2014年11月26日 星期三

Candy Crush---Game Addiction Happiness

An annotation for Eliana Dockterman's "Candy Crush Saga: The Science Behind Our Addiction"
Candy Crush---Game Addiction Happiness

          According to the article published in TIME Magazine's technology and media section, which was written by Eliana Dockterman, it simply analyze the players' addiction within the game into several different aspect of discussion. On the one hand, from the interview with Tommy Palm, who is one of the game's designers, Dockterman then realized what tactics King (the creator company of Candy Crush) used. While on the other hand, Dockterman also called a few psychology experts and players to understand the back-story on why Kings' tactics worked so well to make Candy Crush so irresistible.

          "Perhaps the most genius element of Candy Crush is its ability to make you long for it."(Dockterman) Since you can only get five chances, or say, lives at a time, thus, when you run out of lives, you will have to wait for another thirty-minute increment to continue the play. Owning to the fact that the game actually constrains its players from getting more lives, it urges its player even more to yearn after it. And also, that effortless constraint test the humanity of which people have a stronger desire to thing they aren't able to get in reach. Another reason that deals with humanity is that human are suckers for sweet talks. Even though we all know the truth, which “Good advice jars on the ear.”, and "Bitter pills may have wholesome effects." But still, we tend to be hoodwink by the flattering speech. For example, once you made more than one matches of the candy role in one move, words will pop up on your screen accompanied by a voice that says, "Sweet" or either "Delicious" consider how many combos you complete. Dr. Kimberly Young, a pioneering expert on internet and gaming addiction, called this a "Positive reward". In addition, she believed that it is an essential feedback for player immersion, for that people will feel better about himself or herself.

          Besides, for the humanity part King deals with their tactics, there is also psychology factors they managed to affect. For example, many people might questioned," Why choosing candy instead of other symbols, such as biscuit, fruit, or even cute animals?" or questions like, "While there is so many similar games available, why Candy Crush?" Palm gave a direct response to those questions, "Many people have had a very positive feeling about Candy since they were kids." Thanks to the happy memories with candy during childhood, players therefore coincidentally tied the positive association and pleasures derive from eating into the game, and moreover, it lead out their inner child. With Psalm later on continued, "And it (candy) makes for a real nice visual game board with a lot of color and interesting shapes." For the homepage seemed like a traditional Candy Land Board, and with the game pieces designed as candies, players incline to believe they are transported into an entire Candy Land experience, which is far away from reality.  
 
Reference:
Dockterman, Eliana. "Candy Crush Saga: The Science Behind Our Addiction"TIME.

7 則留言:

  1. yes, I discover that some adults are loving candy crush than me and other children. Since you shall pay attention and patience and find out the new solution to deal with the games, some people may love to use the mind to solve the puzzle. In addition, this game is really colorful and beautiful with plenty of delicious candies combining with the sweet and encouraged sounds like good job, sweet, excellent. It provides people the pleasure sight and sound to make people feel happy, but I think that this kind of happiness is short and not permanent. The happiness may end as the game is over so that people may try to stay in the wonderful game all the time to keep the good feeling. Consequently, the game may cause addiction for people to play the game continually. Your article makes me to rethink about what the happiness is to me.

    回覆刪除
  2. Indeed, most of people have the similar experience of being addicted to a certain game with the thrill it bringing along. However, as not a durable game-addicted kind of person, the thrill or happiness of a game usually didn't last those happy time long enough. I find myself quickly give up on the game as soon as it starts failing me and presenting same pattern while playing: I start get bored at a non-changeable game. So maybe you could add more details about how long that such a game could offer us happiness and what do people fell when boredom comes out and how later dealing with. By this way, we could grasp a more all-round span about the fluctuation of happiness rather than staying knowing the source of it.

    回覆刪除
  3. Getting addicted to game is really horrible but in that moment it likes am escape from reality and will gain a sense of happiness and relax. And the addiction to playing video game or simply APP games can be discussed in if why people want to play it and how this game attract people to play, also, how it make people feel a sense of happiness in this high-pressure society. Not to say, more and more people engage in playing video game as smartphones and ipad gradually become a most. Nowadays the way people get happiness is a lot difference from past. It will be interesting to analyze why people can't live without smartphone and how it bring people happiness. And because the appearance of new technology, the relationship between people and happiness also change a lot. By the way, you just give me an answer why Candy Crush was so popular than!

    回覆刪除
  4. Dear Milano,
    The topic of your issue paper is “The relationship of happiness and the society.” Do you write this annotation to discuss different kinds of happiness? I just want to make sure that I didn’t misunderstand you. This “Crush” in Taiwan society is truly an interesting phenomenon and can arouse our consonance. I also used to play Candy Crush and I am curious about why people get addicted to it. Do you think this “happiness” is positive for Taiwan society? Is there any moral dispute in being addicted to Candy Crush? If there are negative impacts, what are they? I would like to know your opinion in your annotation.

    回覆刪除
  5. Candy crush is established on psychology, and the truth makes me so surprising. Without your annotation, I won’t try to figure out that why the designer uses the pattern of candy instead of flowers or animals. I think people are all eager to get magnification and the pressure in reality sometimes make people want to escape for a little while. I am not sure about that whether getting happiness by playing candy crush is the “true” happiness or not, but I think it is necessary for modern people to release their pressure. According to the designer, candy crush bring happiness and give player expectation. It is a way to sooth the compact pace of life. And I think you show the theory clearly and thoroughly.

    回覆刪除
  6. The topic is really intellectual. The article you choose points out the main reason why Candy Crush is so popular. It is because candies are adults’ childhood memories. Actually, they are living a fantastic and virtual world. As you refer, "Perhaps the most genius element of Candy Crush is its ability to make you long for it." I come up an opinion about this quotation: if a thing packaged ‘actively’ making you so desire for it, is it the really thing people longing for? Real happiness should be constructed on a non-forcing basis(no matter obviously or subtly), which is a thing that stays there forever and it is the ultimate goal for us to chase.
    p.s. Maybe you could add more information about the author you refer, Eliana Dockterman. Her reputation might make your essay more persuasive.

    回覆刪除
  7. Candy Crush has truly made lots of people addicted on it. I used to play it for a while before, and fortunately, didn't get addicted. To me, the happiness of clearing the game are far less than the vexation it gives me for its limitation on playing time or chance, and the hollow feeling after finishing a level to another. Perhaps it gives people happiness, however, whether if they can remain long or truly gives comfort to loneliness is also a question.

    回覆刪除