Epic Meaning & Calling is the Intrinsic motivation to engage in and become part of something larger than one's self. We could argue that this gamification is triggered by the solitary hero motivation, the one player who will save the world. Not quite. For Intrinsic motivation to work, it has to cut deeper, be more valuable. The similar White Hat motive is CD2 (Development & Accomplishment). The Black Hat synthesis of a similar motive is CD8 (Avoidance), which feeds the ego without actually requiring subversion of the ego. The difference is that all games ultimately seat the player within the real world, the real environment. Epic Meaning & Calling only functions where there is a sense of self-surrender, the giving of one's time and capital for the sake of the cause, rather than the player's own compensation. In short: a player sharing and a player playing a character that shares with an NPC cannot be defended as being the same thing.
Of all Core Drives, CD1 is perhaps the most powerful, but also the most difficult to incorporate in a traditional gaming experience. This is because games are, in general, expected to be fun. We accept discomfort in sports, but only because we expect greater social recognition (CD 4 - Social Recognition).
To better understand, we must refer to a core attribute of intrinsic motivations. Extrinsic and Intrinsic motivation are often misunderstood. Extrinsic motivation is motivation that is transactional with the environment. It is motivation that requires a mutually-defined value. Intrinsic motiviation lacks this trait, but only superficially. Intrinsic motivation requires valuation defined by the individual's value system, which is substantially influenced by the environment, but internalized. This is a key distinction, and the point for us to understand here. We are all extrinsically motivated. Gamifying values (value signaling) feed black hat egoism. White Hat application is a draw, drawing off of values and ethos. This makes it a marketing decision. If we want to achieve a better CD1 pull, we have to pair a content stream with the values of the player.
The question becomes: What vision? What Values? What banner do they march behind? This is how you get CD1 activity
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