{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,10]],"date-time":"2026-06-10T17:00:49Z","timestamp":1781110849825,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"IGI Global Scientific Publishing","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2009,7,1]]},"abstract":"<p>Achiever and Explorer player types are well known in MMOs and educational games. Players who enjoy being a winner, but dislike hard challenges (\u201cSelf-Validators\u201d) are a heretofore ignored but commonly occurring player type. Self-Validators worry about and are distressed by failing. They can simply avoid playing overly difficult games for entertainment. But in a required learning game, Self-Validators\u2019 excessive worry about failing can interfere with learning. The authors consider whether and how eight very different modern games accommodate Explorers, Achievers, and Self-Validators and discuss implications for entertainment and learning game design and research. Seven of eight diverse games analyzed primarily served either the Explorer or Achiever player type. Self-Validators were partially accommodated in some Achiever-oriented games, through user-selectable difficulty. Design with all three types in mind would encourage inclusion of features that enable players to optimize their preferred style of play.<\/p>","DOI":"10.4018\/jgcms.2009070104","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2011,2,3]],"date-time":"2011-02-03T12:01:49Z","timestamp":1296734509000},"page":"53-67","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Game Design and the Challenge-Avoiding, Self-Validator Player Type"],"prefix":"10.4018","volume":"1","author":[{"given":"Carrie","family":"Heeter","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Michigan State University, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Brian","family":"Magerko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Georgia Tech University, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ben","family":"Medler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Georgia Tech University, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Joe","family":"Fitzgerald","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Michigan State University, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2432","container-title":["International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations"],"original-title":[],"language":"ng","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.igi-global.com\/viewtitle.aspx?TitleId=3959","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,2]],"date-time":"2022-06-02T00:11:12Z","timestamp":1654128672000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/services.igi-global.com\/resolvedoi\/resolve.aspx?doi=10.4018\/jgcms.2009070104"}},"subtitle":[""],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2009,7,1]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2009,7]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4018\/jgcms.2009070104","relation":{},"ISSN":["1942-3888","1942-3896"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1942-3888","type":"print"},{"value":"1942-3896","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2009,7,1]]}}}