Precision of Emotion (A New Kind of “Fun Approach”)
New approach to finding what fun is
Raph Koster’s theory of fun
“Fun is just another word for learning”
this is the beginning, not the end
Different definitions of fun
Jesse Schel
fun isn’t important
Raph koster
fun is learning
Fred rogers
play is the work of childhood
etc.
GlassLab
2012
Learning game-maker
SimCity
was fun for kids, but weren’t learning anything
kids are hungry for learning
Palate of Universal emotions
seven universal emotions
disgust
contempt
sadness
happiness
fear
anger
surprise
how does fun fit in?
fun’s not one emotion, but a process between emotions
SOPHIA
the game-learn emotions
“Fun is the cognitive mechanical process by which we convert fear into happiness through surprise.”
The process in which you approach something foreign—and allows you to enjoy it in the end
Some games might have more of it than others
sim city
Civ IV
Portal
Journey
Connection to the real world
Mechanics relating to space and order
the “mastery” emotion
Meaningful games
games that do/don’t connect to the real world
candy crush is a closed system
Journey connects to the world model and the systems are exterior
Emotional taxonomy of games
Fear
Speed
Fiero
Together
Complicity
Mechanics and action create emotion
dissonance of mechanics and actions create a wackiness
disparate mechanics can be united with a core emotion
Without emotion, argumentation is confusing and unmemorable
fiero->mastery->consequences->complicity->wisdom
The pain of absence is confusion, feeling dumb, socially ineffective, and these can be reversed.
You need to have a “why,” and that’s harder in a learning game.
If you don’t have x, then you’ll have y. (Showing importance)
making clarity, structure, wittiness from the observation of what absence could contain
illuminate the fear and why
so that there’s tension
