Cradle of Twilight Research
The two main goals of the Cradle Of Twilight project are to hook the player, and teach a skill. My research needed to dig into a few things. Firstly, if there is precedence for this idea, then how popular games hook players and why players do not like education games, and lastly how games can be used to teach students. You can read my research paper below.
Using Game Compulsion to Implant Skills - By Michael Karagiozis
Video game addiction can be a serious problem. It is known that some can even die from it through self-neglect, or suicide stemmed from depression caused by the addiction. Enormous sums of money has been funneled into studying the mechanisms of game addiction, so that designers can find new ways to create addicting video games. People have gone as far as to call some game monetization practices gambling. This doesn’t mean that games are all bad however, as games can also be used as a powerful tool for education. The problem is that people tend to not want to play games that are educational. They want to play the fun and addicting games. If a designer could subtly incorporate a skill into an addicting video game, then the mechanics of game addiction could be used to hook players on learning.
According to Perry Gao in his paper on non-learning in the Journal of Education and Training Studies, “Children naturally love to learn, but might not like to be taught…”. Winston Churchill once famously said “I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.” In his paper, Gao argues that there needs to be a clever mix of teaching and self-learning. “We know a child is only able to learn very superficial things on his or her own, and he or she alone can only accomplish very basic development, far less than his or her potential developmental level. Therefore, a child has to learn from others”. But he also points out that “they will build up a psychological filter as an emotional block to shut down their willingness to learn”. Children love to learn, but there needs to a balance between agency, and reliance. The student needs to be able to choose to learn, while having access to a teacher that doesn’t not turn the child off to the knowledge (Gao, Perry).
Tangential learning is a process in which people self-educate themselves on a topic after finding it interesting when exposed to it. For example, the movie 300 is not a documentary. It is intended for entertainment. However, after watching the movie, people might want to look up the history of Greece and Sparta, while they may have avoided that subject in the classroom. Game designer James Portnow, who also wrote a youtube channel on game design topics, was the first to suggest that video games had the potential to teach through tangential learning.
There are some obvious skills that gamers are commonly known to possess as a result of playing lots of video games. Players who play online games learn to type on their own. By necessity they must become fast at typing to communicate in the game. Players are also often exposed to math, especially in games where they want to optimize their character builds to be the most effective. But less obviously, games have also been shown to improve coordination, problem-solving skills, memory, concentration, reflexes, and even social skills (Eugenio, Sheila).
What types of games are fun is widely subjective. However, there are similarities that can be found amongst popular games from a variety of genres. The theory of Operant Conditioning proposed by Burrhus Frederic Skinner, AKA B.F.Skinner, turned out to be the pandoras box of game design. You can now find the results of Skinner’s work in almost any addictive video game. Skinners groundbreaking experiment, known as the “Skinner box” involved putting hungry rats into a box. When the rats pushed a button in the box, food would come out. Skinner tried a few different variations. The first was that food would come out every time the button was pressed. This eventually resulted in satiation, and the animals would stop pushing the button. The second was a schedule, where the food would be delivered after a certain number of pushes. This again resulted in satiation and the animals stopped pushing the button. But something unexpected happens when the button is set to randomly give the food on rare occasions. When food was not certain, and possibly rare, the animals would push the button repeatedly even long after they had enough to eat. When presented with a random chance to get food, survival instincts kick in, and compel the animal to keep pushing the button because their life depends on it. Further experimentation showed that this works on humans as well (Shrestha, Praveen). This discovery is the foundation of gambling addiction. All modern slot machines, video poker machines, and other gambling devices, use this psychological effect to compel people to keep playing. Game designers now use Skinner’s findings compel people to play subscription games, or games with micro transactions, on a daily basis for as long as possible (Fahey, Mike).
Skinner box mechanics are not the only way designers get players hooked on their games however. According to clinical psychologist Dr Brent Conrad, addictive video games “feed a need of making social connections”. It is the same mechanism for social media addiction, which is also a growing public concern. People need social connections; but also desire instant gratification. Online video games allow people to instantly connect with others to enjoy a shared hobby. Dr Conrad further explains that addictive video games often require team play to advance. Effectively, online multiplayer itself is extremely addictive.
In his article, Dr. Conrad touches on skinner’s operant conditioning, but instead uses the term “variable reward schedules”. He also identifies other triggers that keep players hooked. One of the most popular hooks is a leveling system, which nearly all games have adopted in modern times; even games like shooters. Humans like to be productive, which combined with the instant gratification addiction, makes progression systems in games extremely rewarding for minimal effort. For this reason as Dr Conrad points out, currency is another common hook. “The same goals and emotions which drive people to pursue wealth in the real world are also present in video games. As one amasses more virtual wealth… greater power, control, respect, status… - which are obviously very seductive pursuits”. Games offer the ability to escape the challenges of real life, connect with other people, progress and build wealth, all with relatively little effort.
Dr Conrad also talks about another very powerful hook that keeps players coming back, and staying longer. Many games now feature perpetual worlds, that exist and evolve separate of the player. Because these worlds, and the other players in the worlds, can change and do things even while the player is offline, players must play as much as possible to avoid missing something. This is especially true in online survival games such as Rust, or Ark. The fact that enemy players can break into your base, loot and destroy while you are offline, compels you to play as long as possible to put up that last wall or turret to defend your base while you are gone. It also compels you to get back as soon as possible.
The reward center of the brain therefore is the main function of video game addiction. According to Dr. Joseph F. Chandler, “Any gamification platform is explicitly designed to make you want to not put it down and is designed to simulate the reward pathway in your brain which can suppress your perception of time… Your brain stops keeping track of time and instead measures units of pleasure in the game… This is why you lose and hour or three without feeling it”. Dr. Chandler also points out that people with anxiety disorder are especially susceptible to this type of compulsion. The game Candy Crush is a wonderful example of this. People became so addicted to the game they would tamper with the phone’s system time to obtain extra lives without having to wait (Spector). Dr. Lisa Strohman argues that “Mobil games like Candy Crush are particularly addictive because everything shuffles and changes and then you level up so if you have any competitive nature, you can feel successful”.
To further the allure of games, designers employ a sensory overload to make each and every action satisfying. Dr. Strohman continues to explain how Candy Crush is employs “highly engaging colors and sounds and create a classical conditioning loop that increases the dopamine reward push”. This is why games perceived as higher quality, typically utilize things like screen shaking, satisfying sounds and effects, as well as colors. When each action is satisfying to the human senses, it furthers the addictive potential of the game. Even relaxing games like Stardew Valley employ this tactic. While just a farming simulator, Stardew Valley rewards every action with sensory stimulation. Even just pouring water over your crops has a satisfying animation and sound effect, which becomes rhythmic when pouring the water 50-100 times over your entire crop.
Knowing that games have the power to teach skills, and knowing how games can be designed to compel the player to play on a daily basis, gives game designers a lot of power over the players. Players can be compelled to buy things regularly. Compelling games could hypothetically be used to engrain certain ideals into players brains, effectively brainwashing them. Or players can be conditioned to practice a skill on a daily basis without realizing it. In this way, life skills such as handling money and managing resources, could be conditioned into people at a young age. If a designer could make a compelling game that teaches a skill effectively, it could reshape how society handles education.
Sources -
Conrad, Brent. “15 Reasons & Theories on Why Video Games Are Addictive.” TechAddiction, www.techaddiction.ca/why_are_video_games_addictive.html.
Eugenio, Sheila. “Public Access - 8 Cognitive Benefits of Playing Video Games for Kids.” Engadget, 9 Feb. 2017, www.engadget.com/2017/02/09/8-cognitive-benefits-of-playing-video-games-for-kids/.
Fahey, Mike. “The Disturbing Ways Our Video Games Addict Us.” Kotaku, Kotaku, 21 June 2013, kotaku.com/the-disturbing-ways-our-video-games-addict-us-5488596.
Gao, Perry. “I Love to Learn, but I Hate to Be Taught.” Journal of Education and Training Studies, vol. 2, no. 3, Sept. 2014, doi:10.11114/jets.v2i3.392.
Shrestha, Praveen. “Skinner's Theory on Operant Conditioning.” Psychestudy, 16 June 2019, www.psychestudy.com/behavioral/learning-memory/operant-conditioning/skinner.
Spector, Nicole. “Why Mobile Games Are so Addicting - and How to Reclaim Your Time.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 22 July 2019, www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/why-mobile-games-are-so-addicting-how-reclaim-your-time-ncna1031266.
“Tangential Learning - How Games Can Teach Us While We Play.” YouTube, YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlQrTHrwyxQ.
Video game addiction can be a serious problem. It is known that some can even die from it through self-neglect, or suicide stemmed from depression caused by the addiction. Enormous sums of money has been funneled into studying the mechanisms of game addiction, so that designers can find new ways to create addicting video games. People have gone as far as to call some game monetization practices gambling. This doesn’t mean that games are all bad however, as games can also be used as a powerful tool for education. The problem is that people tend to not want to play games that are educational. They want to play the fun and addicting games. If a designer could subtly incorporate a skill into an addicting video game, then the mechanics of game addiction could be used to hook players on learning.
According to Perry Gao in his paper on non-learning in the Journal of Education and Training Studies, “Children naturally love to learn, but might not like to be taught…”. Winston Churchill once famously said “I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.” In his paper, Gao argues that there needs to be a clever mix of teaching and self-learning. “We know a child is only able to learn very superficial things on his or her own, and he or she alone can only accomplish very basic development, far less than his or her potential developmental level. Therefore, a child has to learn from others”. But he also points out that “they will build up a psychological filter as an emotional block to shut down their willingness to learn”. Children love to learn, but there needs to a balance between agency, and reliance. The student needs to be able to choose to learn, while having access to a teacher that doesn’t not turn the child off to the knowledge (Gao, Perry).
Tangential learning is a process in which people self-educate themselves on a topic after finding it interesting when exposed to it. For example, the movie 300 is not a documentary. It is intended for entertainment. However, after watching the movie, people might want to look up the history of Greece and Sparta, while they may have avoided that subject in the classroom. Game designer James Portnow, who also wrote a youtube channel on game design topics, was the first to suggest that video games had the potential to teach through tangential learning.
There are some obvious skills that gamers are commonly known to possess as a result of playing lots of video games. Players who play online games learn to type on their own. By necessity they must become fast at typing to communicate in the game. Players are also often exposed to math, especially in games where they want to optimize their character builds to be the most effective. But less obviously, games have also been shown to improve coordination, problem-solving skills, memory, concentration, reflexes, and even social skills (Eugenio, Sheila).
What types of games are fun is widely subjective. However, there are similarities that can be found amongst popular games from a variety of genres. The theory of Operant Conditioning proposed by Burrhus Frederic Skinner, AKA B.F.Skinner, turned out to be the pandoras box of game design. You can now find the results of Skinner’s work in almost any addictive video game. Skinners groundbreaking experiment, known as the “Skinner box” involved putting hungry rats into a box. When the rats pushed a button in the box, food would come out. Skinner tried a few different variations. The first was that food would come out every time the button was pressed. This eventually resulted in satiation, and the animals would stop pushing the button. The second was a schedule, where the food would be delivered after a certain number of pushes. This again resulted in satiation and the animals stopped pushing the button. But something unexpected happens when the button is set to randomly give the food on rare occasions. When food was not certain, and possibly rare, the animals would push the button repeatedly even long after they had enough to eat. When presented with a random chance to get food, survival instincts kick in, and compel the animal to keep pushing the button because their life depends on it. Further experimentation showed that this works on humans as well (Shrestha, Praveen). This discovery is the foundation of gambling addiction. All modern slot machines, video poker machines, and other gambling devices, use this psychological effect to compel people to keep playing. Game designers now use Skinner’s findings compel people to play subscription games, or games with micro transactions, on a daily basis for as long as possible (Fahey, Mike).
Skinner box mechanics are not the only way designers get players hooked on their games however. According to clinical psychologist Dr Brent Conrad, addictive video games “feed a need of making social connections”. It is the same mechanism for social media addiction, which is also a growing public concern. People need social connections; but also desire instant gratification. Online video games allow people to instantly connect with others to enjoy a shared hobby. Dr Conrad further explains that addictive video games often require team play to advance. Effectively, online multiplayer itself is extremely addictive.
In his article, Dr. Conrad touches on skinner’s operant conditioning, but instead uses the term “variable reward schedules”. He also identifies other triggers that keep players hooked. One of the most popular hooks is a leveling system, which nearly all games have adopted in modern times; even games like shooters. Humans like to be productive, which combined with the instant gratification addiction, makes progression systems in games extremely rewarding for minimal effort. For this reason as Dr Conrad points out, currency is another common hook. “The same goals and emotions which drive people to pursue wealth in the real world are also present in video games. As one amasses more virtual wealth… greater power, control, respect, status… - which are obviously very seductive pursuits”. Games offer the ability to escape the challenges of real life, connect with other people, progress and build wealth, all with relatively little effort.
Dr Conrad also talks about another very powerful hook that keeps players coming back, and staying longer. Many games now feature perpetual worlds, that exist and evolve separate of the player. Because these worlds, and the other players in the worlds, can change and do things even while the player is offline, players must play as much as possible to avoid missing something. This is especially true in online survival games such as Rust, or Ark. The fact that enemy players can break into your base, loot and destroy while you are offline, compels you to play as long as possible to put up that last wall or turret to defend your base while you are gone. It also compels you to get back as soon as possible.
The reward center of the brain therefore is the main function of video game addiction. According to Dr. Joseph F. Chandler, “Any gamification platform is explicitly designed to make you want to not put it down and is designed to simulate the reward pathway in your brain which can suppress your perception of time… Your brain stops keeping track of time and instead measures units of pleasure in the game… This is why you lose and hour or three without feeling it”. Dr. Chandler also points out that people with anxiety disorder are especially susceptible to this type of compulsion. The game Candy Crush is a wonderful example of this. People became so addicted to the game they would tamper with the phone’s system time to obtain extra lives without having to wait (Spector). Dr. Lisa Strohman argues that “Mobil games like Candy Crush are particularly addictive because everything shuffles and changes and then you level up so if you have any competitive nature, you can feel successful”.
To further the allure of games, designers employ a sensory overload to make each and every action satisfying. Dr. Strohman continues to explain how Candy Crush is employs “highly engaging colors and sounds and create a classical conditioning loop that increases the dopamine reward push”. This is why games perceived as higher quality, typically utilize things like screen shaking, satisfying sounds and effects, as well as colors. When each action is satisfying to the human senses, it furthers the addictive potential of the game. Even relaxing games like Stardew Valley employ this tactic. While just a farming simulator, Stardew Valley rewards every action with sensory stimulation. Even just pouring water over your crops has a satisfying animation and sound effect, which becomes rhythmic when pouring the water 50-100 times over your entire crop.
Knowing that games have the power to teach skills, and knowing how games can be designed to compel the player to play on a daily basis, gives game designers a lot of power over the players. Players can be compelled to buy things regularly. Compelling games could hypothetically be used to engrain certain ideals into players brains, effectively brainwashing them. Or players can be conditioned to practice a skill on a daily basis without realizing it. In this way, life skills such as handling money and managing resources, could be conditioned into people at a young age. If a designer could make a compelling game that teaches a skill effectively, it could reshape how society handles education.
Sources -
Conrad, Brent. “15 Reasons & Theories on Why Video Games Are Addictive.” TechAddiction, www.techaddiction.ca/why_are_video_games_addictive.html.
Eugenio, Sheila. “Public Access - 8 Cognitive Benefits of Playing Video Games for Kids.” Engadget, 9 Feb. 2017, www.engadget.com/2017/02/09/8-cognitive-benefits-of-playing-video-games-for-kids/.
Fahey, Mike. “The Disturbing Ways Our Video Games Addict Us.” Kotaku, Kotaku, 21 June 2013, kotaku.com/the-disturbing-ways-our-video-games-addict-us-5488596.
Gao, Perry. “I Love to Learn, but I Hate to Be Taught.” Journal of Education and Training Studies, vol. 2, no. 3, Sept. 2014, doi:10.11114/jets.v2i3.392.
Shrestha, Praveen. “Skinner's Theory on Operant Conditioning.” Psychestudy, 16 June 2019, www.psychestudy.com/behavioral/learning-memory/operant-conditioning/skinner.
Spector, Nicole. “Why Mobile Games Are so Addicting - and How to Reclaim Your Time.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 22 July 2019, www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/why-mobile-games-are-so-addicting-how-reclaim-your-time-ncna1031266.
“Tangential Learning - How Games Can Teach Us While We Play.” YouTube, YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlQrTHrwyxQ.