Games+Learning+Society 12 Conference

Digital games are an ideal form of media with which to present engaging content, in that they can create enriching applications of taught information beyond the confines of the classroom. MMOs engage players on multiple levels by providing worlds to explore, achievements to reach, challenges to overcome, and players with which to interact, creating a unique micro-culture. These explicitly designed multiplayer cultures have the capacity to be more than an educational experience for one student, but give multiple students the ability to interact, learn and apply what they’ve learned together at a global level (Squire, 2012). As a former AAA and mobile game designer, I will review the core concepts of MMO design as they relate to the psychological state of flow and overlay the Bartle taxonomy of player types to illustrate how each aspect can work together to create an optimal experience for play and learning.