Worth Practicum #4

Here is part two of my Runescape social experiment analysis.

b.     Quality of game experience

The quality of a player’s game experience also greatly influences their learning process in the game. If a player is enjoying playing the game and is engaged, they will naturally gain knowledge through their experiences of playing. If they are having a positive experience, it will stimulate their desire for learning more about the game. The learning process is being driven by the player’s interest (Steinkuhler). Gee’s Principles of Learning are very applicable in this aspect of the learning process in the game. A game that effectively employs ideas like Codesign, Identity, or Manipulation and Distributed Knowledge will surely incite a player’s desire to learn.

However, even if these principles of learning are used, the social aspect of the game can create or destroy a player’s positive gaming experience. The real-time interaction between players is a huge part of this game, one that sets it apart from most videogames. Runescape is essentially its own world with its own set of societal views. The commonly shared belief that the social treatment of a player is determined by their status can really affect a novice’s playing experience. Since new players are seen to have less worth to other players, they are ignored or sometimes verbally abused, which can lead to negative feelings. If playing the game is giving them bad feelings because of other players and is no longer fun, they will probably not want to continue or learn more about the game. The social treatment creates a negative gaming experience which then makes the player want to stop playing, and stop learning.

The interesting part of this cause and effect chart is that it does not only go in one direction. The judgmental social treatment of novices creates both a negative gaming experience and an inability to access information from other players, both of which hinder the learning process. The flow of the cycle then overlaps itself. If a player is not learning as well as they could, whether it be because of a lack of information from others or a poor experience, it creates an even worse gaming experience. If the experience is worse, then the player won’t want to learn, and if they don’t want to learn then their experience is worse. A never ending loop can be created, causing an infinitely poorer learning process.