Just one more level then I'll eat, just one more.

The main problem with computer games is that they just aren't much fun. There are always nice moments, like when you finally score a goal in Pro Evo or when you eventually nail the drag in Need For Speed. The problem is the hours spent between each success. To be honest, this is what has most put me off playing computer games too often, though I'll admit to losing a month on San Andreas, probably chasing the same car up and down the say road. I guess at some point we really should ask ourselves why we keep playing.

There have been several suggestions as to why, like the desire to reach the point of zen-like flow or the enjoyment of iteration. In this section though I am going to focus on the idea that we play for those little rewards and that game makers cater to these desires.

Unlike real life digital games provide us with clearly defined rewards. In Civilization on most turns we receive some advancement in our civilizations technology or understanding, invent the wheel, develop the alphabet. If it wasn't for these continual little treats the monotony of irrigating your city would be almost unbearable (actually, I still found it unbearable, but thats beside the point). A similar idea can also be found in DOOMs continual 'power-ups' or the slightly less frequent unlocking of cars in Gran Turismo.

According to Hallford & Hallford (2001) these rewards can be split into four main categories:

Glory; can be described as little more than bragging rights
Sustenance; like the health packs in DOOM
Access; like keys to new levels or new cars in GT
Facilities; this could be a weapons upgrade or perhaps a new tunning kit for your car.


The idea of reward is that it is of little matter which of these four categories our reward falls into, just so long as we get one. Its as if our brain is programmed to just seek out any reward. This is something that is uniques to digital games, perform an action and you will get a reward.

Bibliography

N., Hallford and J., Hallford Swords & Circuitry: A Designer's Guide to Computer Role-Playing Games (2001) Prima Publishing:Roseville

What do you have in there? Doom!

Please note, this post should not be included in the marking. It is more a general interest post.

"There is a scene in "The Color of Money" where Tom Cruse [sic] shows up at a pool hall with a custom pool cue in a case. "What do you have in there?" asks someone. "Doom." replied Cruse with a cocky grin. That, and the resulting carnage, was how I viewed us springing the game on the industry." - John Carmack, 2005

Doom is considered by many as the breakthrough first person shoot-em-up. Created by John Carmack in the 1993 for Id Software, Doom made all the impact on the gaming market that Carmack a hoped for. The game was highly touted for its 3D rendering engine (which isn't strictly 3D due to an inability to look up) but perhaps more importantly, for its extensibility by the users. The program was initially released as shareware which allowed it to spread to and estimated 10million computers. Perhaps one of the key points for its continued success is that the engine that it was based on and subsequently other derivative engines, such as the Quake II engine, were released under GNU/GPL licenses. This continued openness and interaction with the fanbase has not only helped develop an entire subculture but given the game a life far exceeding that of a normal product cycle and has created sequels, spin-offs, comics, novels and even a Hollywood movie.

As with much in the games industry it wasn't all fun and rendering engines. The freely available nature of the game and the introduction of multiplayer Deathmatch mode over networks meant that productivity in many companies was impacted with both network clogging and staff spending all their time playing each other. Though that may have caused a headache to network admins, the real controversy surrounding Doom was the gore, gibs, satanic imagery and general level of violence. Some described the games as simulated mass murder but nothing could have been more harrowing than the line "It's gonna be like fucking Doom man" spoken by Eric Harris before engaging in the Columbine High School massacre.