Why do people love headshots in video games?
Have you ever wondered why people love headshots in video games? Is that because of their brutality? Breaking a taboo? In my opinion - no, it's all about psychology.
Headshots are probably the most satisfying moment in any session with Call of Duty. Just look at it:
Why such actions are the very best moments for the most popular franchise in the most popular genre of video games?
Before we deep dive into answers, let's look at this massacre of balloons in Splatoon.
There is no blood or corpses but shooting a balloon is still a satisfying action, right?
People love headshots in video games, but not because of brutality.
It's all about clear feedback.
We're seeing the immediate and powerful reaction to our actions. We can feel COMPETENCE.
Competence is one of the core human needs according to Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Besides autonomy and relatedness, it's the reason why we're intrinsically motivated to do activities that aren't necessary or obligatory. Like playing games.
(I wrote about SDT here)
How can we achieve a sense of competence? By having clear feedback, adequate difficulty, and measurable goals.
It almost sounds like the rules for good game design, right? That's why games are ideal for achieving a sense of competence. Maybe even better than real life? ;)
But game creators need to remember that it's equally easy to ruin the competence feel. Let's analyze a few possible reasons.
1. Unclear goal
When I'm stuck on the level, I don't feel like a hero. Especially, if I'm stuck not because of the challenge but because I don't know what the game expects me to do.
2. Changing the type of skill required to beat the game
Variety is important, but when the game imposes a linear stealth sequence for players who for the whole game learned how to fight dynamically, things can get frustrating. I bet you remember such levels and you don't have many warm thoughts about them.
3. Helping players too much
Games often help players. Platformers usually have "a coyote time" - players can still jump for a split second after leaving the platform. Action games often lower damage received when players are near death so they can have epic comebacks more often.
But sometimes games are too pushy. I remember when my roommate did a rage-quit in God of War 3. Not because he died dozens of times in a row. He did it because the game kept asking him if he wanted to lower the difficulty after death.
4. Randomness
Players don’t really hate randomness and so-called RNG. They hate lack of influence and taking away the feeling of competence.
Randomness which can make us lose no matter how good we play is frustrating. But it can be awesome, just remember to provide a way for players to feel that they can significantly impact results, despite the aspect of randomness
So, let’s do some summary:
Humans strive for the feeling of competence.
Provide it for them using clear, fair rules and understandable goals within their reach.
Show them how they can get better.
And if they do - present progress on the way to the goal.
I hope you enjoyed this! If you're interested in the usage of Self Determination Theory in games, I’ve already written about competence and autonomy:
