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Why you can’t stop playing Bejeweled

Posted on 6:27 AM by Alexander Hamiliton


We've all been there. The clock tells us it's time to call it a night, but we don't want to do so until we've completed just one more level. 90 minutes later, we're still using that same excuse.
There's something about well-designed games – especially casual titles – that captivates players. Every title has its own secret sauce, but solving the mystery of their deep engagement isn't as hard as you might think. In fact, it often comes down to six factors.


Sounds – Those little pings and muted explosions might not stand out in your mind when you're playing, but they have a lot to do with why you can’t stop. The next time you play "Bejeweled" or "Peggle," notice how the notes get progressively higher on combinations. That's one of PopCap's secret weapons.
"It turns out that people really respond to the rising pitch," says Jason Kapalka, cofounder and creative director of PopCap Games. "That's a trick that never gets old and one that we use again and again."

On-screen changes – Another go-to trick at PopCap is a constantly evolving screen. Every action you take changes the way the game looks in some form or fashion. These changes, says Dr. Carl Arinoldo, a New York psychologist, actually increase your engagement.
"Every time you do something, you’ve essentially got a new visual stimulus in front of you," he says. "This helps to increase concentration and keeps your brain going. Every time there's something new on the screen, you're putting together new groups of brain cells."
Generous scores – Ever notice how high your score is in most casual games? In the end, it doesn't mean much, but you still feel a real sense of accomplishment. That's deliberate. Aiming for a score of 1 million is a lot more engaging than shooting for 1,000.
"It's kind of the pinball machine rule," says Kapalka. "There's no reason a pinball machine has to score in the hundreds of thousands or millions, but if your average game of pinball scored 53 points, no one would enjoy it."

Low pressure – Sometimes a ticking clock adds to the fun of a game, but it's often a distraction – and an unnecessary source of stress. That's why PopCap games tend to be slow-paced or have no time limit at all. There were plenty of word-based games before "Bookworm," for instance, but most had timer elements to them. That created a high-pressure environment.
Instead of making the game time-based, PopCap added new ways to lose, such as the burning tiles, but let the player move at his or her own pace.
Cognitive benefits – Between keeping your brain stimulated and avoiding high pressure, playing these games actually has some beneficial qualities. Stress levels go down and, according to Arinoldo, attention spans increase.
"People report their concentration and focusing improves," he says. "On top of that, they also assist with problem solving and decision making. ... I actually recommend them to my patients as far as stress management is concerned."
Big rewards – Many PopCap titles are offshoots of existing games. "Bookworm," for instance, owes a big debt to Scabble. And "Peggle" wouldn't exist if it weren't for Pachinko. At their core, the games typically aren't particularly fun to watch being played. So when a user hits a new level, there needs to be a significant visual reward.
"With Peggle, a lot of work went into the 'extreme fever' area at the completion of a level, where you get the rainbows, fireworks and 'Ode to Joy' is played," says Kapalka. "That's a big payoff for the player."

-Courtesy of Yahoo News

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