DOCSLIB.ORG

An Investigation of Compulsive Interactions and Mechanics In

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
An Investigation of Compulsive Interactions and Mechanics In An investigation of compulsive interactions and mechanics in incremental idle clickers Exploring the tension between interactivity and interpassivity Christoffer Larsson [email protected] Interaction Design Bachelor 22.5HP Spring/2019 Supervisor: Simon Niedenthal 2 of 47 Abstract Incremental idle clickers is a genre of games where gameplay revolves around simple interactions like clicking the screen repeatedly to accumulate currency. The clicking action is often automatized by the game. This thesis investigates qualities that make interactions in incremental idle clickers compulsive and motivating. The incremental idle clickers genre adopts mechanics and interactions that were experienced as compelling, motivating and anxiety-inducing. The “idle” mechanic allows the game to run without player interaction and proved to be central in relation to the player experience. Through a user-centered design-process, the compulsive and motivating nature can be suggested to emerge from three major experiences of the genre, “Monotony”, “Intrusive omnipresence” and “Demanding”. The result includes a discovery of the ambiguous tension and balance between interactivity and interpassivity in the genre. Finding this balance may prove beneficial to the player experience. I identified ethical challenges concerning the game depriving players of satisfying gameplay. Keywords: interaction design, game design, incremental idle clickers, compulsive interactions, interpassivity. 3 of 47 Acknowledgment I would like to give thanks to all those who participated in terms of interviews, observations, workshops and user tests. A special thanks go out to Simon Niedenthal for his valuable guidance and supervision. 4 of 47 Contact Information Author: Christoffer Larsson E-mail: [email protected] Supervisor: Simon Niedenthal E-mail: [email protected] Examiner: Anne-Marie Hansen E-mail: [email protected] 5 of 47 Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................. 2 Acknowledgment ................................................................................................................... 2 Contact Information .............................................................................................................. 3 1 Introduction........................................................................................................................ 6 1.1 Context .......................................................................................................................... 7 1.2 Research questions ....................................................................................................... 7 1.3 Purpose ........................................................................................................................ 8 1.4 Ethical considerations ................................................................................................. 8 1.5 Limitations ................................................................................................................... 9 1.6 Relation to interaction design ..................................................................................... 9 1 Background ......................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 The origin of incremental idle clickers ......................................................................... 9 1.2 Incremental idle clickers today ................................................................................... 10 1.3 Mechanics of an incremental idle clicker ................................................................... 11 1.3.1 Main game loop .................................................................................................... 11 1.3.2 Primary currency .................................................................................................. 11 1.3.3 Idling .................................................................................................................... 11 1.3.4 Dynamic mechanics ............................................................................................. 12 1.3.5 Prestige ................................................................................................................. 12 1.3.6 Premium currency ................................................................................................ 12 1.3.7 Special events ....................................................................................................... 12 2 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 13 2.1 User-centered design process ..................................................................................... 13 2.2 Analysis of Idle Games ............................................................................................... 13 2.3 Field Studies ............................................................................................................... 14 2.3.1 Semi-structured Interviews .................................................................................. 14 2.3.2 Observations ........................................................................................................ 14 2.3.3 Extended user testing .......................................................................................... 14 2.4 Grounded Theory ....................................................................................................... 15 2.5 Workshop ................................................................................................................... 16 2.6 Brainstorming ............................................................................................................ 16 2.7 Prototyping ................................................................................................................. 16 2.8 User testing ................................................................................................................ 17 3 Theory ............................................................................................................................... 18 6 of 47 3.1 Interpassivity .............................................................................................................. 18 3.2 Attention Economy..................................................................................................... 18 3.3 Delay of Gratification ................................................................................................. 19 3.4 Self-Determination Theory & Self-Actualization ....................................................... 19 4 Contextual discovery ......................................................................................................... 19 4.1 Analysis of eight incremental idle clickers ................................................................. 19 4.1.1 Analyzing Egg, Inc ............................................................................................... 20 4.1.2 Analyzing Realm Grinder .................................................................................... 22 4.2 Mapping play frequency and context ........................................................................ 23 4.3 Compulsive aspects of incremental idle clickers ........................................................25 4.4 Summary of contextual discovery ............................................................................. 26 4.5 Grounded Theory ....................................................................................................... 27 4.6 Generating a how-might-we question ........................................................................ 31 5 Design Phase .................................................................................................................... 32 5.1 Ideation workshop ..................................................................................................... 32 5.2 Ideation ..................................................................................................................... 33 5.3 Developing a prototype ............................................................................................. 33 5.4 User testing ................................................................................................................. 35 5.5 Iterations .................................................................................................................... 37 5.5.1 Findings from user testing of the first iteration .................................................. 38 5.5.2 Findings from user testing of the second iteration ............................................. 38 6 Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 39 7 Self-Critique ...................................................................................................................... 41 8 Future work ...................................................................................................................... 42 9 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 42 10 References .....................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Cookie Clicker: Gamification
    This is a repository copy of Cookie Clicker: Gamification. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/146788/ Version: Accepted Version Book Section: Deterding, Christoph Sebastian orcid.org/0000-0003-0033-2104 (2019) Cookie Clicker: Gamification. In: Hunteman, Nina and Payne, Mathew Thomas, (eds.) How to Play Video Games. NYU Press , New York , pp. 200-207. Reuse Items deposited in White Rose Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the White Rose Research Online record for the item. Takedown If you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing [email protected] including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. [email protected] https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ Cookie Clicker Gamification Sebastian Deterding Abstract: Incremental games like Cookie Clicker are a perfect exemplar of gamification, using progress mechanics and other game features to make a rote act like clicking compelling. Hence, this chapter reads the game Cookie Clicker for its motivating features to illustrate the logic and limits of gamification. As I type these words into my text editor, the open browser tab next to it informs me that I am currently baking 62.526 sextillion cookies per second.
    [Show full text]
  • Playing to Wait: a Taxonomy of Idle Games
    CHI 2018 Paper CHI 2018, April 21–26, 2018, Montréal, QC, Canada Playing to Wait: A Taxonomy of Idle Games Sultan A. Alharthi,1 Olaa Alsaedi,1 Zachary O. Toups,1 Joshua Tanenbaum,2 Jessica Hammer3 1Play & Interactive Experiences for Learning Lab, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA 2 Transformative Play Lab, Department of Informatics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA 3HCI Institute / Entertainment Technology Center, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA {salharth, olaa}@nmsu.edu, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Figure 1. Sample of idle games featuring different styles of gameplay, interaction, and graphical or text interfaces. From left to right: Cookie Clicker [G50], AdVenture Capitalist [G38], Kittens Game [G16], Clicker Heroes [G66], and Cow Clicker [G39]. Screenshots taken cb author Alharthi. ABSTRACT are typically played in web browsers, on mobile devices, or Idle games are a recent minimalist gaming phenomenon in on a PC. Players progress with minimal-to-no interaction. Idle which the game is left running with little player interaction. games usually involve repeating a simple action (e.g., clicking, We deepen understanding of idle games and their characteris- rubbing, tapping) to accumulate resources as a core mechanic, tics by developing a taxonomy and identifying game features. an action that is regularly performed in play [55]. Most idle This paper examines 66 idle games using a grounded theory games also include mechanics that automate gameplay so the approach to analyze play, game mechanics, rewards, interac- game progresses by itself [50]. Although the interactions are tivity, progress rate, and user interface.
    [Show full text]
  • Staying Alive Fallout 76
    ALL FORMATS EXCLUSIVE Staying Alive Far Cry 4’s Alex Hutchinson How the British games industry survived its on his “louder, brasher” game turbulent early years Fallout 76 Bethesda, BETA and “spectacular” bugs Issue 1 £3 wfmag.cc 01 72000 GRIS 16 7263 97 Subscribe today 12 weeks for £12* Visit: wfmag.cc/12issues to order * UK Price. 6 issue introductory offer In search of real criticism an games be art? Roger Ebert judge – the critic is a guide, an educator, and an argued that they couldn’t. He was interpreter. The critic makes subtext text, traces C wrong. Any narrative medium themes, and fills in white space. Put another can produce art. But I’m not sure way, the critic helps the audience find deeper we’re producing many examples that meet JESSICA PRICE meaning in a piece of art. Or: the critic teaches that definition. Let’s be honest: everyone keeps Jessica Price is a the audience the rules of the games artists play producer, writer, and talking about BioShock because it had something manager with over a so that they’re on a level ground with the artist. to say and said it with competence and style, decade of experience One only has to compare movie or TV reviews in triple-A, indie, and not because what it had to say was especially tabletop games. in any mainstream publication, in which at least profound. Had it been a movie or a book, I doubt some critical analysis beyond “is this movie it would have gotten much attention.
    [Show full text]
  • "How Does Gamified Interaction Allow Participants to Co-Create Digital Artworks?"
    Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree European Master of Excellence Media Arts Cultures "HOW DOES GAMIFIED INTERACTION ALLOW PARTICIPANTS TO CO-CREATE DIGITAL ARTWORKS?" Qualitative analysis: comparative method, within-case method of analysis and embedded multiple-case study Master Thesis Handed in to Department of Communication and Psychology Aalborg University Head of Department Univ.-Prof. Dr. Mikael Vetner and the Media Arts Cultures Consortium Supervisor: Palle Dahlstedt (Ph.D., MFA, MA) By: Dominique Vinckenbosch (BA, MA) August 12, 2019 ! ii! ABSTRACT Topic: Game design elements (gamification affordances) applied to interaction for co-creation in art. Author: Dominique Vinckenbosch Course/Year: Media Arts Cultures, 2017-2019 4th Semester Placement: Aalborg University, Denmark Pages: 130 Content: So far gamification and interaction in art have been studied separately. However, the research question of this study "How does Gamified Interaction allow participants to co-create digital artworks?" covers three disciplines, respectively games, human computer interaction and interactive art and demonstrate connections premises between the three. Therefore, this study aims to bridge these three disciplines by filling the gap in the current research about the application of game design elements (gamification affordances) to interaction for co-creation in art. In order to do so, the study conducts an in-depth cross-case and within-case qualitative analysis of four digital artworks, respectively The Beast, Cow Clicker, Tweetris and BURP in regards to two previously elaborated hypotheses, which goals are to provide evidence of a causal relationship (H1) and to eliminate a causal factor as a necessary condition (H2). The results demonstrate that Gamified Interaction enables co-creation in the form of authorial and social collaboration, and that it does not necessary have to be designed according to the participants.
    [Show full text]
  • Download This PDF File
    Vol. 10, No. 1 (2019) http://www.eludamos.org The Ontology of Incremental Games: Thinking like the Computer in Frank Lantz’s Universal Paperclips Matthew Schmalzer Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture. 2019; 10 (1), pp. 91–108 The Ontology of Incremental Games: Thinking like the Computer in Frank Lantz’s Universal Paperclips MATTHEW SCHMALZER “Mass media,” Alexander Galloway (2006) claims, has undergone an “upheaval” (p.3). He argues that “what used to be primarily the domain of eyes and looking is now more likely that of muscles and doing” (p.3). Videogames are the catalyst of this supposed shift. Where we once inertly watched media, we now actively play them. However, during gameplay, the player is not the only one that acts; the computer does as well. The computer’s software runs, acting both in response to players’ actions and of its own accord. In Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 1985), for example, players’ input makes Mario jump and run, but set the controller down and the enemies continue moving along their determined routes, the music continues playing, and the clock insists on ticking down. All of these actions are algorithmically determined by the computer’s code and require no input from the player. The computer plays even when the player ceases interacting with it, demonstrating an agency of its own that has a very real effect on the player. If the computer’s code determines that an enemy’s path should intersect with Mario’s, the player will likely respond by attempting to evade or attack the algorithmically generated obstacle.
    [Show full text]
  • Making Text Annotation Fun with a Clicker Game
    Making Text Annotation Fun with a Clicker Game Chris Madge Richard Bartle Jon Chamberlain Queen Mary Univ. Of London University Of Essex University Of Essex United Kingdom United Kingdom United Kingdom [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Udo Kruschwitz Massimo Poesio University Of Essex Queen Mary Univ. Of London United Kingdom United Kingdom [email protected] [email protected] ABSTRACT the most successful GWAPs [9, 45]. The original GWAPs for AI In this paper we present WordClicker, a clicker game for text anno- by von Ahn, such as The ESP Game, were effective in presenting tation. We believe the mechanics of ‘Ville type Free-To-Play (F2P) their tasks, as per the original definition, in such a way that the games in general, and clicker games in particular, is particularly labels gathered were a byproduct of play [45]. In contrast, it has suited for GWAPs (Games-With-A-Purpose). WordClicker was de- been said that language resourcing games such as PhraseDetectives veloped as one component of a suite of GWAPs meant to cover all [36], are not entirely GWAPs as annotations are not a byproduct, aspects of language interpretation, from tokenization to anaphoric but rather it is evident that the player is annotating text [26]. This interpretation. As such, WordClicker is intended to have a dual can be said of the majority, if not all language resourcing GWAPs. function as part of this suite of GWAPs: both for parts-of-speech Wordrobe for example, unlike PhraseDetectives, is a game which annotation and for teaching players about parts of speech so that deliberately aims to hide the true nature and linguistic complexity they can go on and play GWAPs for more complex syntactic an- of the tasks by presenting them as multiple choice questions and notation.
    [Show full text]
  • New Game Physics Added Value for Transdisciplinary Teams Andreas Schiffler
    . New Game Physics Added Value for Transdisciplinary Teams Andreas Schiffler A dissertation in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) University of Plymouth Supplemented by: Proof of Practice: 1 DVD video documentation, 1 DVD appendices, source code, game executable, and supporting files Wordcount: 76,970 Committee in Charge: Supervisor: 2nd Supervisor: Prof. Jill Scott Dr. Daniel Bisig Zurich University of the Arts (ICS) Zurich University of the Arts (ICST) University of Plymouth University of Zurich (AIL) March 11, 2012 Abstract Andreas Schiffler (2011), `New Game Physics: Added Value for Transdisciplinary Teams', Ph.D. University of Plymouth, UK. This study focused on game physics, an area of computer game design where physics is applied in interactive computer software. The purpose of the re- search was a fresh analysis of game physics in order to prove that its current usage is limited and requires advancement. The investigations presented in this dissertation establish constructive principles to advance game physics design. The main premise was that transdisciplinary approaches provide sig- nificant value. The resulting designs reflected combined goals of game devel- opers, artists and physicists and provide novel ways to incorporate physics into games. The applicability and user impact of such new game physics across several target audiences was thoroughly examined. In order to explore the transdisciplinary nature of the premise, valid evidence was gathered using a broad range of theoretical and practical methodologies. The research established a clear definition of game physics within the context of historical, technological, practical, scientific, and artistic considerations. Game analysis, literature reviews and seminal surveys of game players, game developers and scientists were conducted.
    [Show full text]
  • Cookie Clicker: Gamification
    This is a repository copy of Cookie Clicker: Gamification. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/146788/ Version: Accepted Version Book Section: Deterding, Christoph Sebastian orcid.org/0000-0003-0033-2104 (2019) Cookie Clicker: Gamification. In: Hunteman, Nina and Payne, Mathew Thomas, (eds.) How to Play Video Games. NYU Press , New York , pp. 200-207. Reuse Items deposited in White Rose Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the White Rose Research Online record for the item. Takedown If you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing [email protected] including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. [email protected] https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ Cookie Clicker Gamification Sebastian Deterding Abstract: Incremental games like Cookie Clicker are a perfect exemplar of gamification, using progress mechanics and other game features to make a rote act like clicking compelling. Hence, this chapter reads the game Cookie Clicker for its motivating features to illustrate the logic and limits of gamification. As I type these words into my text editor, the open browser tab next to it informs me that I am currently baking 62.526 sextillion cookies per second.
    [Show full text]
  • Grinding from a Player's and Game Designer's Point of View
    Grinding from a Player’s and Game Designer’s Point of View Patrick Perdomo Computer Science Bachelor’s Thesis 15 ECTS credits Spring 2021 Supervisor: Steve Dahlskog CONTENTS I Introduction 3 I-A Related Work and Purpose . .3 I-B Delimitation . .4 II Method 4 III Results 4 III-A Defining ”Grind” . .5 III-B Defining the Sub-Grinds . .5 III-B1 Sub-grind overview . .5 III-C The MMORPG Grind . .6 III-C1 Overview . .6 III-C2 Examples . .6 III-C3 Gameplay . .7 III-C4 Consequences . .7 III-C5 Relations . .7 III-D The Ladder Grind . .7 III-D1 Overview . .7 III-D2 Examples . .7 III-D3 Gameplay . .8 III-D4 Consequences . .8 III-D5 Relations . .8 III-E The Background Grind . .8 III-E1 Overview . .8 III-E2 Examples . .8 III-E3 Gameplay . .9 III-E4 Consequences . .9 III-E5 Relations . .9 III-F The Gacha Grind . .9 III-F1 Overview . .9 III-F2 Examples . .9 III-F3 Gameplay . 10 III-F4 Consequences . 10 III-F5 Relations . 10 III-G The Social Game Grind . 11 III-G1 Overview . 11 III-G2 Examples . 11 III-G3 Gameplay . 11 III-G4 Consequences . 11 III-G5 Relations . 11 III-H The Incremental Game Grind . 11 III-H1 Overview . 11 III-H2 Examples . 11 III-H3 Gameplay . 12 III-H4 Consequences . 12 III-H5 Relations . 12 III-I The Lone Grind . 12 III-I1 Overview . 12 III-I2 Examples . 12 III-I3 Gameplay . 12 III-I4 Consequences . 13 III-I5 Relations . 13 III-J Interview Results . 13 IV Analysis 15 IV-A How Grinding Became Popular .
    [Show full text]
  • JGVW 10 3 Lets Not Play
    UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) Let’s not play: Interpassivity as resistance in ‘Let’s Play’ videos Gekker, A. DOI 10.1386/jgvw.10.3.219_1 Publication date 2018 Document Version Final published version Published in Journal of Gaming and Virtual Worlds Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Gekker, A. (2018). Let’s not play: Interpassivity as resistance in ‘Let’s Play’ videos. Journal of Gaming and Virtual Worlds, 10(3), 219-242. https://doi.org/10.1386/jgvw.10.3.219_1 General rights It is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), other than for strictly personal, individual use, unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Disclaimer/Complaints regulations If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: https://uba.uva.nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible. UvA-DARE is a service provided by the library of the University of Amsterdam (https://dare.uva.nl) Download date:05 Oct 2021 JGVW 10 (3) pp. 219–242 Intellect Limited 2018 Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds Volume 10 Number 3 jgvw © 2018 Intellect Ltd Article.
    [Show full text]
  • A Serious Game Prototype Based on Study Training Emotion Regulation to Help College Students Reduce Academic Procrastination
    nrik v He d a apa l sk Ma A SERIOUS GAME PROTOTYPE BASED ON STUDY TRAINING EMOTION REGULATION TO HELP COLLEGE STUDENTS REDUCE ACADEMIC PROCRASTINATION Take ‘Cat Clinic’ as a case Master Degree Project in Informatics One year Level 22.5 ECTS Spring term 2021 Siyuan Wang Supervisor: Per Backlund Examiner: Mikael Johannesson Abstract Academic procrastination is a common phenomenon among contemporary college students. This behavior seriously affected the graduation, physical and mental of college students. Playing games is a kind of procrastination behavior, which refers to short-term happiness through games and avoiding the pain caused by academic writing. The purpose of this article is to help students pay attention to using idle games to regulate emotions to reduce the frequency of academic writing procrastination. In terms of game design, the game type chosen is idle games. The study used the method of emotion regulation skill trend chart to divide the procrastinators into two groups for the experiment. The conclusion is that serious games based on learning emotion regulation can help procrastinators to improve their emotion regulation skills and reduce the frequency of procrastination to a certain extent. Keywords: serious game; academic procrastination；emotion regulation; idle game Table of Contents 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 2 Background .......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The End of Capitalism: Disengaging from the Economic Imaginary of Incremental Games
    The End of Capitalism: Disengaging from the Economic Imaginary of Incremental Games Dr Paolo Ruffino University of Liverpool Journal: Games and Culture (2019) Keywords: idle games; incremental games; interpassivity; automation; ’pataphysics Abstract The article investigates how players of the incremental game AdVenture Capitalist write about the end of the game, and the end of capitalism with it. The game visually and mechanically represents the economic imaginary of frictionless capitalism, characterized by endless and self-sufficient growth. AdVenture Capitalist has no end, and does not require the player’s interaction. The analysis shows that players’ responses to their marginalization from an endless simulation are pataphysical: they privilege the particular over the general, the imaginary over the real, the exceptional over the ordinary, and the contradictory over the axiomatic. In so doing, players occasionally raise imaginary solutions to the end of capitalism. Examining the written traces of players’ disengagement from the simulation, the article intervenes in broader debates regarding the effects of games. It concludes that exceptional cases of overinterpretation reveal a complex transformative approach towards video games and the political and economic ideology represented therein. 1 AdVenture Capitalist was released by Hyper Hippo Productions in 2014. It belongs to the genre of incremental and idle games: playful simulations that, once started, keep increasing their internal score regardless of player intervention. These games continue to play themselves and, theoretically, they never end. Player choices while playing the game are geared towards accelerating the overall score as quickly as possible, in the knowledge that (theoretically) the accumulation could continue forever. My aim here is to explore how players of AdVenture Capitalist write about the end of the game, and the end of capitalism with it.
    [Show full text]