The February 2011 special issue ofGame Studies, the free web-published international journal of computer game research, focuses on the subject of game reward systems. Four articles in particular may be more interesting than others, depending on your perspective, but all of them are certainly worth a read.
Deakin University’s Christopher Moore analyses how hats, achievements, and other player-centric rewards haveimpactedaffective relationships inTeam Fortress 2. Mikael Jacobsson, associate professor at Malmö University, takes anin-depth lookat Xbox 360 achievements and the culture of achievements surrounding it.
Douglas Wilson, co-designer ofIndieCade 2010 finalistB.U.T.T.O.N.and PhD candidate at the IT University of Copenhagen’s Center for Computer Games Research,takes a different perspective on player rewards in aninsightful pieceon the game’s design. And if you think you’re up to it, the University of Bedfordshire’s Alison Gazzard’s moretheoretical lookat reward systems is worth the effort.
Go forth and be educated!
