Getting gamers: the psychology of video games and their impact on the people who play them PDF
Preview Getting gamers: the psychology of video games and their impact on the people who play them
GETTING GAMERS GETTING GAMERS The Psychology of Video Games and Their Impact on the People Who Play Them Jamie Madigan ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD Lanham • Boulder • New York • London PublishedbyRowman&Littlefield AwhollyownedsubsidiaryofTheRowman&LittlefieldPublishingGroup, Inc. 4501ForbesBoulevard,Suite200,Lanham,Maryland20706 www.rowman.com UnitA,WhitacreMews,26-34StannaryStreet,LondonSE114AB Copyright©2016byHaroldJamesMadigan Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorby anyelectronicormechanicalmeans,includinginformationstorageandretriev- alsystems,withoutwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher,exceptbyareviewer whomayquotepassagesinareview. BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationInformationAvailable LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Madigan,Jamie. Gettinggamers:thepsychologyofvideogamesandtheirimpactonthepeoplewhoplaythem/ JamieMadigan. pagescm Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. ISBN978-1-4422-3999-9(cloth:alk.paper)--ISBN978-1-4422-4000-1(electronic) 1.Videogames--Psychologicalaspects.I.Title. GV1469.34.P79M332015 794.8--dc23 2015014719 TMThepaperusedinthispublicationmeetstheminimumrequirementsof AmericanNationalStandardforInformationSciencesPermanenceofPaper forPrintedLibraryMaterials,ANSI/NISOZ39.48-1992. PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica For my GameSpy peeps. For showing me how to be passionate about video games. CONTENTS Acknowledgments ix Introduction xi PART1:THOSEWHOPLAY 1 WhyDoPerfectlyNormalPeopleBecomeRavingLunatics Online? 3 2 WhyDoPeopleCheat,Hack,andPeekatStrategyGuides? 19 3 WhyAreFanboysandFangirlsSoReadyforaFight? 37 4 WhyDoWeGetNostalgicaboutGoodOldGames? 59 PART2:THOSEWHOMAKE 5 HowDoGamesGetUstoKeepScoreandCompete? 77 6 HowDoGamesGetUstoGrind,CompleteSideQuests, andChaseAchievements? 93 7 HowDoDevelopersKeepUsSoExcitedaboutNewLoot? 111 PART3:THOSEWHOSELL 8 HowDoGamesMakeUsFeelImmersedinImaginary Worlds? 127 9 WhyDoWeGoCrazyforDigitalGameSales? 145 10 HowDoGamesandAppsGetYouwithIn-GamePurchases? 163 11 HowDoGamesKeepPlayersPaying? 187 12 HowDoGamesGetPlayerstoMarkettoEachOther? 201 vii viii CONTENTS PART4:THEGAMESTHEMSELVES 13 DoWeShapeOurIn-GameAvatarsorDoTheyShapeUs? 221 14 WhyDoWeLikeViolentGamesSoMuch?AndShould WeBeWorriedThatWeDo? 237 15 DoVideoGamesMakeYouSmarter? 257 Conclusion:WhereDoPsychologyandVideoGamesGofromHere? 273 Notes 279 Bibliography 281 Index 291
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