Blog Post 5 - Playing Games

The first of three motivations for playing games is the aspect of overcoming a challenge. Both Jane McGonigal and the article mention this. People naturally like to solve puzzles. The article hits on this when it explains why people like to be challenged and why they like to complete a challenge. McGonigal also touches on this subject with the idea of blissful productivity. This means people are happy when they're working hard. The second motivation to play games is the aspect of social contact. Both McGonigal and the article agree that video games have the ability to connect people all around the globe. People enjoy working with others to solve a problem.

The third motivation is the idea of a reward being given to the player every time they accomplish a certain task. McGonigal talks about games giving positive feedback through things like a player leveling up or receiving items for doing certain tasks. One point the article makes is the random factor in getting items can be related to using a slot machine. The player hopes to hit the "jackpot" regardless of how unlikely it is. These three motivations are some major reasons as to why people play video games. They capture attention, bring people together, and reward a person for trying to accomplish a goal.