Autonomy, not violence is the reason why gamers play

Researchers in the United States quizzed 2,670 frequent gamers - aged 18 to 39 and almost 90 per cent male - on what they sought from the experience and what made it fun.

"For the vast majority of players, even those who regularly play and enjoy violent games, violence was not a plus," says Andrew Przybylski, lead author and graduate student at the University of Rochester.

"Violent content was only preferred by a small subgroup of people that generally report being more aggressive."

Seasoned video gamers and novices also said they preferred games where they could conquer obstacles, feel effective, and have lots of choices about their strategies and actions.

Study co-author Richard Ryan, a motivational psychologist at the university, said computer games offered an entertaining and compelling way for people to address their psychological needs.

"Conflict and war are a common and powerful context for providing these experiences, but it is the need satisfaction in the gameplay that matters more than the violent content itself," he said.

The research also concluded for many gamers, excessive violence or gore was seen as reducing a game's "fun factor" - decreasing both a players' interest and desire to purchase it.

"Video games," the study concludes, "are enjoyable, immersive, and motivating insofar as they offer opportunities for psychological need satisfaction, specifically experiences of competence and autonomy, to which violent content per se is largely unrelated".

The research is published online in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.