This microtalk was originally presented at Unknown Worlds’ monthly Postmortem meetup in San Francisco. In the talk, I explain the 4 pleasures model, a mental framework I use to aid hesitant developers in better understanding F2P players. This model, presented by anthropologist Lionel Tiger in his book The Pursuit of Pleasure, explains 4 different types of pleasure:
- Physio – pleasures of the body and derived from the sensory organs.
- Socio – the enjoyment derived from relationships with others.
- Psycho – pleasure pertaining to people’s cognitive and emotional reactions.
- Ideo – pleasure from or relating to a person’s values.
As explained in the talk, these four categories of pleasure can be helpful in explaining the joy derived from games ranging from Candy Crush Saga to Call of Duty: Ghosts to Demon’s Souls.
What is Game Design? – IGDA SF Microtalk
Click the Play button to listen to audio of the talk
This Pecha Kucha style microtalk was given at the IGDA San Francisco meetup in April ’12. If you enjoyed the talk, check out some of the full length interviews on the “What is Game Design?” project page.