PLANS AND PURPOSES HOW VIDEOGAME GOALS SHAPE PLAYER BEHAVIOUR
PhD DEFENCE 7 DECEMBER 2006 JONAS HEIDE SMITH SMITH@ITU.DK
What is a game? A social experience An aesthetic experience A virtual training ground A part of the media ecology An arena for decision making
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THESIS STRUCTURE There are competing theories/models of the player (and the most dominant is the Rational Player Model)
How can the Rational Player Model be used analytically?
What are the behavioral predictions of the model? (and how well do they explain actual play?)
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THE RATIONAL PLAYER MODEL The player is an entity optimizing his/her outcome within the game as defined by the objective goals.
"‌in every game [the player] responds in a fashion calculated to help him achieve his objectives." - game designer Greg Costikyan
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THE RATIONAL PLAYER MODEL Bridges the gap between game and player (behavior) Explains behaviour in terms of individual/selfish reasoning Makes it closely related to Economic Man (the Beliefs/Preferences/Constraints Model) But the Rational Player Model is bolder (or more reckless): It assumes preferences
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THE RATIONAL PLAYER MODEL Can be operationalized through Swerves economic game theory: The Bob: 2 points formal study of conflict Swerves Alice: 2 points (between agents whose choices Bob Bob: 3 points are interrelated) Does not swerve Alice: 1 point
Alice Does not swerve Bob: 1 point Alice: 3 points Bob: 0 points Alice: 0 points
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THE RATIONAL PLAYER MODEL Example 1: Three degrees of cooperation Competitive
Semi-cooperative
Cooperative
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THE RATIONAL PLAYER MODEL Example 1: Three degrees of cooperation Competitive Constant sum games (the total payoff is fixed). In two-player competitive games, no incentives for cooperation exist at all. For games with more players, such incentives may occur transitorily.
Semi-cooperative Non-zero sum games which reward team-work over mutual noncooperation but provide temptations for individuals to act selfishly.
Cooperative Non-zero sum games which reward players for coordinating their strategies; i.e. they reward team-work and provide no temptation for selfish play.
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THE RATIONAL PLAYER MODEL Example 2: Strategicness A measure of the degree to which other players matter and the degree to which one can do anything about it
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THE RATIONAL PLAYER MODEL
Strategicness
Strategicness
Time
Strategicness
Time
Time
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THE RATIONAL PLAYER MODEL THE RATIONAL PLAYER MODEL may open games for formal analysis…
But does it accurately portray reality?
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PLAYER STUDY
Mashed (PS2)
Competitive No formal incentives to cooperate
Champions of Norrath (PS2)
Semi-cooperative Cooperation necessary but with temptations to be selfish
Fifa 2004 (Xbox)
Cooperative No formal incentives to act noncooperatively
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PLAYER STUDY 19 test subjects in 6 groups played all three games Sessions were videotaped from two angles All verbal statements (~ 8500) were transcribed
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PLAYER STUDY Data analysis All statements were coded
ยง ORDER, REQUEST OR SUGGEST ACTION
August [CoN]: Just distribute them all [Albert is distributing points]. Dexterity and intelligence are probably the most important things.
ยง ADVICE, INFORMATION, OR HELP GIVEN PLANS AND PURPOSES 14
PLAYER STUDY Data analysis Other 22%
Give advice 18%
Annoyance 7%
Suggest injustice 1% Order action (interface) 2%
Apology for self 1% Ask advice (interface) 4%
Order action 8%
Laughter 18% Advice given (interface) 6%
Ask advice 10% Critique 1% Game criticism 2%
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PLAYER STUDY Example 1: Skill inequity 2: IThis the weirdest car Player 4iswins round 1: really think I’m game I’ve ever pointing, I’m justplayed crashing 3: Hey, No! look at what’s on 4: my roof! you just explode 1: Then because 3: [laughs]you don’t move 2: Yaayy! I’m trying to shoot now, but I 1: can’t 3: It’s completely insane 1: [laughs] PLANS AND PURPOSES 16
PLAYER STUDY Example 2: Tension 2: think I heard theor 3: 2: IStop I’m Am running I him! the keeper deep whistle what? 1: 3: Nobody’s I’m with you doing over here. 3: that? anything. 1: Who No, I did am The thedefence keeper.is 1: No! completely You just have gone. to watch Yellow. for 2: I did your colors. 3: Come on, ahh he’s 2: Well, two ofdoing us have 1: No-body’s really slow this one never 3: Okay, tried let’s Fifa pull 2004 anything. And red is just before. ourselves together… We 4: [laughs] looking while they score. need a goal. 1: Well I haven’t tried it either PLANS AND PURPOSES 17
PLAYER STUDY Observations Players only redefined game goals jokingly, and often in order to alleviate embarrassment over collective defeat Taunts were rare, quite polite and only occurred during Mashed (competitive play) Serious criticism of other players was practically non-existent Apologies were used to acknowledge that one’s actions hurt the team
Lars: I had the most unforced errors. That was me. Daniel: Where are you going? [The other players fall behind] [Laughs] Simon: No, you click through before you [read the dialogue]. I have no idea what we need to do, I’m just following. Simon: Oh, sorry. That was my mistake.
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PLAYER STUDY But was the model supported? YES
NO
Within the gamespace players acted in (apparent) alignment with the model
In the sofa, players did not confirm the predictions (e.g. they were helpful when playing Mashed)
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PLAYER STUDY
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PLAYER STUDY Interpretation Players seek to win but this desire is subjugated by social norms defining appropriate play. Outside the gamespace, the players mitigate and modify their “rational� behavior to satisfy the social norm of fairness: Performance in the game should not be a consequence of inferior knowledge about game mechanics. Most multi-player gaming is in fact cooperative.
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PLAYER STUDY A purposeful blindness A model gives focus and precision It does not, in any simple form, grant us access to the Truth But it helps us see if we are on the right track And‌
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THE END it enables us to be surprised Thank you very much!
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