Research conducted by University of Rochester and "player-experience research firm" found that most gamers don't enjoy violence in their videogames.
"For the vast majority of players, even those who regularly play and enjoy violent games, violence was not a plus," says study author Andrew Przybylski. "Violent content was only preferred by a small subgroup of people that generally report being more aggressive."
But even those "more aggressive" gamers reported that violence didn't increase their enjoyment of the games.
Instead, players get pleasure from "the feelings of challenge and autonomy they experience while playing."
"Both seasoned videogamers and novices preferred games where they could conquer obstacles, feel effective, and have lots of choices about their strategies and actions," says the study. "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."
"Our study shows that the violence may not be the real value component, freeing developers to design away from violence while at the same time broadening their market."
