Why people play games

The main reason people play games is to have fun. The difficulty arises in defining fun. Scott Rigby, author of 'Glued to Games' identifies the reasons people play games can be varied and individualistic but tends to fall into one of three broad groups:-

Autonomy - players in this group enjoy being able to make their own impact on the game. This is often achieved in a game by giving people choices of action. these players like to express their individuality in the game through making their own character or game (Little Big Planet'), choosing their own method of combat in fight, eg magicians, assassins or thieves in 'Oblivion'. The games most suited for this audience are Role Playing Games, as they give that freedom of choice and a chance to impact on the game play.


Competence - players in these group enjoy the challenge, they play games to achieve goals set by the game and personal targets. They are the completionists who enjoy achieving any task put out for them. People in this group tend to enjoy platform games because it gives them obstacles to overcome and a sense of achievement when they obtain a skill or knowledge.

Relatedness -This final group of players, enter the world of gaming for the social aspect. They enjoy the interaction with others, achieving goals or tasks as part of a team. Being part of a team or connected with others gives them a sense of belonging. Multi-player or on-line gaming is the preferred choice of games for this group. Games like World Warcraft have a massive group of followers and include team working to complete goals. (Rigby, S. and Ryan, R. 2011)


bibliography

 Rigby, S. and Ryan, R. (2011). Glued to games. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO.