Twitching, Cheering, and Dirty Laundry
Twitch has added microtransactions as a way to support streamers. Cool. But what are some psychological quirks at play?
Podcast 18: Biofeedback and Video Game Design
How can biofeedback and psychophysiology –the physiological bases of mental processes– be used to design better video games?
Why Do Achievements, Trophies, and Badges Work?
Do achievements, badges, and trophies in video games work? If so, why?
Podcast 17: Gaming Psychology and Learning
What is it about video games that make them such effective tools for learning and teaching people new material?
Dark Souls and Gitting into a Gud Mindset
How Dark Souls 3 taught me to be a better parent by encouraging me to embrace failure.
Podcast 16: The Qualities of Online Relationships
In this episode we discuss friendships and other relationships formed in online games. Can they substitute for offline relationships? Are they better or worse in some ways?
Kisses, Anticipation, and the Lost Art of Identifying
Wait. Don’t identify that loot yet. You’ll enjoy it more.
Podcast 15: Simulation Sickness and Virtual Reality
I talk with Ben Lewis Evans, a psychologist and UX researcher at Epic Games, about simulation sickness in VR and how developers work around it.
Psychology and Video Game Product Engagement Presentation
A recording of the slide deck I used for a lecture on video games, psychology, and product engagement.
Kill Cam Kudos and Overwatch
Video: How a small tweak to Blizzard’s new game might nudge people towards sportsmanship.
Support Psychology of Games on Patreon
Enjoyed the articles and podcasts over the years? Kick a buck or two my way to keep them coming.
Podcast 14: Why People Play Games
Nick Yee from Quantic Foundry talks about their research on what motivates different kinds of people to play different kinds of games.
Favorite Sentences from My Book
Some of my favorite stupid sentences from my book about the psychology of video games.
Four More GDC Presentations About Psychology and Video Games
Four free talks from the Game’s Developer Conference about psychology and video games.
Podcast 13: Stress, Games, and Recovery
This episode I talk to Dr. Emily Collins about how video games can be used to recover from a stressful day.
Learned Helplessness and Halo 5
Why some games and some experiences make us feel more helpless than others –and what designers can do about it.
Podcast 12: Video Game Violence
In this episode I talk to Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson about research on the effects of video game violence.
Newtonian Engagement and Metal Gear Solid V
Why are some games better than others at getting us to just keep playing without taking a break?
Podcast 11: Video Games and Our Health
How do video games affect our health –both physical and mental– for better or worse?
The Steam Winter Sale is Too Much Sale
The 2015 Steam Winter Sale has ditched the daily and flash deals. Here’s why I think that may be a bad idea.
Podcast 10: Can Video Games Make You Smarter?
I talk to Dr. C. Shawn Green from the University of Wisconsin-Madison about whether brain training programs work and if regular old action games can make you smarter –and what that really means.
Reason Based Choice and the Golden Path
How a simple choice of words can bias your choices in video games, such as what NPC factions to support.
Podcast 9: How Do Games Differ From Other Media?
I talk to Dr. Nick Bowman from West Virginia University about how video games differ from other media in terms of the demands they place on players and thus how our approaches to studying them should differ. It turns out that video games ARE special and something new.
The Psychology of Horror Games
In celebration of Halloween, let’s look at some of the psychology behind why people like scary video games.
A Wii Little Fluency Effect
“Wii U” sounds silly, but Nintendo’s consoles might be benefiting a little from what’s known as the fluency effect.
Getting Gamers: The Psychology of Video Games Book
Getting Gamers: The Psychology of Video Games and Their Impact on the People Who Play Them is a book about how video games use psychology to shape our behavior, manipulate our beliefs, and rig our purchasing decisions.
Podcast 8: Envy and Microtransactions
How can envy can drive us to make in-game purchases and microtransactions? But also, what do we think of others who just buy things we chose to grind out? Let’s see what the research suggests.
The Kuleshov Effect: Is Batman Hungry?
An old technique from film making has psychological roots that reach into the world of video games.
Podcast 7: The State of Video Game Debates
What’s the popular topics and state of academic research on psychology and video games? And how can academics package that information for the media and everyone else?
Shenmue 3 Kickstarter and the Affect Heuristic
How do gaming Kickstarters that rely on nostalgia make use of our irrational decision-making?
Podcast 6: Using Psychology to Craft User Experiences
If the users of games are humans, then a little psychology should help a lot in user research, right? Celia Hodent from Epic Games explains why in this episode.
When the Pay to Win Button Backfires
How do players react and what social comparisons do they make when others pay real money for in-game advantages?
Podcast 5: Building Better AI Through Psychology
How can a little psychology make NPCs and other artificial intelligence agents in games seem more like real humans?
Free Money, Grocery Bags, and Smarter Than You
How the irrational way we treat “free” as a price in games can lead us astray …or keep us on track.
Podcast 4: Toxic Behavior
I talk to Dr. Jeffrey Lin about using psychology to curb toxic behavior in online games.
Why Did the Mass Effect 3 Ending Ruin The Whole Series?
What do the ending of the Mass Effect series and a painful medical procedure have in common? They both illustrate how memory and evaluation of experiences interact.
Podcast 3: Psychological Flow
I talk to Dr. Linda Kaye about psychological flow in video games, including the new topic of group flow in multiplayer gaming.
Support Psychology of Games on Patreon
After 6 years and 151 pieces of content, I’m asking for a little support to move this whole psychology of games thing forward.
Why We Hate (Some) Motion Controls
Some recent research suggests how to predict whether motion controls and other weird peripherals will lead to frustration or enjoyment.
Podcast 2: Big Data and Becoming a Video Game Psychologist
We talk to Dr. Nick Yee about game companies’ use of big data and how he became a video game psychologist.
Three GDC 15 Talks on Psychology and Video Games
Get 3 free talks about psychology and video games from the 2015 Game Developer’s Conference.
Psychology and Video Game Kickstarters
3 psychological phenomena that can help determine the success (or failure) of a Kickstarter video game pitch.
Podcast 1: Rage Quitting, Frustration and Aggression
I talk to Dr. Andrew Przybylski from Oxford about video game aggression, frustration, rage quitting, and motivation.
Hand over $4.99 or Spider-Man Gets It
All it may take to get people to spend money in free to play games is one well placed countdown timer.
Red vs. Blue: Which Should You Choose?
Has anyone ever done research on whether playing on the red team or the blue gives one a mental edge in games? Yep.
Psychology & Loot in Edge #276
I have an article on the psychology behind loot, grinding, and player envy in the new issue of Edge Magazine, #276. Read more for some more details.
Book Update: Call for Info
I’m almost done with my book, but I need your help if you’re interested in covering it for your publication, providing pre-release comments, or using it in your classroom.
Psychology of High Scores, Leaderboards, & Competition
How can information about players’ scores and other accomplishments be framed so as to motivate them to compete and try to do better than other players? Let’s explore 3 psychological phenomena that can help.
The Psychology of Destiny’s Loot Systems
Destiny’s loot system leaves out one very important component that could make playing the game more compulsive and habit forming. But it adds in another that might be prolonging player enjoyment after getting a sweet loot drop.
Cheap Beer and the Psychology of PlayStation Now Pricing
Sony just launched its PlayStation Now service that lets you rent access to streaming games. The pricing seems a bit odd to some, but it actually uses some well established psychological tricks to nudge you towards the option that Sony wants you to take. Allow me to explain…