Rouse Reading

This reading was all about what players want out of a game. As soon as I saw the title of the reading it got me thinking, both as a player and a designer. I tried to think, as a player, what do I expect out of a  game and I also tried to think about what aspects I put into a game for the player as a designer.

Some things I had thought of came up in the reading such as I want a challenge and I want a bragging experience. He has a good list of different things players look for in a game. I couldn't find one thing on the list I disagreed with, but it is noteworthy that one game will not have all of these items listed. One I had never thought of is the one having to do with social games, mostly because I don't play many multiplayer games. But games like League of Legends or Team Fortress 2 not only give players a challenge but they also allow them to socialize with other players and have bragging rights in the community the game provides.

Not only does Rouse talk about what the player wants, but he also goes into what a player needs and expects to play a game. With this list I think you could apply all of the concepts to one game. All in all it mostly seemed like a list of things to think about when trying to design a good game. It got into things like a feedback structure, consistent rules, and having an achievable goal.

All in all the main thing I thought about during this reading was the fact that I think the industry really panders to certain types of gamers, while ignoring others. I see so many games focus completely on the challenge or the bragging rights and not so much on the exploration or immersive quality. This is not to say that I can think of one group of gamers that is being completely ignored, but I do think the industry plays favorites.