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Glued to Games( How Video Games Draw Us in and Hold Us Spellbound)[GLUED TO GAMES][Hardcover]
Glued to Games( How Video Games Draw Us in and Hold Us Spellbound) <> Hardcover <> ScottRigby <> PraegerPublishers
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 18, 2018
Long to escape the mundanity of the everyday world, but caught up on the treadmill of having to pay bills and of having to be accountable and responsible for all your actions? Like millions of others, you might choose to resort to online gaming to relieve your overwhelming sense of being caught in the Styx. In the “virtual world” of an online video game for at least a few hours you’ll be able to play a host of roles that can take you from downtrodden suburbia to vanquishing mighty kingdoms and enthralling even the most famed conquerors of all time—this all with minimum effort on your side. What could be nicer (or more addictive)? You can even help out someone else who is in trouble (a fellow gamer), so that you’ll gain friends and comrades in arms by a mere twitch of your hand. Forget all the hard work that you normally have to put into building up friendships over the years, only to feel inevitably disappointed when they almost invariably let you down…
In Glued to Games: How Video Games Draw Us In and Hold Us Spellbound, Drs. Scott Rigby and Richard M. Ryan, in a university-backed study on the psychology of video games, show you exactly how and why gaming has come to appeal to the vast international audience that it has today. As they are quick to point out, the ominous side of video gaming is the possibility that such games offer for venting the violent streak that might, unbeknownst to us, have permeated our psyche. Whether our being given almost totally free rein within the comfort of our own homes to express our deepest and darkest emotions without danger of serious societal sanctioning has led to health and legal practitioners becoming increasingly concerned about the negative impact that prolonged gaming can have on our behavior offline.
Drs. Rigby and Ryan, in Glued to Games: How Video Games Draw Us In and Hold Us Spellbound, explore, by drawing on the first-hand experiences of a wide range of people, the strong motivational dynamics that lead to people spending what amounts to months of their time glued to the computer screen in a separate, yet parallel, universe. The satisfying nature of the interactive experience is the main focus of the two authors’ work, and is the basis of their encouragement of the use of gaming as a means of promoting well-being in both the educational and mental/emotional health spheres. Their achievement of a balanced outlook on gaming is to be commended. With this demystification of the phenomenon, they have broken a great deal of new ground that should be of interest to educators, health care practitioners, legal experts, and the general public alike. Their provocative and thought-inspiring approach is likely to leave you with much to think about quite probably from a different angle to that to which you have been used. As they pithily say in one of their many trenchant headings, “In Game Psychology, Perhaps Content Isn’t King.”
In Glued to Games: How Video Games Draw Us In and Hold Us Spellbound, Drs. Scott Rigby and Richard M. Ryan, in a university-backed study on the psychology of video games, show you exactly how and why gaming has come to appeal to the vast international audience that it has today. As they are quick to point out, the ominous side of video gaming is the possibility that such games offer for venting the violent streak that might, unbeknownst to us, have permeated our psyche. Whether our being given almost totally free rein within the comfort of our own homes to express our deepest and darkest emotions without danger of serious societal sanctioning has led to health and legal practitioners becoming increasingly concerned about the negative impact that prolonged gaming can have on our behavior offline.
Drs. Rigby and Ryan, in Glued to Games: How Video Games Draw Us In and Hold Us Spellbound, explore, by drawing on the first-hand experiences of a wide range of people, the strong motivational dynamics that lead to people spending what amounts to months of their time glued to the computer screen in a separate, yet parallel, universe. The satisfying nature of the interactive experience is the main focus of the two authors’ work, and is the basis of their encouragement of the use of gaming as a means of promoting well-being in both the educational and mental/emotional health spheres. Their achievement of a balanced outlook on gaming is to be commended. With this demystification of the phenomenon, they have broken a great deal of new ground that should be of interest to educators, health care practitioners, legal experts, and the general public alike. Their provocative and thought-inspiring approach is likely to leave you with much to think about quite probably from a different angle to that to which you have been used. As they pithily say in one of their many trenchant headings, “In Game Psychology, Perhaps Content Isn’t King.”
January 11, 2021
An excellent study of player psychology and motivation. Really fascinating and well written. It is clear that the publisher never read the book as the cover is possibly the most disconnected book cover I have ever seen.
May 5, 2020
Not recommended
I started this book long time ago but was never able to finish it.
The Competence, Autonomy and Relatedness model is just too general to provide practice insights for the designing process. It’s very likely that your game already has these three elements even if you don’t know about these principles and didn’t keep them in mind when designing.
It’s a bit of like saying that monitor is made of pixels that shows RGB colors. It’s right but not helpful to the conversation.
I started this book long time ago but was never able to finish it.
The Competence, Autonomy and Relatedness model is just too general to provide practice insights for the designing process. It’s very likely that your game already has these three elements even if you don’t know about these principles and didn’t keep them in mind when designing.
It’s a bit of like saying that monitor is made of pixels that shows RGB colors. It’s right but not helpful to the conversation.
December 16, 2018
Covers game design principles of autonomy, exploration, social, and PvP. Uses these to explain why users get drawn to gaming over real life.
Made a good case for applying the same priciples to get people to do healthy things like exercise.
Made a good case for applying the same priciples to get people to do healthy things like exercise.
June 13, 2025
A lot of fascinating theories on what drives humans and how games do a great job of meeting those needs. A lot of dots started to connect for my own life re Self Determination Theory and what drives me. I'm seeing myself in a new light now
July 18, 2018
Not worth the $
Would not pay $30 for this ebook. If you are a product manager looking for ideas, this will not help.
Would not pay $30 for this ebook. If you are a product manager looking for ideas, this will not help.
January 8, 2013
An easygoing read that eliminates the fluff in games research, deciphering just why games are so engaging. It all boils down to need satisfaction of autonomy, competence and relatedness. Interestingly, this model applies in real life as well, such as in your job. The challenge as an educator, then, is to discover how my pupils can experience autonomy, competence and relatedness in school as well, and how we can drastically improve 'educational' games so they focus on making the learning authentic and meaningful, and not hiding it like a rabies pill in dog food.
March 14, 2012
In this book, the authors take a look at the psychological needs that games meet for the players. It confirms a lot of suspicions that are common amongst game designers, while challenging others, all backed by data from actual psychological research studies. A fairly essential read for game developers these days.
August 11, 2014
This book provides an in-depth analysis of the psychological foundations of what makes games so engaging. The text explores the underlying motivations behind gaming habits based on self determination theory and the PENS model, exploring both the benefits and potential dangers of the intense draw of video games. This book is a must read for anyone wanting a deeper understanding of gaming.
November 15, 2013
Glued to Gaming: Scott Rigby gives common sense answers to the question, "What do we get out of gaming?", discusses cases of addiction and violence, and explores possible applications for education. Fun and interesting read.
July 12, 2011
Pretty darn good book!
June 22, 2012
Excellent book about the psychological needs fulfilled by videogames and some issues around it. All game designers and any one interested on the problems around videogames should read it.
February 5, 2023
Not the best written book I've ever read, but it thoroughly covers how video games fulfill psychological needs.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews