Gaming Can Make a Better World

One common motivation between "Why We Play" and McGinigal's talk is that they both discuss challenges that people face when they play games.  Jane explained that World of WarCraft challenged people just enough to keep them playing.  And in "Why We Play" it is explained as the category of Goals,Challenges, and Rewards.  Meaning people play to meet goals and to advance in the games they need to defeat certain challenges.

Another common motivation is known as Skills Practice in "Why We Play".  Skills practice in the gaming world helps gamers be prepared for real life problems and situations.  For example combat and war games gives the gamer an inside look on how fighting a war might be like.  Jane McGinigal also thought this was true.  She stated that playing games makes a hearty and collaborative person.  She also says an "epic win" excites the player to want to play more and learn more.  This skill makes a person want to learn more and more.  It builds the knowledge for certain skills, which Jane says is the epic meaning.

Finally, Biochemistry from "Why We Play" is a big factor in Jane's talk.  Jane says the one reason we play games is for the "blissful productivity".  Which means we play a game to make us happier.  The happier we are in a situation can make working harder all the time easier for us to do.  The chemicals that are released in our brains when we "win" or defeat the enemy makes us happy for the time being.  So if we achieve things while working that makes us feel good, we will end up working harder without realizing it just to achieve our goals for that satisfying feeling.