The NASAGA (North American Simulation and Gaming Association - trying saying that five times fast!) has invited Scott Rigby, founder of Immersyve, to keynote at their 40th anniversary conference in October, 2008. The talk will focus on the application of PENS (”Player Experience of Need Satisfaction”) to simulations and other “serious games” applications that are designed to educate and train. Information on the talk can be found at the NASAGA site.

Scott Rigby, founder/president here at Immersyve, will be giving a talk again this year at the GDC conference in Austin on how developers can design for the satisfaction of key psychological needs that have great predictive value for sustained engagement. Hope those of you heading over to the conference will be able to attend! If not, we’ll be making the support materials available to anyone who is interested. Here’s the scoop directly on the GDC website, and a summary of the talk is just below…
Session Description
This session presents specific motivational needs that, when satisfied in the MMO player, are proven predictors of enjoyment, value, and sustained subscriptions. Going deeper, these intrinsic needs form a paradigm for understanding the fundamental appeal of the RPG structure, suggesting ways to innovate new designs while still supporting player needs. New data from thousands of players worldwide highlights not only how core game features and content support these needs, but how a game’s design influences critical dynamics in groups & guilds that can enhance or cut short a player’s satisfaction and engagement. Numerous game examples will be reviewed (including aspects of solo/group play and story/NPC interaction), and practical (and scalable) measurement strategies will be given.

Idea Takeaway
Attendees will learn three specific motivational needs that are highly predictive of value, enjoyment, and sustained subscriptions, along with concrete examples from existing MMO’s that enhance or thwart the satisfaction of these needs. In addition, attendees will take away specific strategies for measurement of need satisfaction in their player population that can be implemented immediately. Data from multiple research studies with international player samples will be presented in support of the global value of the model.

Violence in video games is a huge topic that is sparking global controversy and new legislation that promises to have a significant impact on the industry. But how objectively have we looked at the role that the violent content itself plays in motivating gameplay and satisfying player’s needs? We’re finishing up several studies that have been looking closely at this issue, specifically from the standpoint of player satisfaction and the commercial value in violent content (i.e. how much the violence itself drives interest, purchase decisions, and sustained play). The early word from the lab is that violence adds appeal for some players, but may be buying developers much less than many assume. If you’d like to be on our mailing list for more info on this work, contact us today at info@immersyve.com

Immersyve’s new motivational paradigm for understanding and measuring the player experience was featured this week on gamasutra.com, one of the leading online publications for game developers. The article, “Rethinking Carrots: A new method for measuring what players find most rewarding and motivating about your game” details both the theoretical approach of the model, and reviews the data showing its strong value to developers in predicting outcomes such as enjoyment, sustained play, and value.

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.

Read more details at the original post summarizing the recent publication of this work, or contact us for more information or to request a reprint.

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.”

Contact us for more information or to request a reprint of this article.