Post date: Nov 12, 2014 1:29:42 AM
Figures depicting the flow zone from different perspectives
For my Unit 2 Blog Post, I have chosen to expand upon the answer to the question "What is Game Flow?"
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi coined the term and the concept in the 1970s.
"A state of mind or a state of experience that we feel when we are totally involved with what we are doing. Individuals in the flow state can lose track of time, forget they are hungry - they are totally zoned-in." ~Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
When designing a game,we want to consider this, as ideally, we want the player to be in the state of flow. How is this achieved? By keeping the player in the flow zone.
As the level of skill increases, we want to keep the challenge of the game increasing more or less proportionally.If the skill level increases too much without the difficulty increasing at the same rate, the game gets boring for the player, and they may not want to play it anymore. If the difficulty increases too much without the skill level increasing to the rate, then the player may get frustrated and anxious and may not want to play the game anymore.This can apply to any game, from any era, as well.
Csikszentmihalyi also stated that there are 4 characteristics that can allow a game to reach "The Flow Zone".
Figure depicting the formula for game flow.
1. Concrete Goals and Manageable Rules
We have a limit on how much stimuli we can intake, be it audio or visual. Our brain will simply cease to properly intake it after we cross that threshold. If our brain cannot intake it properly, then it cannot process it properly, and players will be unsure of how to tackle a problem and get frustrated. If the game has concrete goals and manageable rules, then the player will be able to accomplish more, and the feeling of accomplishment will encourage them to continue with the game.
2. Only Demanding Actions that Players Can Do
If a player is not skilled enough to accomplish a goal, they will get stressed, and their performance will falter, killing the flow. Also, if the goals get too difficult, the player will have little commitment and motivation to achieve them, and will quit playing.
Figure depicting performance as a function of stress
3. Clear and Timely Feedback (but not Simultaneous with the Input)
Studies have shown that with video games, feedback that comes directly after or midway through an input/action results in "the strongest associations between action and outcome".Having the feedback and input occur simultaneously proved to create poorer associations. Having feedback for long-term goals in games can give the players a sense of accomplishment that can persuade them to continue.
Figure depicting different input-feedback scenarios, with A and B being the ideal scenarios.
4. Remove Excess Info That Can Hurt Concentration
Again, the presence of excess stimuli will push the boundaries of the brain's intake and processing limit and may ultimately frustrate the player. Also, the player may be distracted and may not be able to judge what is important to do in the game if there is too much other stimuli. So, less can be more.
Here is a video further explaining the concept of Game Flow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AHlcHBzsH8
Sources
Information
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/166972/cognitive_flow_the_psychology_of_.php?print=1
https://sites.google.com/a/k12.andoverma.us/messina/game-development/unit2/gameflow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)#Gaming
http://indiedevstories.com/2011/08/10/game-theory-applied-the-flow-channel/
http://www.jenovachen.com/flowingames/designfig.htm
Images (In Order From Top to Bottom)
http://www.jenovachen.com/flowingames/images/flowzone.gif
http://www.gamasutra.com/db_area/images/feature/166972/equation.png
http://www.gamasutra.com/db_area/images/feature/166972/figure2.png
http://www.gamasutra.com/db_area/images/feature/166972/figure3.png