Week 7 - Motivation: Short Report

There are a number of reasons why I found the Nancy Drew computer games so enthralling. I think these reasons can be best understood through the scope of the Six C’s, outlined as follows:

1.      Choice:  Throughout the game, the player is continuously making choices about where to go, what to say, and which tool to use – as demonstrated in the screenshot below. This allows each player to customize the game according to his own interests, which in turn motivates the player to keep on playing.

2.      Challenge: The Nancy Drew games are categorized by challenge level, which allows each player to select a game that will fit “just right” with their learning capacity. In this way, players are challenged without anxiety, and motivated to see what happens next.

3.      Control: As mentioned in point 1, throughout the game the player remains in control. By retaining control (which is demonstrated by the many choices the player makes) the player feels ownership over the tasks, and feels responsibility and motivation to continue the game.

4.      Collaboration: Nancy Drew fans often collaborate online, through the Her Interactive blog and message board. While this is not intrinsically part of the game, the makers of the Nancy Drew collection use a learning community to promoted fan communication, and create a group environment, thus motivating players.

5.      Constructing Meaning: Throughout the game, players are encouraged to form meaning based on clues they’ve collected. In doing so, players realize the value of their sleuthing work, and are motivated to keep collecting clues that will be needed to solve the case.

6.      Consequences: During the game, the players are motivated to crack the case due to the consequence – i.e. preventing a murder, solving a robbery.