Modern Warfare 2 by Flyinace2000
Like millions of others around the world, I’ve been spending way too much time playing Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 over the past several weeks. Mostly multiplayer. After almost 48 hours of gameplay, I’ve attained the rank of Colonel II and have a score ranking of under 3 million! Woohoo!
Why is this game so addictive?
I think Infinity Ward has perfected the formula for attention engagement with their multiplayer ranking and unlocking system. For the first 30 or so levels, you get a constant stream of new weapon and abilities, a new one every hour or two of playing. Every new weapon has its own ladder of accessories to unlock, from silencers to (the essential) heart-beat monitors. Positive feedback galore. Even if you suck at playing, you still get the satisfactory feeling of advancement just by showing up.
At later levels, the rewards come more slowly, but you are fully motivated to learn to play better in order to get them. The kill-streak system is brilliant: For a continuous run of kills without dying you can deploy powerful game-changing elements, from map-revealing UAVs (after 3 kills) to fearsome player-controlled AC-130 attacks (after 11). This is a powerful motivator to make you learn to play better and refrain from just senseless charging.
The game is chock-full of other psychological motivators. You get medal-like emblems and titles for specific accomplishments (such as killing every member of the opposing team at least once). You can also customize your character’s weapons, “perks” (such as the ability to continuously run), and “deathstreaks” (special helpers when you die too many times in a row).
What can we learn from these motivating techniques to apply to the real world?