Gamers don't enjoy gore in violent games
Video-gamers who play violent games such as GTA 4 and Call of Duty 5 are not motivated by the gore but the pleasure of mastering a challenge, say scientists.
Research shows that contrary to popular belief, violence does not make video games more enjoyable and can actually spoil a game for most players.
Psychologists say it was the ability to conquer obstacles, feel effective, and have lots of choices about strategies and actions which motivated both seasoned and novice gamers.
Oddly though not too many would want to swap their copy of Call of Duty 5 for a Sudoku book and a jigsaw.
The team from the University of Rochester argue this should be taken into account when designing the next generation of video games.
"For the vast majority of players, even those who regularly play and enjoy violent games, violence was not a plus," explained Andrew Przybylski.
"Violent content was only preferred by a small subgroup of people that generally report being more aggressive."
To assess players' experiences on a wide variety of games, the authors conducted two survey studies involving 2,670 frequent video game players.
Participants rated their current favorite games based on statements like "When moving through the game world, I feel as if I am actually there" and "I would buy a sequel to this game."
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