View From the Bottom #12
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Consider the many ways in which video games can be fun. For example, there is the adrenaline rush of fast action, using skill and dexterity to defeat a foe (shooters, sports games and Rock Band). There is the intellectual and emotional stimulation of a good story (Knights of the Old Republic or, to many, Grant Theft Auto). There's the brain engagement of solving a tricky puzzle (Braid, World of Goo, or adventure games like the Sam & Max series).
And then, there is that strange, visceral feeling of accomplishment obtained from character building and earning rewards. It is a strange phenomenon, best seen in massively multiplayer RPGs. These games are based on repetition - killing the same monsters, fighting through the same raids, doing PvP on the same battlegrounds, gathering and crafting the same recipes.
And, in return, players get little rewards. Statistics go up. Experience bars fill. You push a lever and a reward pellet comes out. There is the feeling that something has been accomplished, a sensation that is amazingly addictive. In EverQuest, when I gained a level or got a really good item, the feeling of achievement was palpable. For me, it was an actual, physical sensation. I kept playing because it gave me the satisfaction of achieving something, even when, of course, I wasn't. And this is what I mean by addiction-based game design.
It's a tricky thing to define, but I'll take a crack at it. A design is addiction-based to the degree that it encourages players to experience the same content again and again (often referred to as grinding) in return to obtain a series of rewards. These can be simple labels with no tangible effect (like an in-game title or some achievements), or they can be character improvements that give the ability to move on to a new location with a slightly different sort of grinding. I call this the grind/reward cycle, and it can keep players coming back to one game for years.
