Obviously, there are plenty of reasons to play games, but the one I intend to focus on is our drive to achieve — to better ourselves and our skills. Games offer an outlet through which we can set goals for ourselves, capable of being completed and subsequently furthered over and over. This, I’ll argue, is part of what makes games work and play worthwhile. And such a process takes place on almost any game medium, from shorter games based on replay value (like Pac-Man and the Binding of Isaac) to larger games based on continuous play (such as RuneScape and other MMORPGs).
Potential Primary Sources: RuneScape, Ms. Pac-Man, Binding of Isaac
Potential Secondary Source: “The Ideal Self at Play” by Przybylski et. al (the section on intrinsic motivation)
I may also change my topic to how video games are positive for cognitive development. And I will compare their current treatment to the historical treatment of novels (to combat “You shouldn’t be gaming… you should read a book.”).
