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I wonder if the industry incentives have shifted and if it impacts these cognitive benefits. Games changed a lot over the past two decades and I am not quite s

I wonder if the industry incentives have shifted and if it impacts these cognitive benefits. Games changed a lot over the past two decades and I am not quite sure they preserve the same sense of challenge, opting for quick rewards and addictive mechanics.

armchairhacker 4y ago
Maybe, but games in general have actually gotten a lot more complex and difficult over the years. Look at any long-running series (e.g. Super Mario Bros, COD, Street Fighter), the newer games have more and more mechanics, and they are competing against newer franchises with the same complexity. Also look at the popularity of Elden Ring, rougelikes and other "hard mode" games. Even some F2P games like Clash of Clans have a surprising amount of complexity, some of it being the alternate currencies and addictive mechanics they use to get people to spend more. You may still be right about games not impacting cognition the same, as the complexity has shifted from mastering and creatively utilizing simple mechanics into learning convoluted ones. Also, older games were much less likely to have "easy mode" and there were no online guides, you had to figure out everything yourself. But even some modern games are like this (except for the "no online" part): "retro" and "indie" games like Slay the Spire and Celeste.
yakattak 4y ago
I think the reward systems have evolved differently than the gameplay systems. The reward systems are addictive but the gameplay has improved in a way that I think is more cognitively demanding. Puzzle games can be more creative with their puzzles, FPS games can add elements like a compass and ping systems, RPGs have these amazingly well written and told stories. Games these days definitely have the same sense of challenge (if not more, looking at you Soulslikes), even if losing still gets you a loot box. There was an interesting study done on children that talks about rewarding them for activities they like [1], and how it makes them start to dislike them which. It’s old (1973) but I’ve noticed some of the fatigue myself in the MMOs I play. [1]: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281453299_Undermining_Children%27s_Intrinsic_Interest_with_Extrinsic_Reward_A_Test_of_the_Overjustification_Hypothesis https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281453299_Undermini...
bawolff 4y ago
When i was a kid, we had super mario world. You know, you jumped on things heads and got power ups. Fun, but Not exactly a strategic masterpiece. Nothing wrong with that, but if games have changed i think its in the other direction, or at least the ecosystem has fragmented more into different types.

armchairhacker 4y ago

Maybe, but games in general have actually gotten a lot more complex and difficult over the years. Look at any long-running series (e.g. Super Mario Bros, COD, Street Fighter), the newer games have more and more mechanics, and they are competing against newer franchises with the same complexity. Also look at the popularity of Elden Ring, rougelikes and other "hard mode" games. Even some F2P games like Clash of Clans have a surprising amount of complexity, some of it being the alternate currencies and addictive mechanics they use to get people to spend more. You may still be right about games not impacting cognition the same, as the complexity has shifted from mastering and creatively utilizing simple mechanics into learning convoluted ones. Also, older games were much less likely to have "easy mode" and there were no online guides, you had to figure out everything yourself. But even some modern games are like this (except for the "no online" part): "retro" and "indie" games like Slay the Spire and Celeste.

yakattak 4y ago

I think the reward systems have evolved differently than the gameplay systems. The reward systems are addictive but the gameplay has improved in a way that I think is more cognitively demanding. Puzzle games can be more creative with their puzzles, FPS games can add elements like a compass and ping systems, RPGs have these amazingly well written and told stories. Games these days definitely have the same sense of challenge (if not more, looking at you Soulslikes), even if losing still gets you a loot box. There was an interesting study done on children that talks about rewarding them for activities they like [1], and how it makes them start to dislike them which. It’s old (1973) but I’ve noticed some of the fatigue myself in the MMOs I play. [1]: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281453299_Undermining_Children%27s_Intrinsic_Interest_with_Extrinsic_Reward_A_Test_of_the_Overjustification_Hypothesis https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281453299_Undermini...

bawolff 4y ago

When i was a kid, we had super mario world. You know, you jumped on things heads and got power ups. Fun, but Not exactly a strategic masterpiece. Nothing wrong with that, but if games have changed i think its in the other direction, or at least the ecosystem has fragmented more into different types.