Intro.
Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation have been (are being) featured prominently at Pax Dev and Pax Prime this year especially in reference to free to play. While issues have raised the issue of Intrinsic and Extrinsic rewards as early as the nineties; Scott Rigby, the president of Immersyve (http://www.immersyve.com), provided a presentation on Intrinsic and Extrinsic rewards with regards to games using the free to play model.
Slides can be downloaded at this link:
http://www.immersyve.com/downloads/conference-presentations/
Intrinsic vs Extrinsi.
Intrinsic motivation is doing something for the love of the action; it is considered automatically. The example is presented in building a space ship from Legos with a child. Once completed the child takes apart the spaceship so the task can be repeated. In a sense this means the task itself is rewarding; the Goal of the task is performing the task itself.
Extrinsic Motivation is much weaker. It primarily works in regards to doing X to get Y. It's often instrumental for another goal. (what is the other goal?)
Motivation as a Continuum.
Intrinsic is good and Extrinsic is bad is a false dichotomy.
(in the slides this is illustrated by Dr Evil and Superman. The point was raised that Dr. Evil may in fact be intrinsically motivated to evil and Superman is extrinsically motivated for approval and acceptance into society. However, for the purposes of the lecture Dr Evil was supposed to represent villainous intentions while Superman was supposed to represent noble intention.)
Extrinsic Motivations are disliked when the player feels they are being controlled or manipulated by the game. they feel as if they must do things. If the players themselves are actually setting goals for themselves or these goal are entwined with something the player chooses to want, then it is a positive use of Extrinsic motivation (for instance grinding enemies for money or exp).
Basic Psychological NeedsCreating intrinsic motivation starts with focusing on the psychological needs as opposed to specific wants.
Three psychological needs:
1. Competence: people want to feel as if they are good at something. This is broken into two sup parts:
Mastery: The perception that the player is effective within the game and can complete the challenges.
Growth: The perception that the player has advanced in skill and can do more that what they were previously able to.
Information feedback is critical to this. When players are taking an action that results in a demonstration of mastery or growth feedback needs to be presented.
Gory head-shots in FPS games are about feedback (NOT sadistic blood lust).
2.Relatedness: the feeling that your actions matter to other players or NPCs
In a multiplayer FPS players want to feel that their actions matter to the other players.
In MMO's One player helping another player (or working off each-other) builds a sense of relatedness.
3. Autonomy (Volition): players can choose their path
Players essential get to choose how they complete the critical actions in the game ("What if I do it this way?")
Sandbox games offer significant amounts of autonomy.
But Wait! Choice can be depleting!
Choice is only depleting when players are looking for a specific optimal solution.(pick the best axe)
Meaningful choice is when there are multiple solutions or no one right answer.(guns or swords?)
Autonomy can be supported in constrained environments by telegraphing or showing the possible choices that will occur in the future. (However lack to deliver on this choice is greatly unsatisfying)
What are the effects of focusing on needs?
Need satisfaction sustains engagement longer (players play longer) they are also more loyal.
Need satisfaction creates players likely to evangelize a product.
Extrinsic rewards are OK, if they are in focus to reinforce the intrinsic goals of the game.
Extrinsic rewards used to control a player are almost always bad.
Studies show that Extrinsic rewards reduce enjoyment.
If players feel they should or must do something it is bad.
(it's the difference between walking up to a girl and saying "may I buy you a drink"(intrinsic, ie I wanna spend time with you ) v.s. "How much do you cost?"(extrinsic, ie I wanna use money to control you)).
Think of using Extrinsic rewards as a sort of chose catalyst for facilitating needs
Do not try to control players.
However, if players choose an extrinsic reward and come to it on their own conclusion (its inline with their goals) its not detrimental.
The Language of control.
You need to ask "Why" players are taking a particular action.
If you are talking about "sticky mechanics", Whales, Behaviorism you are most likely talking about controlling forms of Extrinsic rewards.
If players are doing things because they must or they have to; You are likely dealing with controlling forms of Extrinsic rewards.
Epilogue.
The use of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards in games and the fulfillment of needs is seen as an important next step in advancing the art and science of game design. The understanding of these concepts can help design more engaging mechanics especially in a free to play environment. The future of game design is moving beyond control and exploitation of players for money. Providing players with a pleasurably needed psychological experience which can be monetized in way that respects the customer is going to build better games and better player retention.
