Art of failure : an essay on the pain of playing video games
- Cambridge : MIT Press, 2016
- xiii, 157 p. ; ill., (b & w), 20 cm
- Playful thinking Series .
Includes bibliographical references and index.
When we play video games, our facial expressions are rarely those of happiness or bliss. Instead, we frown, grimace, and shout in frustration as we lose, or die, or fail to advance to the next level. Humans may have a fundamental desire to succeed and feel competent, but game players choose to engage in an activity in which they are nearly certain to fail and feel incompetent. So why do we play video games even though they make us unhappy? The author examines this paradox.
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Psychological aspect Video games Attribution theory Burnout paradise Completable goal Emotional gamble Learned helplessness Game failure Painful emotions Suicide Game World of Warcraft