• by Rashieta , December 8, 2010

Watch this TED Talk Video!

Many of us have probably played video games at least once in our lives. Do remember how you felt when you played it again? Did you ever play that game again? You should ask yourself, why or why not? This Ted Talk was about video games and how they appeal to our interests. This was interesting to me because although I am not a big gamer, I used to play them very often as a kid, and now I can't imagine myself putting so much energy into games.

The speaker breaks down the science of video game satisfaction. One of the key components of a good game he mentioned was the emotional reward benefits one receives from playing the game. He also mentioned the individual's want to play the game and actually sharing an interest of some sort with the game. After hearing this I applied it to games for a very popular game console, the Nintendo Wii. The Nintendo Wii advertises to families. Wii games tend to promote quality time which would appeal to mainly parents and then trickle down to the children. As consumers take interest in both family time and entertainment, they become engaged with the games.

Next, the level of difficulty keeps that consumer interested in playing gamea. If a game is too hard,then one loses desire to play, and if it is too easy then they would have the same reaction of no longer wanting to play.  Reinforcement is applied when the consumer gets a reward of some sort whether it's gold, points or coins. This speaker suggests that video games help to enlighten the brain by teaching lessons through gaining uncertain rewards in video game interaction. Most critics say that video games encourage negative behavior, including aggression, competitiveness, and restlessness in children. This speaker says that video games make people feel more brave to take risks and builds courage.

I had never thought about this perspective before and I found it enlightening. Who would have thought that playing a video game for leisure could enhance one's character as a person?!