Name: Getting Gamers
ISBN: 9781442239999

Jamie Madigan

A psychologist and life-long fan of video games helps you understand what psychology has to say about why video games and mobile game apps are designed the way they are, why players behave as they do, and the psychological tricks used to market and sell them.

The Psychology of Video Games and Their Impact on the People who Play Them

Getting Gamers

Nelson Zagalo

In the past I used to follow Jamie Madigan's blog religiously, and thanks to him I discovered many important studies on the psychology of video games. But little by little I stopped following it, without really understanding why. The focus of his texts stopped speaking to me more and more. When I started reading this book of his I realized why.

Madigan writes about psychology and games but assumes that his readers are not only completely ignorant of both areas but are also sceptical of the value of games. This is odd, to say the least. If I understand that Madigan wants to reach people outside the medium, I wonder if those are the ones who will buy a book of his.

To make matters worse, Madigan writes as if he's talking to his next-door neighbour while they're having a beer. The casualness is so great that it makes any scientific data presented unrealistic.

Getting Gamers The Psychology of Video Games and Their Impact on the People who Play Them

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