Consider a scale that runs from “authentic real life” to “Lotus eater box”
At any point along that scale, you can experience euphoria. At the Lotus Eater end, it is automatic. At the real life end, it is incidental. “Games” fall towards the Lotus Eater end of the spectrum, not as far as slot machines, but further from real life than Exercise or Eating Chocolate.
Modern game design is about exploiting what is known about what brains like, to guide the players through the (mental) paths necessary to generate happy chems. They call it “being Fun” but that’s just thier medium level Map.
Some respected designers (including Mark Rosewater) would say that being compatible with real life is disqualifying for a thing to be a “Game.” You can apply game design principles to real life stuff (lessons/repetitive tasks/etc.) to make it more Fun. One thing that makes Games a particularly good source of Fun, however, is the safety provided by being independent of real life. With no “real” consequence to losing, brains are more relaxed. A similar effect is what makes horror movies Fun—the viewers brain is put through stimulus to generate chemicals, without overwhelming the system the way a real danger can.
Consider a scale that runs from “authentic real life” to “Lotus eater box” At any point along that scale, you can experience euphoria. At the Lotus Eater end, it is automatic. At the real life end, it is incidental. “Games” fall towards the Lotus Eater end of the spectrum, not as far as slot machines, but further from real life than Exercise or Eating Chocolate. Modern game design is about exploiting what is known about what brains like, to guide the players through the (mental) paths necessary to generate happy chems. They call it “being Fun” but that’s just thier medium level Map.
Some respected designers (including Mark Rosewater) would say that being compatible with real life is disqualifying for a thing to be a “Game.” You can apply game design principles to real life stuff (lessons/repetitive tasks/etc.) to make it more Fun. One thing that makes Games a particularly good source of Fun, however, is the safety provided by being independent of real life. With no “real” consequence to losing, brains are more relaxed. A similar effect is what makes horror movies Fun—the viewers brain is put through stimulus to generate chemicals, without overwhelming the system the way a real danger can.