The Fun Factor | What Makes Video Games Fun (Part Two)

In 2015, The Pew Research Center found that “49 percent of Americans say they sometimes play video games on a computer, TV, game console or portable device like a cell phone (Wagstaff)”.  Because of this incredibly high number of the American public that at least play video games in some capacity, one can argue that the majority of the public in America today finds video games as fun and enjoyable than any other activity, if not even more so. This represents a massive shift in what Americans used to do for fun.

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While it is true that some children still play outside and play games like kickball, it is also true that the number of kids and even adults that play other activities than video games as their main form of fun is a lot smaller of a percentage nowadays than it was in the past. A massive aspect of this occurrence is how video games make us feel in unique ways that other activities do not.

In order to fully understand how video games make us feel in unique ways, it is important to get a grasp on precisely what makes video games different from other activities that could be considered fun. In Alexander Galloway's book Gaming : Essays On Algorithmic Culture, he mentions that action in video games are split into two separate categories, machine actions and operator actions. Galloway explains these acts as such. "machine actions are acts performed by the software and hardware of the game computer, while operator actions are performed by players" (Galloway 5).

The fact that such a divide exists between machine and operator is the reason why video games are unique in how they create emotions and feelings within the player and how their particular brand of fun is not the same as any other activity or form of play. If you shoot hoops or play in the pool there is no added benefit of a machine or a computer that is adding a multitude of elements to your playtime that enhances your individual fun factor. Video games offer more opportunities for your brain to feel different emotions.

And in the case of fun, enjoyment is necessary and enjoyment is hand in hand with happiness and elation. In one play through of your favorite game alone you can experience more happiness and elation than you would during one session lifting weights or throwing darts with friends at the local pub.

And a large part of that is potentially due to the psychological affect that gaming has on their brains. It can be argued that one reason why certain games are so much fun is that they not only make us feel good, but they also allow our brains to feel like they are accomplishing more than just mashing some buttons. In a study performed in 2009 by Daphne Bavelier and her esteemed company she discovered that playing first person shooter video games can enhance or improve the brain's ability to seek out small differences in visual contrast.

"In the study, the researchers randomly assigned participants to play an FPS game (Unreal Tournament 2004 or Call of Duty 2) or a control game (e.g., The Sims 2) for a total of 50 hours spread over 9 weeks. Participants who trained on FPS games showed marked improvements to contrast sensitivity several days after completing training compared with those who trained on control games. And additional studies have shown action-game-related improvements to an array of perceptual and cognitive abilities, including perceptual decision-making, object tracking, visual memory, and task switching" (Mikulak).

The studies give a whole new perspective on fun in the video games and further explain and go a little deeper into why people want to keep playing and in turn keep having even more fun and feel all of the emotions enhancements and endorphins that come with it. As well as precisely why the american public has become so infatuated with this choice of fun.