The Horrifying Psychology of Video Games

The Way Escape from Tarkov manipulates you and how Gray Zone Warfare could avoid it.
Don't forget to like and subscribe!
Original Reddit thread: / tarkov_players_are_ups...
Join my Discord server at / discord

[@RangerChex]

I’m trying to remember where I read a list of things the GZW devs wanted to do. One of the things was events/map changes based on things the community does in game. This is something that I think helps keep players involved and have some content that isn’t a looting loop. Weather and day/night cycles are something that is going to be implemented later on. There was even talk of NPCs going to sleep or sheltering indoors during those instances. I’m excited to see where GZW goes from here. I was never a fan of Tarkov, but I’m enjoying GZW immensely.

[@Versatilty]

Bet you didn't expect a psychology lecture in you gaming channel lol... Great job Geeky

[@GeekyPastimes]

If people like this I might do some more. Would quite like to dive into all the different ways COD uses this. I keep thinking of more!

[@paulnelson-vp9ov]

My wife who dislikes anything to do with gaming, actually watched this whole video with me, telling me she studied all this at university and i was totally a dopamine dope head looper haha, great vid.

[@GeekyPastimes]

I ended up reading a bunch about how different health services are defining video games addiction while I was making this and it's a bit worrying tbh.

[@BornSupreme28]

Great video man. Very well presented

[@High_Lord_Of_Terra]

I feel compelled to press like, must be a Pavlovian response.

[@patrickfallis6319]

Superb video geeky! Very well researched, put together and presented. Totally agree!

[@Schniebel89]

That explains why I don't enjoy these types of modern games, because I'm resistant to gambling mechanics. I quit games the moment they stop beeing fun for me because I feel like everything has become random chance.

[@snakesens6016]

of all the languages in the world, this man chose truth

[@Dockery92]

This "loop" applies to literally everything in life though. Not trick anyone, life just needs rewards for actions, such as paychecks. Paychecks to pay bills and make consumer purchases which trigger dopamine also. This is not anything deep. Its just lifes loop in general

[@jamesmackenzie5904]

Warzone is the ultimate compulsion loop, I stopped playing it because it's just a really poor game now. Really hope the new cod is better.

[@GeekyPastimes]

COD really uses so many different compulsion loops it's ridiculous. I feel like there hasn't been any really new content in it for a while now

[@zjsz4954]

Good vid mate. Definitely feeling the CoD dopamine cycle fatigue

[@Doctordynomite]

Call of duties, prestige mode was one of those, compulsion loops

[@dannylojkovic5205]

Yeah, Tarkov relies on loops towards mid game to have you find the VPX and Led X for quests, and it takes a while to do if you’re an average gamer. Seems like Nikita was tired of making fetch quests

[@boppsicles]

I’m not a rat in a box good sir. I’m the rat in the bushes at your LZ waiting for you to hop off the little bird.

[@TheDevilishFiend]

We know too much, authenticity is daed. Top video again GP. Extra words for the algorithm , many words needed, unsure how many.

[@okamaman7324]

Brah, pro tip. All human interaction is a Skinner Box. Skinner did not invent behavior, it just noticed how it would work. We humans can make very abstract and nonsensical things because we KNOW there will be a reward in the end.

[@animanaut]

you could earn badges like 'supporter' which when displayed could serve as as a secondary reputation system. i think bf had similar badges as ongoing achiements

[@GeekyPastimes]

Yeah stuff like that would be cool, especially if they were linked to challenges instead of grinds

[@SuperDjduff]

Mate, I think that’s the best idea for this game to utilise that I’ve ever heard. That would make this game go from mediocre to amazing. I’m not at all high level yet, but also maybe incorporate a mass war zone pvp as well. Where factions can attack bases of the other faction, or a sub base for experienced players to guard and attack

[@TheSoulEnchanter]

Bro talks about the Skinner box like he’s never spent time in an arcade.

[@Libyan_anti_genocidele]

I like your morality stance on this topic

[@robertomacetti7069]

Thankfully I'm here for the tactical shooting and the weapon modding and not for the loot itself o guess? My main dopanine is rhe run itself, moving well and coordinating with friends, not finding a cool gun

[@leetheman9921]

I mean, to produce more content, they need people to be playing and consuming the game along with its microtransactions, because as you said, creating content takes time, but also money, to pay dev wages, server costs etc etc, so in my mind, as we are not rats, as long as the reward you are getting from this so called compulsion loop is something you actually want then you will continue to play. I think you should focus on whether the loops are predatory or not imho. Because in essence, the state of the current online gaming scene is games are expected to be live service, or have continual updates/content, if the game came out and it was what it was, this loop would not exist in the form you say.

[@DerekSpeareDSD]

developers see their buyers as nothing more than rats with some money.

[@okamaman7324]

Yo!, what game is that at 7 Min ?

[@GeekyPastimes]

Arena Breakout Infinite, it's testing at the moment. I didn't really love it

[@giraffchen_]

Such a good video.

[@GeekyPastimes]

Glad you think so! Always a little hesitant to do videos where it's mostly just me talking to camera, but glad people have liked it!

[@giraffchen_]

​@@GeekyPastimesReally well researched, good depth of the background, good pacing, and great, great job with the suggestions (both the amount you gave and the quality of the suggestions, too).

[@davidponder1654]

If the object is a fun hobby then why is it different than other hobbies? That being said im mostly a single player/ pve player

[@bw9358]

nice video. hope devs see this

[@GeekyPastimes]

I hope so too! Would be great to have a big game go in a different direction

[@TheD0ccc]

Bro... gaming is a loop. Whatchu mean lol.

[@juancamiloza]

This is a massive issue with modern gaming. I wouldn’t call it laziness from the developers, but I don’t believe it’s good for the consumers either. Maybe AI can offload that coding burden and just allow developers to be creative?

[@nomadactual2484]

life itself is a compulsion loop, calling it unethical is not right. nobody forces u to play them, you choose to play those games

[@GeekyPastimes]

Nobody forces people to gamble either, but most agree there's an unethical way to try and get people to gamble more.

[@nomadactual2484]

@@GeekyPastimes agreed but then again its a choice made by people themselves, humans put up with school and then collage to get a good job and a nice house and u cant deny there is luck in play there too. Life itself is compulsion loop for the majority so removing it from the game isnt the right way i believe. I think having an in between where players can grind for good loot AND also work as a team to raid camps that their faction can take over from other factions or NPCs will work best. There will be the greed to find better gear and also the teamwork to capture camps and FOBs for their team every wipe

[@jwulf74]

Sounds like slot machines... haha, posted right before you said it..

[@travisking9895]

That shirt is distractingly awesome

[@GeekyPastimes]

Ha thanks

[@PyroTech03]

40k subscribers on a video game channel and you just learned that game developers use psychology to manipulate gamers? My sweet summer child 😄 Good video tho. Might need to research more. You talk about needing more skinner box mechanics instead of compulsion loops. Skinner box applies to loot boxes. Really bad. There's a bunch of channels that talk about games and psychology. Look more into it. Daryl does games is a good one.

[@MidNiteDookie]

What I would give to relive peak DMZ days🥲