What is it about gaming that draws people to it?

The online gaming industry has grown manifolds in the last few years. And the credit goes to the activity itself for providing the players a virtual alternative, which is voluntary in nature, and escapism via methods that involve socialising and a tendency to improve, though virtually.

According to statista.com, the gaming industry in India was worth ₹400 crore in 2007. It witnessed a sixteen-fold increase by 2019, when it was valued at ₹6,200 crore. By 2024, it is predicted the industry will be worth over ₹25,000 crore.

People across various age groups are interested in playing games online, and the players range from professionals to casual gamers. In this article, we shall explore the reasons that attract people to video games, making it an industry worth crores.

According to Nick Yee, a scientist who made early steps into building a motivation framework, there are three motivational components in games: achievements, social and immersion.

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‘Achievement’ deals with the natural wish of players to advance and understand the rules and the system of the game.

The ‘social’ component refers to how people form connections with others in the game; this includes the need to be a part of a team effort.

Immersion is about creating a customised character as well as the unique storyline offered by various games. This is also the component that includes the aspect of games being an escape from reality for many.

Another study conducted by Elizabeth Boyle, Thomas M. Connolly and Thomas Hainey, which was done using Richard Ryan and Edward Deci’s ‘Self Determination Theory’, claims human behaviour is driven by the need for competence, autonomy and relatedness.

Gaming as an activity meets all three of these factors.

The ‘competence’ part is fulfilled through flow (a completely focused mental state). However, this holds true when a game is neither too challenging for the player, nor is it too easy. Many games solve this issue by offering varying levels of difficulty for players to choose from.

The second element, ‘autonomy’, refers to the fact that the player is in control in the game and is playing voluntarily.

The ‘relatedness’ criteria gets fulfilled as most of the games offer an experience that is different from the real world, yet allows one to compete with others. This method of competing is different for each genre of games, ranging from direct fights between players in game to competitions based on scores by the players.

Besides, the other reasons for gaming include stress relief, dopamine rush and escapism.

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According to a survey in 2018 by UK-based media Independent, many people aged between 18 and 30 use games as a coping mechanism for stress. The survey showed 55 per cent of the respondents played games as it helped them unwind and relieve stress. It also showed how people consider performing well in a game to have a positive impact on their lives outside the game as well, and 47 per cent of the respondents were of this belief.

Of the respondents, 37 per cent felt gaming helped boost their confidence levels, while 27 per cent said gaming helped them process and deal with mental health issues and concerns. Moreover, 20 per cent asserted gaming has improved their problem-solving abilities and 28 per cent said it improved their coordination and reflexes.

Many games use a reward system to motivate players to continue playing the game. This reward system takes advantage of the ‘feel good’ factor of winning a reward, even if the object in question is virtual and it’s not possible to take it out of the game. This feeling comes from the dopamine rush. Over time, this also leads to forming a positive feedback loop with serotonin, helping reinforce the connection between gaming and positive feelings.

Escapism is defined as the habitual diversion of the mind to purely imaginative activity or entertainment as an escape from reality or routine. And, as a whole, the immersion factor offers players with escapism.