | | | | avoid abstract games where the underlying reality is |
| way to forming an overall model for what moves | | | | difficult to believe or understand. It is a strange sort |
| us.Perhaps less common than the first two | | | | of paradox that MMORPGS, with their incredibly deep |
| motivators, creativity is nonetheless an important | | | | histories and expansive worlds, are not as attractive |
| driving force in the gamer psyche. Though at first | | | | to Escapism Motivated gamers as pure RPGs. This |
| gaming doesn't seem like a particularly creative act, | | | | effect arises from the multiplayer aspect. Players |
| what with its formalized rules and structured | | | | talking in a public channel about out of game topics |
| systems, there is much more room for self | | | | or, worse, about the mechanical and numerical |
| expression than one might think. Some games play to | | | | aspects of the game world may well ruin the |
| this directly through unique presentations or artistic | | | | escapists experience and cause them to seek the |
| themes. Music games and many of the Sim titles are | | | | company of non player characters or others who |
| basically just expressive outlets that happen to be | | | | share their motivation.Much has been made of the |
| governed by a computerized system of rules. Other | | | | downside of escapism. A gamer who spends too |
| creatives find their outlet in multiplayer gaming. The | | | | much time in a world not their own can begin to lose |
| modern MMORPG sports equipment and decorative | | | | touch. This sort of disassociation with reality can, and |
| combinations numbering well into the millions. The | | | | has, lead to all sorts of problems with work, school |
| Creatively Motivated gamer takes pleasure in | | | | and personal relations. This does not mean, however, |
| designing how their character looks as well as | | | | that escapism is itself an unhealthy thing. It is a basic |
| changing how they interact with their environment. | | | | part of the human experience. The reason we |
| Creatively Motivated gamers thrive when outlets are | | | | vacation, watch moves, enjoy sporting events or go |
| available. Anything involving a high degree of | | | | camping is inherently escapist. As people, we are |
| expression, decoration, or a large abstract | | | | often unsatisfied with out lot in life. It's natural to |
| component draws them. They wilt in gaming | | | | seek out activities that allow us to experience |
| environments governed purely by numbers, and in | | | | something outside of our day to day. Gaming is no |
| those where presentation is extremely | | | | different. However, as gamers, we are an oft |
| homogeneous.Though we sometimes don't like to | | | | misunderstood community. We owe it to ourselves |
| admit it, escapism is a motivation that lives in the | | | | and to the world at large both to fight with |
| heart of every gamer. By design, a game creates an | | | | information, by spreading the positive realities of |
| inherently different world. Even games which have as | | | | gaming and gamer culture, and to fight internally |
| one of their primary goals simulation of some aspect | | | | against obsession. No matter how good a substitute |
| of the real world recast the player into some role | | | | for the real world a game may seem it is, in the end, |
| they find more exciting than their own. Escaping into | | | | only a pastime. Leave it once in a while.Next week, |
| the role of adventurer, pilot, quarterback or even | | | | we conclude with Social Interaction. Then, we'll move |
| zookeeper provides motivation for nearly every | | | | on to some sort of unified theory about all this.Steve |
| gamer. Escapism Motivated gamers seek out games | | | | is a member of the GrandMatrix team. They provide |
| where the environment is rich, comprehensive, real. | | | | a broad range of games, puzzles, articles and |
| They thrive in worlds where suspension of disbelief is | | | | reviews. |
| high, where they can lose themselves in the depth | | | | |