Video games are often dismissed as a mere waste of time. However, as a $50 billion industry, they are increasingly being analyzed seriously by theorists and psychologists. The IELTS reading passage “The attraction of video games” delves into why they hold such intense appeal by linking them to our most fundamental human desires and motivations.
This ECE article “decodes” the entire reading passage, providing vocabulary analysis, content summaries, and detailed explanations for every question to help you gain a deep understanding and master this text completely.
Reading Passage
The attraction of video games
The world’s love of video games has much to do with people’s desires and motives
A Video games, it is often claimed, are about wasting time. It is a misunderstanding that players and game makers have been trying to correct for many years. While movies and television are endlessly analysed in the media, games are often dismissed as irresponsible, unimportant by-products of the broader digital revolution. But a growing number of experts disagree. This is, after all, an entertainment medium that worldwide makes $50b a year. Using ideas from psychology and sociology, theorists and designers suggest that our love of video games may actually have important things to tell us about our most basic desires and motivations. Game design has become big business and has led to the creation of a multitude of companies. The industry attitude toward training has changed radically, says prominent game researcher Jesper Juul. “I recall hearing professionals claim that game design was a strange and unteachable art but now this attitude has mostly faded. Designing video games is increasingly recognised as a valid field of university study throughout the world.”
B Central to an understanding of games is the theory that games are fun because they teach us in a way that our brains prefer, that is, through systems and puzzles. Raph Koster, designer of multiplayer fantasy games, points out that an effective learning environment is one in which failure is acceptable, even welcomed. Accordingly, Koster says that in games, the player enters into a situation where the rules of the real world don’t apply, and typically being judged on success and failure is part of the real world. When gaming, people feel free to try things and to learn, and not worry about what might happen. Consistently, Koster says, the best games are the ones that provide us with interesting tools such as weapons or magic, and allow us to experiment with them. For example, in one early game, players are given the ability to jump, and can practise this for as long as they like, but to get to the next stage they need to master this ability so they can leap over an enemy and onto a platform. ‘Games allow us to create these little systems where learning is controlled really brilliantly,’ says Margaret Robertson, director at a London- based game design company. ‘Something we don’t talk about is that, actually, one of the strengths of games is the vague sense of disapproval that still surrounds them – they feel like something that’s forbidden!” And that can, of course, be very exciting.
C Another important element in the popularity of games is the player’s ability to determine what happens. Games tap into our need to have direction; this is very obvious in games where we shape the lives of virtual humans, but it’s becoming a vital element of action adventures too. ‘Games are increasingly complex systems,’ says Dan Pinchbeck, an experimental game designer. ‘There’s an emphasis on the pleasure of choosing and planning. We’ve moved quite dramatically away from the very first video games. These games mostly involved the player merely reacting to events. But games then became more about approaching a situation and making a plan depending on your preferred play style.’
D Many studios design their games around reward systems. ‘A good game will have progression at the end of each level, but it will also provide surprise rewards halfway through,’ says Ben Weedon, a games studio consultant. ‘In a game, you’re essentially pressing the same buttons and doing the same things over and over again, so you need those occasional surprises to stay motivated.’
E Games have constantly evolved over the years and continue to do so right up to the present. Now, incorporating a narrative structure into a game is becoming increasingly important. Many games have adopted Hollywood’s three-act structure, which is designed to maintain our loyalty to a particular game. As in many films, a short final act is often used to give a sense of acceleration towards a preferably startling climax. Opening levels of games, are also short, because this flatters us into thinking we’re making good progress, whereas the middle levels are more extensive.
F Games even tap into our friendships. The rise of multiplayer gaming means that gaming increasingly involves social interaction. And other businesses are taking notice and using this as an element in advertising their brands. Then there’s the new concept of ‘gamification’, in which websites and smartphone apps are being designed like games, with high scores and achievement points to keep customers entertained. Research estimates that businesses spent more than $100m worldwide on gamification projects last year, a figure predicted to rise to $1.6b in the next four years.
G So, in fact, games aren’t just an insignificant fad, as some people might suggest. They fulfil intrinsic human needs, whether we are conscious of it or not. The loop of learning control and rewards is at the heart of something very important, and very attractive.
Questions 20 – 23
Look at the following statements (Questions 20-23) and the list of experts below.
Match each statement with the correct expert, A-E.
Write the correct letter, A-E, in boxes 20-23 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
20. Players’ involvement in games often includes thinking ahead.
21. The inclusion of unanticipated elements keeps players interested.
22. It’s now accepted that creating video games is a skill that can be learned.
23. Early games were much simpler than more recent ones.
List of experts
A. Jesper Juul
B. Raph Koster
C. Margaret Robertson
D. Dan Pinchbeck
E. Ben Weedon
Questions 24 – 26 (Sentence Completion)
Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 24-26 on your answer sheet.
24 Koster believes that games remove people’s fear of ……….
25 Robertson’s view is that games feel exciting partly because of the ………. that is associated with them.
26 Narrative games are often structured so that the first and last parts are both ……….
Summary of the Reading Passage
This passage refutes the misconception that gaming is merely a waste of time. Instead, it analyzes the psychological and social factors that make games compelling, based on expert opinions.
- Section A: Introduces gaming as a $50 billion industry. Expert Jesper Juul points out that game design, once considered an “unteachable art,” is now recognized as a valid academic field.
- Section B: Raph Koster explains that games are engaging because they provide an ideal learning environment where failure is acceptable (unlike in real life), allowing players to experiment freely. Margaret Robertson adds that games are also appealing due to the sense of “disapproval” surrounding them.
- Section C: Dan Pinchbeck argues that games are compelling because they give players control and the ability to plan. Games have evolved from simple “reaction” to complex “planning.”
- Section D: Ben Weedon discusses the importance of reward systems, specifically “surprise rewards,” to maintain player motivation.
- Section E: Modern games are engaging due to their narrative structure, similar to films, with short openings and endings to create a sense of progress and climax.
- Section F: Games tap into social needs (multiplayer). The concept of “gamification” is being applied in business to retain customers.
- Section G: Conclusion: Games fulfill intrinsic human needs: learning, control, and rewards.
Key Vocabulary
- dismissed as (v.p) (Section A): to treat as unworthy of serious consideration.
- Example: “…games are often dismissed as irresponsible, unimportant by-products…”
- multitude (n) (Section A): a large number.
- Example: “…led to the creation of a multitude of companies.”
- radically (adv) (Section A): thoroughly; completely.
- Example: “The industry attitude… has changed radically…”
- unteachable art (n.p) (Section A): a skill or craft that cannot be formally taught.
- central to (adj) (Section B): of primary importance.
- Example: “Central to an understanding of games is the theory that…”
- tap into (v.p) (Section C, F): to access or exploit a resource or feeling.
- Example: “Games tap into our need to have direction…”
- progression (n) (Section D): the process of developing or moving gradually towards a more advanced state.
- narrative structure (n.p) (Section E): the framework that underlies the order and manner in which a narrative is presented.
- gamification (n) (Section F): the application of game-design elements and principles in non-game contexts.
- intrinsic human needs (n.p) (Section G): fundamental, internal human requirements.
- loop (n) (Section G): a sequence of events that repeats.
- Example: “The loop of learning, control and rewards…”
Answer Key and Detailed Explanations
20. D – Dan Pinchbeck
- Question: Players’ involvement in games often includes thinking ahead.
- Location (Section C): “…’Games are increasingly complex systems,’ says Dan Pinchbeck… ‘There’s an emphasis on the pleasure of choosing and planning.'”
- Explanation: “Thinking ahead” is the core action of “planning.”
21. E – Ben Weedon
- Question: The inclusion of unanticipated elements keeps players interested.
- Location (Section D): “…a good game… will also provide surprise rewards halfway through,’ says Ben Weedon… ‘so you need those occasional surprises to stay motivated.'”
- Explanation: “Unanticipated elements” is synonymous with “surprise rewards” and “occasional surprises.”
22. A – Jesper Juul
- Question: It’s now accepted that creating video games is a skill that can be learned.
- Location (Section A): “…prominent game researcher Jesper Juul. ‘I recall hearing professionals claim that game design was a strange and unteachable art but now this attitude has mostly faded.'”
- Explanation: The idea that it was an “unteachable art” has “faded,” meaning it is now accepted as a teachable skill.
23. D – Dan Pinchbeck
- Question: Early games were much simpler than more recent ones.
- Location (Section C): “We’ve moved quite dramatically away from the very first video games. These games mostly involved the player merely reacting to events. But games then became more about… planning…”
- Explanation: Dan Pinchbeck contrasts the “very first” games (merely reacting) with later, more complex games (planning), implying the early ones were simpler.
24. failure
- Question: Koster believes that games remove people’s fear of ……….
- Location (Section B): “Raph Koster… points out that an effective learning environment is one in which failure is acceptable… When gaming, people feel free to try things and to learn, and not worry [= remove fear] about what might happen.”
- Explanation: Koster notes that in games, “failure” is acceptable, which alleviates the worry (fear) of the consequences of trying new things.
25. disapproval
- Question: Robertson’s view is that games feel exciting partly because of the ………. that is associated with them.
- Location (Section B): “‘…one of the strengths of games is the vague sense of disapproval that still surrounds them… And that can, of course, be very exciting.'”
- Explanation: Margaret Robertson explicitly states that the excitement comes from the “sense of disapproval” surrounding games.
26. short
- Question: Narrative games are often structured so that the first and last parts are both ……….
- Location (Section E): “As in many films, a short final act is often used… Opening levels of games, are also short…”
- Explanation: The text states that both the “final act” and the “opening levels” are “short.”
Conclusion
The passage “The Attraction of Video Games” clarifies that the appeal of gaming is not accidental; it is the result of tapping into fundamental human psychological needs: the need to learn in a safe environment, the need for control, and the need for rewards. We hope this detailed analysis of the answers and vocabulary provided by ECE has offered you valuable insights, helping you not only master this reading passage but also feel more confident with psychology and social topics in your IELTS exam.
Khai giảng Khóa học Hè cực HOT.
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