Posts


May 2023

Applying Psychology to Genshin Impact

The design example I have chosen to discuss and look further into is the Game Design article, specifically the “Keeping Players on the hook” section of the article. This aspect of design is usually implemented from the start of the game and usually starts to become more relevant as the game progresses, for example developers such as Mihoyo use this tactic to keep players on the hook to continuously play their game and spend more money on it. This is done as this particular aspect can be used scientifically to trick the players brain into getting a dopamine high thus giving them more incentive to continue doing what they are doing as they want that rush again and again. Therefore, Mihoyo uses this as a trigger for players to continue to spend money, level up or play the game in general so they can feel that high. More specifically these are called “micro-transactions” that allows the player to spend money to get ahead in the game faster that other players, thus the alluring thought of playing a “free game” is lost into the abyss as the real plan is revealed for making money off of the player.

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User Psychology- Persuasive Design in Genshin Impact

The act of Persuasive Design explores and expands upon the different mental processes people go through that inadvertently influence the human behaviors that can be applied to design. The open world RPG game Genshin Impact created by Mihoyo uses this act throughout their game to influence the users’ actions and decisions they make whilst playing through the game. For example, in this game there is an aspect and feature of gambling- since this is a gatcha game- for different characters and weapons that can be used in the games story and quests. The motivational aspect of this influences the player to gamble more and more as it gives the player and incentive to continue playing the game again and again as well as gamble more and more as when they do, they receive rewards ranging from 3 star to 5-star quality, thus motivating them to play the game and gamble so they can get the best characters and weapons. The game also gives more incentive as through leveling up your adventure rank or characters you earn wishes giving you more motivation to continue playing to earn the wishes so you can get rewards.

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Game Interface Design- A Comparison of Tomb Raider and The Last of Us

In this menu (Screenshot 1), you can see the different crafting options for the player. On the left-hand side there is a column with a few different options for the player to craft, such as melee weapons, health kits and traps/smoke grenades. Next to that column you can clearly see the main section of the crafting menu, it shows a symbol of the weapon, and gives a brief description of what the upgrade will do. It shows a list of materials the player can use in crafting, when the current item is highlighted, the list of materials will be highlighted white with a grey, slightly transparent background to signify that those are the materials that will be used to craft the upgrade. Otherwise it will stay grey and slightly transparent. There is also on the top right 2 options, the wrench is for the crafting menu and the piece of paper symbolizes the comics, letters and documents that can be selected.

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Game Interface Design- A Comparison of Tomb Raider and The Last of Us

The two games I have chosen to discuss are Shadow of the Tomb Raider and The Last of Us. Shadow of the Tomb Raider and The Last of Us are action-adventure game. I have chosen these games because they are both similar yet very different games, both of their stories are interesting, with Shadow of the Tomb Raiders story being about the main character Lara having to find (and eventually steal back) the Silver Box of Ix Chel and preventing the 4 major disasters that will wipe out the world. Whereas The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic game, starting with the main character Joel and his daughter Sarah running to safety- however sadly his daughter Sarah is shot. The story then carries out throughout the game, 20 years after the events of his daughter, with Joel and his newfound partner Ellie traversing the zombie-filled cities to find a group called the fireflies and end the zombie cursed world for good. Both stories are very different however have similar goals, work to end the disaster that has started, both games have the player traverse through difficult levels, an emotional story line and the relationships between the characters within the game.

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