These are the results from an Ohio State grad school project that examined reasons people play tabletop games.

QuoteThis project started as a partnership with The Wargamer to investigate playing preferences and motives of wargame players. Later we approached the Game Manufacturers' Association, GAMA, (conveniently headquartered down the street from me here in Columbus) about a possible partnership. GAMA requested an expansion of the scope of the research from wargames to all hobby games. They were willing to offer a wide-ranging distribution of the survey and in return, they wanted to "mobilize the industry" behind the project, rather than fragment it into segments like "wargamers" or "role-players."

What I found most interesting were the motivational factors:

Factor 1: The Challenge of Playing, having a sense of accomplishment over a hard task being overcome and completed:

Factor 2: The Exciting Alternative, seeing game play as a stimulating way to spend time, divert from less interesting tasks.

Factor 3: The Discovery Narrative, having an interest in the game's narrative elements that allow a level of wish fulfillment.

Factor 4: Competition with Peers, having some skills and abilities to compare with others, prove self as better.

Factor 5: Catalyst for Socializing, playing the game as a reason to spend time with others.

Factor 6: Creative Control, enjoying the ability to manipulate gaming elements.

Factor 7: Pleasurable Immersion, feeling present in the game to the exclusion of other thoughts, worries.

Looking over those 7 factors I'd say they're all reasons I like tabletop games, including RPGs.  Certainly I can recognize some people would value some factors more than others.  Kyle's "Cheetoism" is "Catalyst for Socializing", while the Forge crew are all about "Discovery Narrative".  Good to see that "Pleasurable Immersion" wasn't only recognized as existing -- but it's one of the 7 key factors.

What about you?  Do these factors sound right to you and your experiences?  Do you think there are other significant reasons people play tabletop games beyond what's on this list?

I am totally down with all but #1 and #4.  I'm not competitive; I just want to get together with friends and be awesome.

Trying to put them in some sort of preference...

Factor 1: The Challenge of Playing, having a sense of accomplishment over a hard task being overcome and completed:
Factor 5: Catalyst for Socializing, playing the game as a reason to spend time with others.
Factor 2: The Exciting Alternative, seeing game play as a stimulating way to spend time, divert from less interesting tasks.
Factor 7: Pleasurable Immersion, feeling present in the game to the exclusion of other thoughts, worries.
Factor 6: Creative Control, enjoying the ability to manipulate gaming elements.
Factor 3: The Discovery Narrative, having an interest in the game's narrative elements that allow a level of wish fulfillment.
Factor 4: Competition with Peers, having some skills and abilities to compare with others, prove self as better.

I agree with all points. Those are great reasons to play. I think pleasurable immersion is the thing I strive for the most. When I look up at the clock and six hours are gone and I realize again that time passes differently out in the aether.

Factor 7 gets me through the semester sometimes.

Pretty much all those factors apply to me at various times, but 5, 7 and 2 are the big ones for me (in that order).

I thought one of the big beefs with this survey was that none of the data/results were going to be made public. Glad to see the results published.

And for me:
#1 is slowly taking over that ship because you know they have contraband, discovering that the waitresses are all bioroids with deadly internal hidden weapons (oh shit!), and somehow pulling it off despite massive personal injury.

#4 is Gimli and Legolas counting orcs.

I'm just sayin'.

Edit: Yea, I like that order, 5,7,2.

Quote from: dar#4 is Gimli and Legolas counting orcs.

I'm just sayin'.

Exactly!

I agree with all of those. It seems to short sighted to deny any single one of them.

No offense to any deniers!

Quote from: darI thought one of the big beefs with this survey was that none of the data/results were going to be made public.

Unless things have changed, they won't be. Last I read, the public was just going to get a few summaries, not access to the raw data.

Also, I think many of the questions were poorly phrased and/or likely to lead to faulty interpretations. A classic example is the "Pleasurable immersion" factor. Since "immersion" in an RPG context often means a very specific idea of "being your character", it's likely that both responders and some analysts will confound that with "feeling present in the game to the exclusion of other thoughts, worries", a.k.a. flow.

Quote from: StuartKyle's "Cheetoism" is "Catalyst for Socializing",

That's half of it. It says that it's a social creative hobby. The "creative" part ties in with the other six points. I just emphasise the "social" part because so much other talk about rpgs is pretty abstract, and never answers the question, "sure, but why do I need other people for that?" While talk of Gamism or Drama or Immersion or whatever can answer, "why do we game?" they don't answer why we game together.

You might also be interested in this study done about computer games, Why We Play Games. They talk about,
   Hard Fun: Fiero - in the moment personal triumph over adversity
Easy Fun: Curiosity
Serious Fun: Relaxation and excitement
People Fun: Amusement
I think it's well worth downloading their files to have a look. They strongly match what you're presenting here.

I need to clarify, I game mostly because I never get to kill apemen in real life; I hate apemen and I was born to kill them. Therefore, gaming allows me to fufill my destiny.

Quote from: AosI need to clarify, I game mostly because I never get to kill apemen in real life; I hate apemen and I was born to kill them. Therefore, gaming allows me to fufill my destiny.

That sounds about right.

Quote from: AosI need to clarify, I game mostly because I never get to kill apemen in real life; I hate apemen and I was born to kill them. Therefore, gaming allows me to fulfill my destiny.

This is perhaps the most hilarious thing I've ever read.

And quoted for hilarity!

I've already been accepted into grad school, but I have to take a year off for personal reasons, and I've got waay too much time on my hands.:deflated: