MP5 OPT 4: Motivation and Objectives

One of the fundamental and vitally important aspects of video games today is the concept of motivation for the player, strung together through a series of objectives. When playing the game, you have to feel as if what you are doing is at least important enough for you to care and progress forward. If not, the game falls flat, and they have not entertained the player through story and gameplay at its most basic elements. Most games today whether single one time experiences or through years of a game's franchise, have these moments to keep players going. One franchise that reflects this and has been for 26 years, is the Legend of Zelda; a personal favorite of mine. The reason is in its simple yet addicting play style. The hero Link saves the princess Zelda from evil, usually evil in the form of Ganon, and the player is pushed through the game based on this building block concept as the foundation for play. And besides varying differences through the games releases over the years, the form is essentially the same each time. So why have players been anxiously returning to the series again and again? Its because it knows how to create objectives, and how to pace a game's conflicts and puzzles. Its the Zelda formula.

26 years later and fans are still fighting Ganon.

With the overarching quest theme as the background, players know what to expect from Zelda: Gather weapons and items in the hub world, locate and search through dungeons, encounter a mini boss, get a new item, progress in the dungeon, beat the boss, get some kind of important quest item, and head back to the established overworld to do it again. Each time it feels different, yet somehow the same. It creates a sense of familiarity from game to game, and ever since the first adventure in 1986, it works wonders to keep players moving through the game.

Since the beginning the objectives were clear: kill the baddies,
save the princess.

The mini boss reward is what keeps the dungeon exciting. Players expect it, and love it. And to reach that first conflict inside the puzzling chambers of Zelda dungeons, gamers are encouraged and motivated to explore and use their brain. This only enhances the experience, and makes you want to reach that boss and take whats yours. Its all about getting the girl in the end, and saving the day from evil's grasp.

Getting to that final boss is the push for gamers to progress.

Objectives and motivations are important in games. But that statement carries a lot more weight than it seems. In fact its an understatement. In a series like Zelda, its clear, but it can be said about any other successful franchise out there. The ones that succeed are the ones that understand that games are more than just getting a high score or shooting at something because you hand us a virtual gun. Its about making sure we want to play your game because we legitimately care about what happens. That we feel that playing this game is worth our time, and that there will be clear objectives showing the path to get that girl waiting for us at the top of the castle.

It has to all be worth it in the end. And thats what Zelda does best.