The "Juicy" Factor: The Science of Making Games Irresistible
Psych 🧠 - 360/500
Hello Reader,
Gaming has the best form of psychology implementation. Today’s research is about one of these psychologies!
What is it?
This paper investigates how immediate, rich feedback in video games, dubbed "juicy game feedback", affects player motivation.
While widely assumed to enhance enjoyment, it's unclear how this juicy feedback specifically motivates players.
The study challenges the assumption that juiciness simply boosts enjoyment and explores alternative pathways through competence, efficacy, and curiosity.
Major Findings:
Amplified feedback has a negative effect: Contrary to expectations, high levels of juicy feedback (e.g., excessive visual and auditory stimulation) actually decreased player ratings of competence and efficacy. This suggests that too much feedback can be overwhelming and undermine players' sense of control and skill.
Success-dependent feedback amplifies enjoyment: When juicy feedback was directly linked to in-game success (e.g., hitting an enemy triggers exciting animations), it significantly increased enjoyment. However, this amplified enjoyment came at the cost of lower competence and efficacy ratings.
Variability and success-dependence drive engagement: Players spent more time playing (voluntary engagement) when feedback varied and was linked to success, suggesting a drive for exciting and mastery-focused experiences.
Curiosity not a significant mediator: Contrary to some theoretical predictions, curiosity did not play a significant role in mediating the effects of juicy feedback on enjoyment or motivation.
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What do I need to know:
Juiciness is not a simple enjoyment booster: While enjoyable, excessive feedback can backfire by making players feel less competent and effective, highlighting a potential downside.
Link to success is crucial for enjoyment: The positive effect of juicy feedback on enjoyment is contingent on its clear and consistent connection to in-game success.
Players seek a balance between challenge and control: Too much juicy feedback can overwhelm and reduce agency, while too little can make the experience feel less rewarding.
Implications for game design: Developers should carefully calibrate the amount and type of feedback, considering the balance between excitement and player agency, to create engaging and motivating gameplay experiences
Source:
https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/f83dp