[Game Theory] Risk, Reward and the Perfectionist's Wet Dream Part 2

In part 1 of this series I discussed the archetypes of gamers and the games that attract them. I talked about the behaviors they display and their personal obsessions. Now in part 2, I'm going to talk about specifically what it is that game developers do to appeal to these archetypes, and possibly get into some related ethical issues.

While it is true that these archetypes are labels I made up, proof of their existence can be found within their corresponding game elements and genres. One key thing to remember, though, is that even though archetypes can often be attributed with several genres and vice versa, someone belonging to an archetype does not always match up with each genre attributed to the archetype. Often times this is because people generally do not fall into one archetype, and that archetypes are incredibly vague. I think that in order to make specific implications based off of a gamer's archetype, many sub-archetypes would have to be defined and attributed as well. I've tried figuring out what these sub-archetypes would be, but so far every attempt has been unsuccessful. And although all of this sounds really confusing, it can be explained with what I believe to be a perfect metaphor. Think of gamer's mind as being a genome in which these archetypes would be the chromosomes and the sub-archetypes would be the individual genes. If this metaphor confuses you even more then refer to this. With that said, lets continue on to examine what it is the game developer does with this information.

While I do not believe my theory's have been formally taught to game developers throughout the country(it's not as if I'm a conspiracy theorist), I do believe that most game developers have a general idea of what it is I am talking about. I just have a different and more specific way of looking at things. After all, it's not just a coincidence that games have gotten better over time; and it's not just technology that governs progress in the industry. A good deal of psychology is involved, and this is most prevalent in a more recent gaming trend: the MMORPG. What is now becoming an industry in itself, MMORPGs are becoming more and more popular among gamers and the internet. In fact, if you are reading this article on my blog there is a good chance that the banner to the right is linked to an MMORPG. But enough chit-chat because I've got a few issues left I want to touch down on in this article that I wasn't able to in the last.

The MMORPG is many things. Some see it as an escape from a miserable life. Some see a cure to their social anxieties and a chance to make real friends. But most either see it as a big waste of time or a way to kill some time. The truth of the matter, however, is that the MMORPG is all of these things and much, much more. The MMORPG can be whatever you want it to be, and that is where lies the problem. Though I guess it's only a problem if you want to look at it that way, but it really depends on your personal philosophy on life. But now I feel like I'm getting a little ahead of myself, so allow my to put things into perspective. All complex archetypes fall victim to the MMORPG at one point or another. The strategist has a marketplace, a player vs player aspect and an entire population of gamers to manipulate. The character has the power to shape his or herself and the freedom to live out any sort of gaming fantasies they desire. And when it comes to the perfectionist. Well lets just say that the MMORPG is the perfectionist's wet dream. There are endless goals that are mostly unreachable within the human lifespan for the perfectionist to strive for. And game developers know these things. Why do you think MMORPGs and online gaming in general have grown in popularity exponentially over recent years(aside from the fact that internet connections have excelled and become more accessible.) Bottom line is that it's the game developers who decided to program the customization capabilities and freedom in these MMORPGs, and it's the developers who also decided to put easy learning curves and elongated growth curves on these games. Their jobs are very similar to those of cigarette company CEOs. They need to hook you quick and make sure you're going to stick around for the long run. Whether it be subscription based, in which you pay a monthly fee; expansion based, in which you pay for expansion packs that provide you with enough content to last until the next; or the ever more popular "cash shop" method of payment, in which you are rewarded with incredible features for small amounts of money that usually add up to much greater amounts than what you would pay for a subscription of a year's worth of expansion packs. Either way, the one thing MMORPGs have in common is that they need you to keep playing. It's not enough for you to just play for a summer or play until college comes and you need to focus on the real world. They want you, and they want you for good. And I have to admit, they even had me for awhile. And they might get me again someday. Just not today, because I've got too much to look forward to.