Scientists at the University of Essex have found that millions of people
around the world enjoy playing the latest video games, as many find it the
best way to try out different characteristics they would like to have.
The study is part of ongoing scientific research by Dr Andy Przybylski, a
visiting research fellow at Essex University, into why video games appeal to
so many people, leading them to play for a combined global total of three
billion hours a week.
"A game can be more fun when you get the chance to act and be like your
ideal self," said Dr. Przybylski. "The attraction to playing video
games and what makes them fun is that it gives people the chance to think
about a role they would ideally like to take and then get a chance to play
that role."
The research, due to be published in the next issue of Psychological Science,
found that the way video games allow people to take on a new identity, made
players feel better about themselves.
Enjoyment levels were greatest when the characters people were playing in the
games had some similarities to their real selves.
“I was heartened by the findings which showed that people were not running
away from themselves but running towards their ideals. They are not escaping
to nowhere they are escaping to somewhere,” added Dr Przybylski.
The scientists monitored hundreds of casual game players and thousands of
dedicated gamers in a laboratory, who played a range of video games – from Call
of Duty to World of Warcraft.
People are drawn to playing video games in a bid to find their ‘ideal selves’, according to new research.