Super Smash Bros. Director Talks About Understanding the Psychology of Player in Video Games

Masahiro Sakurai is back with another video in his game development series. His YouTube channel, named Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games, has gained over 500K subscribers as of now. He has been constantly making videos talking about his experience in the game development industry. Some of his notable roles in the game development industry include being the director of Super Smash Bros. and the creator of Kirby.

He often posts informative videos and recently posted a video talking about Nintendo’s golden-age consoles, Famicom and NES. However, in his latest video, Sakurai talks about player challenges and struggles, also discussing a new study done in gaming.

Unusual results from a study done on gamers

Talking about a recent study done overseas. Sakurai revealed an unusual discovery. He explained that in an FPS game, players feel anxiety while defeating other players. Inversely, they feel relief if they get defeated. These results sure are contrary to popular beliefs. Diving deeper into the study, the defeat in FPS games gives the players a sense of release from stress. This same sense of relief gives the players motivation to play more and makes gaming fun.

He also cited the book Think About the Video Games X for his views. Players often view their characters as a puppet to control, having low empathy toward these characters. This is the reason why players can jump from a moving bike in the game. If players felt empathy towards their character, they would feel sad every time their character dies.

Read More: Be It Forza Games or Super Smash Bros., Kirby Creator Reveals the Undeniable Importance of In-Game Morale Boosts Techniques for Players

Also, how the game sets the rules can also drive the player. The low waiting time between the rounds makes a sense of disappointment go away faster. He also stated that defeating the opponent is a far less priority for players than winning.

The true purpose of gaming according to Masahiro Sakurai

Sakurai explained the reasons players are afraid of losing. “If defeating an opponent isn’t the decisive, match-settling moment, then you haven’t yet completed your objective, meaning it’s too soon to relax. In a way, defeating an opponent shows you a potential future when you’re the one defeated,” said Sakurai.

Telling fans to not be scared of defeat, Sakurai said the true purpose of playing games with friends is not winning or losing, but having fun while doing both. “Remember, competitive games aren’t only about the joy of dominating your opponents,” concluded Sakurai.

Watch Story: Video Game Franchises Returning to Console

What are your thoughts on the studies done on gamers? Let us know in the comment section below.