Frikkin' Rewards!

As humans we have a natural desire for reward – a desire that digital gaming taps into and in many cases accommodates. With this in mind I’ve decided to look at Ridge Racer for the PSP. The game is a fairly basic arcade racer, however it applies to the ‘reward’ category of aesthetics, for it is more than a simple car endlessly circuiting a track. By winning races, new, faster cars and tracks are unlocked. There are, according to Hallford & Hallford (2002), four types of reward; glory- the simple satisfaction of a high score for example; sustenance- health, food etc.; rewards of access- new levels, tracks, zones etc. and finally, rewards of facility- as in new weapons, technology, skill etc. In RR, there are many examples of rewards. Unlocking new cars and improving speed can be seen as rewards of facility. In order to tease players and appeal to their sense of curiosity, the unlockable cars are shown as silhouettes so that the shape can be seen but nothing else. Rewards of access can be found throughout, for upon the completion of each race, new levels and tracks are unlocked, and once the basic races have been completed, more difficult, elaborate ones become available. The score of each lap is also noted on the screen, so the player can strive for the reward of glory of completing their lap in record time (which can be very satisfying). I myself have completed Ridge Racer, and still derive pleasure from the reward of beating my own high scores.