User:D010883g/sandbox

= Rewards in Games = Rewards in games refer to the intrinsic and extrinsic reactions that the player has to elements of a game. This could include; a player having an good experience within the game itself, due to elements like the gameplay being intrinsically enjoyable for the player in question. Or if the game rewards the player through items or abilities within the games system. Extrinsically the game could provide a reward in that the player is having the satisfaction of achieving a goal they set for themselves, such as reaching the level cap in an MMO or beating a hard platforming challenge in a game like Super Mario Brothers.

Origins
The theory of rewards in games stem from the original theories of rewards within the field of psychology. This includes the earlier theories of brain stimulation rewards which was originally theorised by James Olds, and the Skinner box concept which was created by this study. Game theologians have since developed on these theories, applying them more to games specifically. Theories like this include papers written on the topic of game reward systems like the paper written in May 2012 by Hao Wang and Chuen-Tsai Sun which cover topics like how game reward players with positive experiences.

Achievements
Achievements are how some games measure the progress of a player. They are also a way to reward the player by giving them a metric to measure the amount of a game they have complete. They can also be given to a player to reward a certain type of behaviour, like an achievement for reaching the highest point in an open world game. An achievement like this rewards a players curiosity and can potentially increase their investment in the game. Achievements were popularised by Services like Xbox Live which gave players a way to keep track of all the achievements they have earned, and allowed them to compare this with other player through a currency named Gamer score which a player earned by getting an achievement.

Social Rewards
These rewards are not given by the game itself, but by the players within the game. A player may feel a sense of satisfaction for getting some new gear for their player avatar, but the reward can be enhanced by another player recognising this and complimenting the player. This is an example of a social reward. Players don't even have to acknowledge a player vocally, for some players, the fact that other players can see their player avatar and see what they have achieved is enough to give a player a sense of satisfaction.

Random Rewards
A random reward refers to a reward that the player is not expecting. These kind of rewards typically come in the form of items or money within the game itself, which are given to a player via random drops from enemies. This could include a new piece of gear that the player can use, material items that can be used by the player to create an item that they want, or items that the player can sell to get in game currency. These kinds of rewards add an element of uncertainty within the game and can keep the player invested, but if these kinds of rewards are given too often then the player begins to expect them and the rewards effect is lessened.

Rolling Rewards
Rewards that are given to a player for continued play are referred to as rolling rewards. Rolling rewards can include login bonuses in the form of items or boosts that the player receives for logging in every day. The quality of these rewards tends to increase for each subsequent day that the play logs in to the game, this is done to ensure player loyalty and to convince the player to keep playing the game. Originally these kinds of rewards were relegated to MMOs and other multiplayer games, but with the advent of mobile games, they are being seen more often in single player games such as Candy Crush Saga.

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Rewards
Intrinsic rewards refer to rewards that the player gets within the game itself through elements like gameplay and designed rewards like those mentioned above, and extrinsic rewards are gained through self set goals and social interactions. Intrinsic rewards are usually those that the designers of the game intended, games are created mostly with these kinds of rewards in mind as it is something that can been seen as universal between all players. But extrinsic rewards are more personal and can't be catered for as easily. To allow for these kinds of rewards the designer most create goals that take effort that is above that which is expected of the average player. This can include tasks like completing all of the quests within an RPG, or creating a building in a game that includes player created assets like Minecraft.