Gamasutra has written an article about a study that measured how much various action games engaged players. Multiple factors drive people to keep playing certain games. What is it about games like Half-Life and Halo that distinguish it and make it so much more compelling to play than say COD 3.
Despite there being many factors that take part in the success of these games there is one recurring theme that seems to have the most weight. That is close combat and the ability to put players in situations where high risk is rewarded.
Here is the full article
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3868/shoot_to_thrill_biosensory_.php
And here is a summary of the article
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=21323
It seems to me that games that try to encompass too big a world in a poorly structured manner end up making the player feel disengaged from the experience (resistance is used as an example) where as games that focus on pockets of tight knit heavy recurring action like GoW allow the player to truely engage themselves and have fun.
Any thoughts?
The definitive evidence that video games turn people into mass murderers
