The explanation of PvP games as power fantasies seems quite off to me, since they are worse at giving a feeling of power than PvE games are. The vast majority of players of a PvP game will never reach the highest levels and therefore will lose half the time, which makes playing the game a humbling experience, which is why some players will blame bad luck, useless teammates, etc. to avoid having to admit that they’re bad. I don’t see how “I lose a lot at middling ranks because I’m never lucky” is much of a power fantasy.
A PvE game is much better at delivering a power fantasy because every player can have the experience of defeating hordes of enemies, conquering the world, or leveling up to godlike power.
You’re missing the thrill inherent in leveraging power over another person. The article briefly mentions this:
When you beat another player in a game, you have affected that human being’s emotions in REAL LIFE. That’s so good a Power Fantasy that it’s hardly even fantasy anymore.
The appeal of playing dota is the victorious thrill when you kill another person. Not a mindless, stupid NPC. A person. Someone who is your equal, who you aren’t guaranteed to win against. Having the potential for failure makes victory so much more real and so much more enjoyable. Losing half the time sucks, but those moments of genuine victorious conquest are what make pvp appealing.
All the more so if you know the other players. Killing someone you know and dislike is ten times more satisfying than killing a stranger from matchmaking.
Mowing down hordes of soulless NPCs just isn’t the same.
which is why some players will blame bad luck, useless teammates, etc. to avoid having to admit that they’re bad
I think this is an important contributing factor for why squad-based multiplayer games (like League of Legends, Dota 2, Overwatch) are far more popular than 1v1 multiplayer games.
The explanation of PvP games as power fantasies seems quite off to me, since they are worse at giving a feeling of power than PvE games are. The vast majority of players of a PvP game will never reach the highest levels and therefore will lose half the time, which makes playing the game a humbling experience, which is why some players will blame bad luck, useless teammates, etc. to avoid having to admit that they’re bad. I don’t see how “I lose a lot at middling ranks because I’m never lucky” is much of a power fantasy.
A PvE game is much better at delivering a power fantasy because every player can have the experience of defeating hordes of enemies, conquering the world, or leveling up to godlike power.
You’re missing the thrill inherent in leveraging power over another person. The article briefly mentions this:
The appeal of playing dota is the victorious thrill when you kill another person. Not a mindless, stupid NPC. A person. Someone who is your equal, who you aren’t guaranteed to win against. Having the potential for failure makes victory so much more real and so much more enjoyable. Losing half the time sucks, but those moments of genuine victorious conquest are what make pvp appealing.
All the more so if you know the other players. Killing someone you know and dislike is ten times more satisfying than killing a stranger from matchmaking.
Mowing down hordes of soulless NPCs just isn’t the same.
I think this is an important contributing factor for why squad-based multiplayer games (like League of Legends, Dota 2, Overwatch) are far more popular than 1v1 multiplayer games.