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The Psychological Trick That Can Make Rewards Backfire (Patreon)

Published:
2020-09-12 11:06:37
Edited:
2020-09-13 18:39:32
Imported:
2021-01

Content

Hello!

Goals and rewards can be a great way to motivate players to learn, try out features, and play longer - but in certain circumstances, they can actually backfire on you. Let's jump into the psychology of motivation.

This one took a lot longer than I was hoping or expecting. I actually started and cancelled two completely different videos before this, then hit a major writer's block on the script for this one before finally completing it! Argh!

Not sure what's next - but hopefully it's plain sailing!

Mark

Files

The Psychological Trick That Can Make Rewards Backfire

Goals and rewards can be a great way to motivate players to learn, try out features, and play longer - but in certain circumstances, they can actually backfire on you. To find out more, let's jump into the psychology of motivation. Support Game Maker's Toolkit on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/GameMakersToolkit Join the GMTK Game Jam Sources [1] Undermining children's intrinsic interest with extrinsic reward | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1974-10497-001 [2] Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic rewards in Klei’s latest game: Don’t Starve | The Penny Arcade Report http://web.archive.org/web/20130117075748/http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/intrinsic-vs.-extrinsic-rewards-in-kleis-latest-game-dont-starve [3] Outer Wilds: a game of curiosity-driven space exploration | USC Digital Library http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15799coll3/id/248860 [4] The Machinations Behind Infinifactory | Game Wisdom https://game-wisdom.com/podcast/infinifactory [5] Mini Metro: When Less is More | GDC Vault (Free Access) https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1024250/-Mini-Metro-When-Less [6] Effect of Expected Rewards on Children's Creativity | Creativity Research Journal https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15326934crj1204_1 [7] How Incentives Hinder Innovation | Behavioral Scientist https://behavioralscientist.org/how-incentives-hinder-innovation-creativity/ [8] Why do goal-based incentives cause cheating? | Williams College (PDF) https://sites.williams.edu/mc20/files/2017/09/Chao-Larkin-2017-Why-do-goal-based-incentives-cause-cheating.pdf [9] What to do? | Steam Forums https://steamcommunity.com/app/368370/discussions/0/530645446308194754/ [10] A Nintendo Argument Against Achievements | Kotaku https://kotaku.com/a-nintendo-argument-against-achievements-5740114 Find out more Throwing Out the Dopamine Shots: Reward Psychology Without the Neurotrash | GDC Vault (Free Access) https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1024181/Throwing-Out-the-Dopamine-Shots Rewards in Video Games | GDC Vault (Free Access) https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1023948/Rewards-in-Video The Cake Is Not a Lie: How to Design Effective Achievements | Gamasutra https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6360/the_cake_is_not_a_lie_how_to_.php?print=1 The Psychology of Games | Steamworks Development https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0GZMA6c0T4 Achievements Considered Harmful? | Chris Hecker http://www.chrishecker.com/Achievements_Considered_Harmful%3F Games shown in this episode (in order of appearance) Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (Naughty Dog, 2016) A Plague Tale: Innocence (Asobo Studio, 2019) Hearthstone (Blizzard Entertainment, 2014) Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout (Mediatonic, 2020) Rage 2 (Avalanche Studios / id Software, 2019) Diablo III (Blizzard Entertainment, 2012) Marvel's Avengers (Crystal Dynamics, 2020) Don't Starve (Klei Entertainment, 2013) Mini Metro (Dinosaur Polo Club, 2015) Subnautica (Unknown Worlds Entertainment, 2018) The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (Nicalis / Edmund McMillen, 2014) Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital, 2019) Exapunks (Zactronics, 2018) Shenzen I/O (Zactronics, 2016) Opus Magnum (Zachtronics, 2017) Spacechem (Zachtronics, 2011) Infinifactory (Zachtronics, 2015) Tormentor X Punisher (E-Studio, 2017) Lonely Mountains: Downhill (Megagon Industries, 2019) Tetris 99 (Arika, 2019) Minecraft (Mojang, 2011) The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo, 2017) Lumines Remastered (Q Entertainment / Reonsair, 2018) Planet Zoo (Frontier Developments, 2019) God of War (Santa Monica Studio, 2018) Destiny (Bungie, 2014) Hitman 2 (IO Interactive, 2018) Her Story (Sam Barlow, 2015) Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment, 2016) Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games, 2017) Devil May Cry 5 (Capcom, 2019) Hitman (IO Interactive, 2016) Forza Horizon 4 (Playground Games, 2018) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward, 2019) Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo, 2017) Music used in this episode Music provided by Music Vine - https://musicvine.com/

Comments

LovelySoftSnow

I love how you used the study, at the start of the video i was certain the kids promised a reward would have higher quality drawings but when you brought it up again i knew it was going to be the other way round

Anonymous

Very interesting video. But I wonder if it might be better, to remove the names and profile pictures of the Steam message. I don't know, some people might be a little sensitive about that.

Anonymous

Back when they came I'd been weary of achievements. Then I read the research. Too bad by then my completionist side had awoken and become unwilling to go to sleep

Ian Easton

This describes exactly what happened to me in Animal Crossing when I paid off my loans. It also explains why, if I want to be a completionist, I need to do everything before I finish the game; as soon as those credits roll the shine is off the apple.

Anonymous

Great video Mark, one of your best yet! Teaches you something about life as well if you think about it

Anonymous

Interesting and tricky topic. I think there are a lot of things that still need teasing out here. Is the goal of a game developer to get a player to keep playing their game forever? Isn't "finishing" a game a sort of intrinsic reward too? I know that I'm intrinsically motivated by achieving a degree of mastery over a game, but then once I've achieved that I want to move on to the next unique experience rather than trying to grind out a personal best because of what you are referring to as "intrinsic" motivation. For games with a finite number of levels or a clear story arc, doesn't the intrinsic goal of the game match up with the extrinsic goals offered? Also, I'm not sure I would draw a line so neatly between a game like Breath of the Wild and any AAA FPS game. The feeling and the feedback loop of unlocking new areas and new dots on the overworld map (which fills in as you explore) is surely very similar to the feeling of unlocking new costumes or weapons or whatever, right? I like this video as it made me think critically about motivation loops, but I wish it were longer and there was more nuance to it. I don't think the line between intrinsic/extrinsic when you're talking about games is so clear-cut.

Mark M

Fascinating video, really like this one. I've always preferred ticking off things to do, achievements and gaining progression over 'do what you like' games like Minecraft. But I've also felt the sense of exhaustion that comes from something you enjoy becoming 'work'. Open world games often seem to fall into this trap. I never really connected quite how linked those things can be. I think games with levels, bosses, even cutscenes splitting up sections of play can be very rewarding in this way. You are getting a reward each time but you aren't playing just for the reward. I wouldn't try to beat a boss if I hated the game, but getting to and beating the next boss is a good mix between intrinsic and extrinsic, it gives the game structure.

Anonymous

A weird coincidence: I've been taking an online teaching class, and they were discussing intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation in the classroom. There are a lot of these parallels between pedagogy and game design, though this one is a bit easier to spot.

Anonymous

Wonderful topic and as usual, awesome execution, well worth the wait :)

Anonymous

I love how you managed to convey a much deeper message about real life reward systems through a video essay about maximizing the fun in a game! It's just brilliant

zeta0134

Actually, *can* it be about "Plain Sailing?" Specifically, do you think there's any merit to a discussion on methods of travel in games, how that affects the overall pace of gameplay, and the convenience of fast travel versus the resulting immersion break? Wind Waker's sailing system came to mind, but also the naval combat in the Assassin's Creed series for something more recent.

Anonymous

I guess I'm in the minority, but I thought this video was super hard to follow and uninteresting. Sorry... I love GMTK videos 99% of the time, this one just didn't grab my attention like the rest do. It wasn't "fun" at all. I didn't really understand most of it or what the point of it all was. I didn't follow what was going on with that classroom example. Oh well. On to the next one...

Anonymous

Both intrinsic and extrinsic achievement can work, but they should be tied to the game design and not the player's expectations. On the Super Mario Odyssey example, the reward I feel as a player is similar to that of the character's. It feels good to clash with a bunch of sparkling coins, especially when the sound design is fine-tuned like that. It feels good to both Mario and myself, so to speak. A screen prompt telling me, the player, I achieved something, more closely resemble's self-help seminars than proper game design. If you, game developer, are not being able to make me feel achieved using sights, sounds, narrative, collision feedback, rumble, or whichever tool at your disposal to make a compelling game world, then you should go back to the drawing board.

Anonymous

I get what you are saying, Ryan - it somehow had less to do with actual gameplay, but more with higher game design and directions. I did enjoy the video though. It was a bit different in setup / flow / feeling - not sure what caused it. I do recognise it, but I think I might be more in the I-need-goals side of the fence. I never grasped the fun in Don't Starve, even while playing with a friend I had no fun doing anything. I never got far in Breath of the WIld and exploring in The Outer Wilds felt really awkward, since I had no idea where I had to go. I guess I just need to have a clear goal. But (!!!) at the same time I loose motivation when I reach 'some' goal. For instance... I'm playing Ring of Pain ... a roguelike card game (think Slay the Spire, but with a few awesome twists). The end-goal is to reach the end, the 15th floor. And in one run I got to the end ... and immediately got overwhelmed with a feeling of dread ... since I had no goal to pursue anymore! Why should I play this game any longer? I had the same with other games, like Celeste or Bloodborne for instance. Really loved playing those games, put lots of hours into it ... until I reached the end ... and I dropped my controller and (almost) never picked it up again.

Anonymous

Really loved this video, Mark. I've loved the Xbox Achievements system ever since I bought a 360. I find myself split in two, with one camp of having achievements / rewards motivate me to replay a game or do particular things, e.g. getting the Mile High Club achievement on COD 4 – it's very hard, and basically on grants you bragging rights, which I liked, it motivated me to persevere. I also love games the most which do more of the "unexpected" rewards, games that surprise you with achievements when you deviate slightly from the linear path, or like the examples you gave in the video. I think more and more I'm enjoying these type of games the most, where the satisfaction comes from mastering the game's mechanics itself, not something arbitrary achievement.

sk8bit

Loooved this.

Jarathen

This is great. Really puts a finger on something I've never quite liked about Achievements, which seem designed to function as both rewards and motivation but often seemed to warp the gameplay experience into playing the achievements, not the game itself.

Anonymous

This is such a fantastic point. It definitely nails why some open world games can feel so rote while others can be so engaging. Getting a check mark for "following X person" is such a pointless reward, but it gets you hooked on following that path of check boxes. Whereas, getting hooked on accidentally finding cool things can be so much fun!