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An enterprise simulation platform for education:
Building a world game for pre-college students with Microsoft ESP
Exhibit 6: Gamer motivation and the World Game
The World Game’s approach to gamers and their motivations is framed by the work of Bartle (2003, n.d.) and Crawford (1984). The game will target at least two kinds of game players: those who seek compelling role-playing possibilities and those who are driven to prove themselves through the attainment of advanced levels. Motivation will be maintained via the creation of a hierarchy that allows players to earn a series of titles as they advance with the highest title, World Leader on the International Council on Global Challenges, awarded to players who have accumulated a very high number of points by completing missions or accomplishing other tasks.
Players will also be able to earn other kinds of rewards designed to sustain and enhance play. These rewards will fall into the categories described in Rules of Play (Salen and Zimmerman 2003), which highlights awards that offer glory, sustenance, access, or facility. For example, a World Game player could be rewarded for completing a particular task by receiving a data analyzer tool, a reward of facility that will help the student in future explorations and that may be rented or sold to other players for a price. Providing a variety of types of rewards increases the likelihood of appealing to someone’s changing motivations and gives players more options in formulating a playing strategy. Rewards may also be used to motivate players to collaborate.
References
Bartle, R. 2003. Designing Virtual Worlds. Berkeley, CA: New Riders Games.
Bartle, R. n.d. “Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades: Players Who Suit MUDs.” http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm (accessed May 27, 2008). Archived at http://www.webcitation.org/5XWhqf5KK.
Crawford, C. 1984. The Art of Computer Game Design: Reflections of a Master Game Designer. Berkeley, CA: Osborne/McGraw-Hill.
Salen, K., and E. Zimmerman. 2003. Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. London: The MIT Press.
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