I have the feeling that WoW, online MMORPGs in general, and all Zynga games optimize for wanting instead of liking. If I get into them, I try to notice when I’m not enjoying myself, and just stop—but it can be difficult. I tend to stick to “liking”-optimized games like Mass Effect, Deus Ex, Bioshock, et. al.
I have the feeling that WoW, online MMORPGs in general, and all Zynga games optimize for wanting instead of liking. If I get into them, I try to notice when I’m not enjoying myself, and just stop—but it can be difficult. I tend to stick to “liking”-optimized games like Mass Effect, Deus Ex, Bioshock, et. al.
Can you elaborate on the difference between liking and wanting?
Lukeprog wrote rather extensively about this distinction :
The Neuroscience of Pleasure
The Neuroscience of Desire
Basically, wanting and liking are quite separate in human minds. It is easy to like something you don’t want, and want something you don’t like.
That sounds like the difference between fun to play and fun to win.