YOUR opinion about good games for my master thesis

[AnnaV]

Hello there,

Right now I work on my master thesis which deals mainly with video games (PC, console, etc...). I would like to find out what makes a game a good game in your opinion. Furthermore I want to find out more details about your purchase decision.
I created a survey which takes only about 4 min. You would help me so much if you can take a moment to answer the questions.
http://edu.surveygizmo.com/s3/1222871/English

If you want to know more about me or my project, please feel free to contact me.

Thank you very much in advance,
Anna

P.S.: I really need your help with this. Finding 1000 people to answer a survey is not that easy

 

[Cloake]

I took your survey. What is your major?

 

[tippy2k2]

I will give you my usual deal I give to anyone who's brand new asking for us to do a survey...

Quote me (it's the button on the top right of this post)

That's all I wish for. I would like you to quote me. Why? I'm glad you asked!!

We get these all of the time. Basically, I just want you to demonstrate that you are going to be at least slightly active here and not just dumping your school work on random forums.

 

[morrie man]

It is a fair comment by #tippy2k2, I just hope you listen.

 

[TheSteeleStrap]

I actually had to really think about the last 3 games I bought.

 

[murdeoc]

me too, especially considering ive installed more f2p games in the meantime.
it also kinda annoys me its only about purchases and not about f2p at all. the whole f2p model is where games are going in my opinion.

 

[DSK-]

Done. Feel free to follow up

 

[Teoes]

I was about to link this thread as an example of doing this kind of thing correctly, in that the OP actually took part in some discussion with other posters and doesn't seem to have signed on just to get Escapists to do their work for them. OP in that thread got a warning though, so perhaps not!

Regardless @tippy2k2 raises a good point, so we'll see what comes of that.

EDIT: Yep the warning on that other thread was due to the self-promotion.

 

[Daveman]

I'd give you a suggestion but I'd hate to create selection bias in your thesis.

 

[AnnaV]

I will give you my usual deal I give to anyone who's brand new asking for us to do a survey...

Quote me (it's the button on the top right of this post)

That's all I wish for. I would like you to quote me. Why? I'm glad you asked!!

We get these all of the time. Basically, I just want you to demonstrate that you are going to be at least slightly active here and not just dumping your school work on random forums.

Hey tippy2k2 (and all the others). I understand your concerns and I want to be honest with you. The escapist is not the only forum I asked for help, since it is almost impossible to get enough people to do the survey in just one forum. I don't want you to do the work for me. I invested a lot of time in this. But I cannot write down only my opinion and hand it in as a master thesis. I want to know what is the opinion (or serveral opinions) of the audience, that includes you.

Therefore thanks a lot to all who answered the survey yet!
After my evaluation of your answers, I would like to share a summary of the outcome with you, since this is the least I can give back! If there is something else I can do, please let me know.

@Teoes: Thank you for the link. Filip has the same timing, but little different topic Also verya interesting!

I hope you understand a bit better, where I come from and why I need your help. Of course nobody should feel forced to do a survey, but I am just happy for every other answer You don't know how much you help me out here!

I took your survey. What is your major?

Thank you May I ask what you mean with major? Maybe the focus of my studies?

 

[Flatfrog]

I found it interesting that none of your suggested reasons for why someone might purchase a game made any mention of the actual gameplay, which is far and away the main factor that influences me. Level of difficulty, level design, interesting enemies, clever use of powerups, ingenious puzzles, innovative and intuitive movement, interaction of story and level design, these are the factors that make a game good in my opinion - certainly they're the ones that influence me the most. For example, I'm incredibly torn about Bioshock, which is a game that is totally outside my normal preferred genre (I hate FPS games generally) but I'm desperate to play it because the story, characters and visual design seem so extraordinary.

As another example, you ask whether 'high-end graphics' matter, but this completely misses the point for me. I don't care about graphics *quality* at all if by that you mean polygons and realism. But visual design, especially as it relates to storytelling, is a huge factor for me.

 

[tippy2k2]

snip

That is all I wanted

I have taken your survey. With that said...I feel like you skipped out on THE most important factor in what's important in a good game: Is it fun?

I have let a LOT of shit slide in a game as long as it could entertain me. The Walking Dead had a lot of rail-roading and almost zero game-play but it entertained me so it was one of my favorite games of 2012.

Also, you spelled "Specific" on question 4 wrong

 

[Dr.Panties]

Dear AnnaV,

My honest participation in surveys (of any kind) is guaranteed only if there is free chocolate involved. Otherwise, I fear your results may be slightly...skewed, for want of a better term.

And with such an admission, we have reached what can only be described as the crux of a crisis for you, AnnaV. For you see, I have no compunctions whatsoever with creating 200...yes, 200 should be more than sufficient...fraudulent accounts with the express purpose of sabotaging your survey, and indeed entire thesis. Do you understand?

Do you see that, AnnaV? That is your Master's waving to you forlornly from a distant shore, a miserable, unenlightened place of crashing waves and forgotten lighthouses...and no chocolate.

So, AnnaV, what shall it be? A "credible" survey result, or one that would most certainly be deemed "incredible" amongst your smoothly "embrowed" (sic) intellectual peers...?

I'm sure we both know your answer, so make with the fucking chocolate, posthaste.

Good day.

Your friend and mine,

Dr Panties

 

[daveman247]

yeah "is it fun/ good gameplay" is a pretty big question thats been missed. I know those questions are highly subjective but most of the other questions are fairly personalised as well (what is considered cheap will vary wildly between people for example.)

 

[AnnaV]

yeah "is it fun/ good gameplay" is a pretty big question thats been missed. I know those questions are highly subjective but most of the other questions are fairly personalised as well (what is considered cheap will vary wildly between people for example.)

That is an interesting point, tippy2k2 also mentioned (and other people as well). But video games are a part of the "entertainment industry", so they exist to entertain people. What "entertaining" means can be very diverse for different people.
If I add "entertaining" to the list in my survey, I guess most people would say "of course, entertaining is THE most important thing". And what "entertaining" is, would be clear to them. But not to me. Therefore I left this point on purpose to get at least a part of the people to tell me in more detail what a good game needs.

But thanks. I think I need to discuss the fun/entertaining part and gameplay in more detail in my thesis.