Chapter 24. Let’s Get Serious

EVEN THE BEST GAMES eventually come to an end. I’ve dedicated most of this book to exploring the value of delight. I’ve tried to show example after example of how we can create more valuable and enjoyable services by delighting people. But “delight, unfortunately, doesn’t last.” That’s coming from Raph Koster, and his 2004 book A Theory of Fun for Game Design.

This makes sense. All relationships eventually run into rocky terrain. Flowers and chocolates lose their luster. From a biological perspective, the things that used to send dopamine (the chemical that excites us) into our brains, cease to do so. This is why games present you with ever-increasing challenges, until—until what? The game ends. Even World of Warcraft, ...

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