ICE 2007 • Video Games + Motivation • Robert Smelser

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Video Games + Motivation

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ICE 2007 • Part 1: A Primer • Robert Smelser

A Primer: What Are All of These Things?

There are several video game products on the market right now. Here’s a brief look at a few of the more popular
as of the delivery of this presentation in January 2007.

What’s Hot? Microsoft XBox

Here are the top 5 reviewed

games for each system.

Rankings are gathered from

gamerankings.com

XBox
The XBox was Microsoft’s first foray into the game console market. It was the
• Halo: Combat Evolved
most powerful of the consoles when it came out, and Xbox was successful in
• Halo 2
showing that game consoles could be as effective as PCs in online gaming.
• Grand Theft Auto Double
Pack

• Star Wars: Knights of the

Microsoft XBox 360
Old Republic

• Ninja Gaiden Black

XBox 360

• The Elder Scrolls 4:

Oblivion

• Gears of War XBox 360 is the second generation of XBox. It features HD support and a refined
• Ghost Recon Advance online service. The XBox 360, like its predecessor, is geared toward more mature
Warfighter
gamers, but it is also gathering a respectable library of family-friendly titles.
• Call of Duty 2

• Rainbow Six:Vegas
Nintendo DS

Nintendo DS

• Mario Kart DS

• Castelvania: Dawn of
Sorrow

• Advance Wars: Dual

Strike

• New Super Mario Bros. The Nintendo DS is a handheld gaming platform that is unique for its touch-
sensitive controls. The DS has a very diverse catalogue of titles, and it has seen
• Meteos
strong sales around the world, attracting customers who might otherwise not
consider purchasing a gaming device.

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ICE 2007 • Part 1: A Primer • Robert Smelser

Nintendo Game Boy Advance

Game Boy Advance

• Super Mario Advance 2

• Super Mario Advance 4

While in its declining years, the Game Boy Advance is still a popular device. It’s
• Advance Wars
catalogue of titles is largely geared toward children, and its lower price point is
• Mario Kart Super Circuit
attractive to families on a budget.
• The Legend of Zelda: A
Link to the Past

Nintendo GameCube

GameCube

• Metroid Prime

• Resident Evil 4

• The Legend of Zelda: The

Wind Waker The Nintendo GameCube had a hard time gaining momentum on market. It has
the largest percentage of family-friendly games of its competitors, but many con-
• Soul Caliber 2
sumers dismissed it as a children’s toy. Unlike other consoles, the GameCube has
• SSX 3
no media center capabilities.

Nintendo Wii
Wii

• The Legend of Zelda: The

Twilight Princess

• Madden NFL 07

• Trauma Center: Second

Opinion

• Rayman Raving Rabbids
• Wii Sports
The Wii is something different for a console. It eschews horsepower and em-
braces motion-sensitive technology for controlling games. The Wii has seen some
strong initial success, and its innovative interface has attracted customers who had
previously dismissed Nintendo’s products.

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ICE 2007 • Part 1: A Primer • Robert Smelser

Sony PlayStation 2

PlayStation 2

• Resident Evil 4

• Grand Theft Auto III

• Grand Theft Auto: San

The PlayStation 2 is currently the most popular console in the world despite its
Andreas
age and lack of power in comparison to other products on the market. With a
• Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons
of Liberty large and diverse selection of titles, the PlayStation 2 has become a device syn-
onymous with gaming.
• Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec

Sony Playstation 3

PlayStation 3

• Resistance: Fall of Man

• Fight Night Round 3

• Tiger Woods PGA Tour

07
The PlayStation 3 is significantly more powerful than its predecessor. It offers a
• Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
more thorough online service that its predecessor and supports HD resolutions.
• Call of Duty 3
The PS3 is unique because features a Blu-ray drive for optical media.

Sony Playstation Portable

PlayStation Portable

• Lumines

• Metal Gear Solid: Port-

able Ops

• Wipeout Pure

• Ridge Racer
The PlayStaion Portable (or PSP) is Sony’s first foray into handheld gaming. Follow-
• Tekken: Dark Resurrec-
tion ing the PlayStation philosophy of design, the PSP not only plays games, but it can
also be used as a portable movie player (using UMD movies) and an MP3 player.

Disclaimer: The XBox 360, Playstation 3, and the Nintendo Wii are very new systems, so the top five titles listed
here will not be representative of the type of games or franchises that may be most developed on the systems
in the long run.

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ICE 2007 • Part 2: How Games Hook Us • Robert Smelser

How Games Hook Us

Good quality video games will capture the player and hold onto him or her. Good games are hard to put down, and
someone might play two, three, or more hours without even being truly conscious of the time passage. A video
gamer may even have a collection of favorite games he or she keeps coming back to – has possibly even played
through several times. How does this happen?

Simply, a well-made video game is adept at fulfilling some basic, low-level psycho-
What are some of the
logical needs. A recent study conducted by the University of Rochester cites a highest-ranked games by
deep sense of satisfaction as a reason – a sense of satisfaction that surpasses the genre?
motivational factor of fun.

"We think there's a deeper theory than the fun of playing," says Richard Platform

M. Ryan, a motivational psychologist at the University and lead investiga- • Super Mario 64

tor in the four new studies about gaming. Players reported feeling best • Rayman 2: The Great Es-
cape
when the games produced positive experiences and challenges that con-
nected to what they know in the real world. • Super Mario Advance 2

• Super Mario Advance 4

The research found that games can provide opportunities for achieve- • Ratchet & Clank: Up Your
Arsenal
ment, freedom, and even a connection to other players. Those benefits
trumped a shallow sense of fun, which doesn't keep players as
interested.(1) FIrst-Person Shooter

• Metroid Prime
The article goes on to talk about the motivational qualities of games and how
• GoldenEye 007
players respond when the games produced positive feedback or experiences
based on the actions of the player. Basic elements of classic conditioning and posi- • Half-Life 2

tive reinforcement are essential to a positive gaming experience. • Halo: Combat Evolved

• Perfect Dark

Action Adventure

• The Legend of Zelda:

Ocarina of Time

• Resident Evil 4

• Grand Theft Auto III

• Grand Theft Auto: San

These psychological factors are essential when considering the time investment Andreas
needed to master modern video games. For example, a standard PlayStation 2 • Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons
DualShock 2 controller has sixteen possible inputs with the analog sticks addi- of Liberty

tionally serving as buttons. Many games are not as easy to pick up and play as
games from earlier generations, so the ability of the game to keep the player in-

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ICE 2007 • Part 2: How Games Hook Us • Robert Smelser

terested and motivated is important to the success of any game.

Driving
Though different types of games and game environments were studied,
• Gran Turismo
[Richard M.] Ryan points out that while not all video games are able to
• Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
satisfy basic psychological needs, "those that do may be the best at keep-
• Burnout 3: Takedown
ing players coming back."(1)
• Project Gotham Racing 2
If a game fails to motivate gamers and hold their attention, then the gamer does
• Forza Motorsport
not keep at it. As a result, he or she does not recommend the game to others, and
this risks the commercial success of the game. (It is important to note that tie-in
Role-Playing
games often see great initial success due to the property they are attached to but
seldom see strong sales over a long-term.) • Star Wars: Knights of the
Old Republic

• Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows

of Amn
While this study published in the January issue of Motivation and Emotion focuses
• The Elder Scrolls IV:
heavily on multiplayer games such as World of Warcraft, these principles hold true
Oblivion
for any genre of video games. From platform, to role-playing, to sports, the most-
• Final Fantasy IX
respected and most popular games keep giving players reasons to come back.
• FInal Fantasy XII

Services like XBox Live help create a sense of accomplishment in Achievement Alternative Sports
Points. Recent Burnout games reward the player with trophies and postcards for • Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
achieving special objectives or stunts. The Ratchet & Clank series is filled with • Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3
hidden objectives that can unlock special features and content. The Final Fantasy
• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
series grips audiences with its storytelling and epic feel.
• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4

• SSX 3

Even on a simple level, though, good games go out of their way to reinforce player
progress. Take Burnout: Revenge as an example. When the player knocks another Traditional Sports
car out of the race, the camera zooms in on the wreck the player caused, text • NFL 2K1
appears stating “Takedown!” and the type of takedown, a quick, bright sound plays, • Pro Evolution Soccer 2
and the player gets an immediate speed boost. All of this happens simultaneously, • NCAA Football 2004
creating a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment in the player.
• World Soccer Winning
Eleven 7 International

• Madden NFL 2002

Good games are not merely fun. Good games are rewarding, fulfilling, and engag-
• Madden NFL 2004
ing.

(I) “A reason why video games may be hard to give up” Physorg.com
http://www.physorg.com/news86358590.html

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ICE 2007 • Part 3: Our Challenge • Robert Smelser

Our Challenge
How do we as educators compete with the motivational quality of these video games? The answer is that we don’t.
Instead, we should learn from what these games do well, especially in terms of positive reinforcement and encour-
agement of self-motivation and examine how we can apply these concepts in the classroom. Instead of treating
video games as the negative force they are typified as in politics and media, we should see how we can embrace the
positive aspects they teach us.

‣ Activity and Product. Students should have a goal in mind from the onset of an assignment or project.
There should be a final product goal that is a tangible achievement – a slide presentation, a standing display, a
book. Allow students to create a product they can take pride in and share with others. Assessment and busy-
work should never be considered as acceptable motivators for our children. Good games have clearly defined
goals, and our classrooms should too.

‣ Be Visual and Hands-On. Don’t just tell your students about something. Explore opportunities for the
topic to be experienced. This can be facilitated in study trips, in classroom plays, in writer’s workshop, or in a
nearby park or field. Engaging games are not passive experiences where the game does all the work. The gamer
is required to participate and control his or her character. Our classrooms should avoid a passive atmosphere.

‣ Praise; Don’t Punish. If you fall off a ledge in Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, for example, you begin
at the beginning of the level (or the last checkpoint), and you retain all major accomplishments as well as items,
experience, and bolts acquired. Conversely, in a FInal Fantasy game, if your party members all die, you lose all
accomplishments since your last save. Guess which game most individuals find less frustrating. Likewise, we can
make our classroom frustrating if we continually punish children for their mistakes or academic shortcomings.
Rather, we should reward them for the progress they have made and encourage them to keep trying for the
next step.

‣ Make It Social. Many children are social creatures. Good online games create a strong sense of community
that makes the gamers feel like they are a part of something meaningful. Find ways to create a sense of com-
munity in your classroom. Give the children something to feel attached to that creates a motivating force to
rise above expectations one might set if left completely alone and isolated.

‣ Make It Personal. Good games of any genre make you feel like you are amazing for finding that secret item,
pulling off an amazing stunt, winning a challenging race, defeating the difficult opponent. In the classroom, con-
nect with your children on a personal level. Congratulate them personally on a job well done. Write positive
notes home for individuals. Talk to each child daily. Help them see how much you are interested in them indi-
vidually, and they will demonstrate a greater interest in you.

‣ Keep It Coming. Make sure your positive reinforcements, personal connections, and tangible experiences
continue. Just as a quality game keeps the pattern of rewards and reinforcements progressing up until the con-

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ICE 2007 • Part 3: Our Challenge • Robert Smelser

clusion, our students should experience consistent and regular feedback from the adults they come in contact
with on a daily basis.

Our application comes down to an energy and enthusiasm we should be willing to have. Gamers love playing games
that love to be played. This may sound silly, but there are many sloppy games on the market that feel a chore to play
– almost as if the developers resent their own product and customers. (Anyone remember Superman 64?) Good
games are encouraging and inviting, and our classes should be positive environments that our students find equally
as inviting.

Finally, project-based and student-driven approaches go a long way in stimulating student interest and motivation.
Students who take ownership of their learning will inherently feel more driven to pursue and complete related
tasks.

Conclusion
Video games are not inherently evil. They are not the enemy, and they are not leading to the downfall of society as
we know it. True, one could find many negative qualities in several titles, but that can be accomplished in any given
medium of communication, storytelling, and entertainment. Instead of blanket vilifying games, we should look at
what they do well in capturing and retaining attention, rewarding progress, and promoting motivation. If we can
learn how to emulate these qualities in the classroom, we might find ourselves with a more enthusiastic and moti-
vated classroom.

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