Complexity in Gaming: What Game Developers Need to Know – A Hypothetical Model for Comparing Player Motivation Relative to Complexity Preferences

Abstract

This thesis presents a hypothetical Model design for comparing and correlating player motivations with player preferences in computer games. In building this Model, multiple variables were investigated of which two were ultimately seen to have value and provide meaningful results. The first is a player motivation classification system originally created by Nick Yee. The second is a breakdown of complexity in games as developed specifically for use in this thesis. This final selection of key variables were then analyzed and correlated using the Model presented herein. Included in this work are a series of examples to demonstrate how and verify if the Model would work in practice.