Immersyve, Inc., in collaboration with the University of Rochester, asked 1,000 gamers what motivates them to keep playing. The results published in the journal Motivation and Emotion this month suggest that people enjoy video games because they find them intrinsically satisfying. Dozens of news sites and blogs dedicated to gaming and to understanding the psychology and science behind games have been citing this work throughout the holiday week.

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Both in the media and in casual conversations, video games are frequently associated with ideas of violence, addiction, and unproductive “zoning out.” New research from Immersyve, Inc, in collaboration with the University of Rochester, suggests that there may be more to the strong attraction of games than that. “We find that people who are really drawn to video games stay there because it satisfies some very basic psychological needs. Certain games provide opportunities to feel a sense of achievement, freedom and even connection with other players” says Dr. Richard Ryan, one of the investigators. Four studies, published this month in the academic journal Motivation and Emotion, show that players are most attracted to games that give them positive experiences that are akin to “real world” challenges, rather than merely a shallow sense of fun. In fact, the research showed that a video game, insofar as it allows one to experience need fulfillment, can even promote short-term well being in some players. Ryan adds, however, that “not all video games are created equal” in this ability to satisfy more basic psychological needs.

Dr. Scott Rigby, President of Immersyve and co-investigator sees potential value for the model across many areas in the world of gaming. “There is still more work to do, but our data suggests that when games meet the underlying needs in our model, they not only predict better psychological outcomes for players, but better commercial success for games.”

“So what’s good for players,” Rigby added, “may well be good for the industry too.”

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In two different studies, Immersyve has identified several specific aspects of gameplay experience that are strongly related to players expressing a desire to buy more games from the developer. Interestingly, simply finding the game “enjoyable” or “fun” is not sufficient for players to express this desire — the gameplay itself must offer them something more. More than 2000 gamers participated in the studies, which were conducted over the course of 2006.

“What we think is so cool about this finding is that we are mapping what makes the gameplay more meaningful for players, which in turn is building loyalty and relationship with developers,” said Scott Rigby, President of Immersyve. “Because meaningful gameplay experiences and increased sales are both achieved, our methodology supports innovation and creativity in the development group, but also improves the bottom line. That’s exactly the kind of service we want to bring to the industry.”

The overall participation in the studies allowed Immersyve to look at players of all kinds of games, including MMO’s, FPS, Adventure, and many others. Virtually every genre showed the same positive relationship between Immersyve’s playtesting metrics and player desire to buy more from the developer.

“This is a tool both the suits and the developers can love,” added Rigby. “It informs developers very precisely about the player experience but does not try to control the creative process — and in the end it delivers to both the players and the company.”