Psychology, Anthropology and Design

The ultimate job of a Game Designer is to create a complete cohesive experience for the player. This can be anything from a complex story to a simple shooter.

No matter the experience the Designer wishes to create, the three disciplines of Psychology, Anthropology and Design are very important to game designers.

Psychology and using the knowledge of how the mind works and interprets things they can create compelling stories, psychological experiences, induce certain feelings in the player, a whole range of emotions.

Anthropology helps the game designer create empathy with the player, give the story or the game experiences a more human element and allowing the player to get more immersed in what is being played.

Design, from the point of view of the Game Designer, needs to take cues from many other disciplines. The entire concept of creativity in all it's forms has always had an effect on people and what they experience, be it Music, Film, Architecture, Art, these are all linked in to the Psychology and Anthropology of experiences, and the Game Designer can learn from these other disciplines to create better experiences for the player, or affect a player in the desired way.