GETTING GAMERS GETTING GAMERS The Psychology of Video Games and Their Impact on the People Who Play Them Jamie Madigan ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD Lanham • Boulder • New York • London PublishedbyRowman&Littlefield AwhollyownedsubsidiaryofTheRowman&LittlefieldPublishingGroup, Inc. 4501ForbesBoulevard,Suite200,Lanham,Maryland20706 www.rowman.com UnitA,WhitacreMews,26-34StannaryStreet,LondonSE114AB Copyright©2016byHaroldJamesMadigan Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorby anyelectronicormechanicalmeans,includinginformationstorageandretriev- alsystems,withoutwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher,exceptbyareviewer whomayquotepassagesinareview. BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationInformationAvailable LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Madigan,Jamie. Gettinggamers:thepsychologyofvideogamesandtheirimpactonthepeoplewhoplaythem/ JamieMadigan. pagescm Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. ISBN978-1-4422-3999-9(cloth:alk.paper)--ISBN978-1-4422-4000-1(electronic) 1.Videogames--Psychologicalaspects.I.Title. GV1469.34.P79M332015 794.8--dc23 2015014719 TMThepaperusedinthispublicationmeetstheminimumrequirementsof AmericanNationalStandardforInformationSciencesPermanenceofPaper forPrintedLibraryMaterials,ANSI/NISOZ39.48-1992. PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica For my GameSpy peeps. For showing me how to be passionate about video games. CONTENTS Acknowledgments ix Introduction xi PART1:THOSEWHOPLAY 1 WhyDoPerfectlyNormalPeopleBecomeRavingLunatics Online? 3 2 WhyDoPeopleCheat,Hack,andPeekatStrategyGuides? 19 3 WhyAreFanboysandFangirlsSoReadyforaFight? 37 4 WhyDoWeGetNostalgicaboutGoodOldGames? 59 PART2:THOSEWHOMAKE 5 HowDoGamesGetUstoKeepScoreandCompete? 77 6 HowDoGamesGetUstoGrind,CompleteSideQuests, andChaseAchievements? 93 7 HowDoDevelopersKeepUsSoExcitedaboutNewLoot? 111 PART3:THOSEWHOSELL 8 HowDoGamesMakeUsFeelImmersedinImaginary Worlds? 127 9 WhyDoWeGoCrazyforDigitalGameSales? 145 10 HowDoGamesandAppsGetYouwithIn-GamePurchases? 163 11 HowDoGamesKeepPlayersPaying? 187 12 HowDoGamesGetPlayerstoMarkettoEachOther? 201 vii viii CONTENTS PART4:THEGAMESTHEMSELVES 13 DoWeShapeOurIn-GameAvatarsorDoTheyShapeUs? 221 14 WhyDoWeLikeViolentGamesSoMuch?AndShould WeBeWorriedThatWeDo? 237 15 DoVideoGamesMakeYouSmarter? 257 Conclusion:WhereDoPsychologyandVideoGamesGofromHere? 273 Notes 279 Bibliography 281 Index 291