What kinds of expectations do computer game players have when they come to a new game?
It is hard to comment on this being such a large question. I think the expectations to tend to be quite different based on the genre and the audience. I will attempt to generalise.
Gamers generally expect to see something new and exciting, but also familiar. As gamers, when we come to a game of a certain genre or style we expect certain things to be connected with that genre or style. For instance when we see “first person” the third word is almost always “shooter”. It is the minority of games in which the view of the player is in the first person and you are not wielding a gun. There are of course some notable games in which the first person view has yielded fascinating game-play without guns, but it is a sad fact these games tend to be overlooked. These formulas are apparent in the major titles that seem to share the same elements over and over again. Why? Because they sell, the formula works. Not that this is a bad thing, it is just repetitive.
Most gamers also expect a similar experience when approaching a game. Challenge, excitement and a positive experience are the most common. This is an obvious trend in most games; you beat the aliens, win the war, stop a mass conspiracy, get the girl and/or save the planet. Very few people play a game with the expectation to lose, to die or to be insulted.
How might these expectations hamper certain kinds of experience?
Expectations narrow the mind. When positive expectations that are not met, we tend to get disappointed. When we expect something from a game that isn’t supplied we may lose interest. This has an impact on both the player and the game industry. Players may not be willing to play the games they feel they are going to let them down, but are more willing to play games in which their expectations will be met. This narrows the field of which games we are likely to play, the games titles we will play and how accepting we will be of them. To make money, developers will attempt to cater to these expectations. This practice creates many of clones in the industry and so we look to the indie games developers for diversity.
Can we train players to take a different approach to games which will give them more enjoyment? How?
This is hard to say. One method may be meeting some expectations gamers may have, but also exposing them to new forms of play different from their initial expectations. This allows gamers to be accepting of the game initially, but makes room for their horizons to be expanded. Another method is the subversion of expectations. The game “Eversion”, for instance, presents its self as a simple Super Mario clone. Upon playing it for a bit, these expectations about the game are broken and the game transforms into something far different. Both these approaches, while not working all the time, may provide a “transition process”.
Check out some improv games such as:
What do these games do to encourage players’ creativity?
They provide a positive environment where there are no mistakes. Without negativity, people are far more comfortable with throwing ideas out into the world. Each of these games require input from each person, thereby including everybody and giving everybody an innate value. These games attempt to break down barriers of nervousness or embarrassment by being completely open and uncritical.
Posted on 28/09/2010
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