The critical component in understanding how maps in video games can help develop a person’s ability to be open to new experiences is by the knowledge that a person is starting somewhere in the development of their self-worth and level of self-awareness. Affect theory is one social psychological theory that can help explain this development. The method essentially states that there are multiple tiers of affects or emotions that a person can experience. A person can view their feelings almost like a pallet with the ability to craft an understanding of how their experiences will influence their view of the world. Each emotion that a person experiences will tend to shade their view of the world. All of this shading creates an emotion-based mental map of how a person should interact with others. A person that understands the mental map metaphor will be more apt to take a step back and control their more basic emotions for the purpose of understanding their relationship to the overall environment in which they are living (Damasio, 2004) and attempt to take control of more decisions during the course of their everyday existence (Bortolan, 2011). This awareness of feelings or affects is vital as it is part of a person’s ability to perform the socially acceptable biological and neurological reactions to a given stimulus (Tomkins, 1991). A person dealing with the spectrum of various emotions and affects often needs a good model for processing this information. Two video games, in particular, can help create this model. The first one to examine is “Breath of the Wild” and the relationship between the main character (Link) & his ability to navigate a foreign terrain.
Link wakes up at a location he doesn’t recognize after being in a 100-year coma. His memories are gone, and he has no sense of why he is there (even though the player would know if they are familiar with the series or have played previous games in the series). He must depend on the Sheikah Slate to act as his map of this strange environment. The Sheikah Slate also serves as a sensor to find the temples that improve the health (via Spirit Orbs) or gear of Link. Spicy peppers and mushrooms can be found via the Slate when he has found one in the past and taken its picture, thus giving him the ingredient he needs for the meals and potions of protections. This tool also can security but alerting Link when Guardians are nearby, one of the biggest threats in the game. All of these elements that the Slate tracks in the virtuality of the game can relate to real-world interactions.
Humans tend to use stimuli to make sense of the world much like the Slate’s ability to ping elements on the map helps the player make sense of the gaming environment. Emotions tend to color and filter reactions to those stimuli. These reactions can impact a person’s ability to understand their world.
Hangry (being angry due to hunger) is a classic example of emotions coloring a person’s view of the world.
In Breath of the Wild, knowing where raw meat, spicy pepper, Hyrule Bass, and a cooking fire are can help a player create a Spicy Meat and Seafood Fry, which will get Link a warm doublet from the Old Man and protection from the cold. In the real world, knowing how to make or buy a meal can reduce the chances of being angry due to hunger pains. A player or person is practicing the basics of self-care by attempting to take care of their basic needs.
This idea of using recipes to take care of the needs of the individual directly relates to one of the core components that makes up the affect theory. People go through “feeling bubbles” (Wetherell, 2014) throughout the course of a given year that is related to the cultural and social moments (e.g., New Year’s Eve celebrations and the grief experienced during September 11). People who know the cultural and social terrain during a given feeling bubble and are able to seek and find the resources to practice the basics of self-care related during a given feeling bubble (e.g., if one is an alcoholic, a person might want to know which parties and social gatherings will be alcohol-free during New Year’s Eve). A person can practice some aspects of this self-care in a game like “Breath of the Wild.”
One example of a “feeling bubble” is when the Blood Moon appears in Breath of the Wild. It is the time where all of the enemies that Link has defeated in the past 28 days of game time are reincarnated, forcing Link to battle these demons again. Players can feel the tension and fear this bubble causes as the game designer invokes a sense of being afraid through effective music that leaves a player feeling on edge and animation reminding the player the horrors that are coming back from the dead. Players can minimize the tension through more exposure to the Blood Moon sequence in the game. Knowing where a player is on the map can prevent the player from being surprised by the enemies that are now rising from the ground. Using a journal or other tracking device can help Link find the best time to go to an inn and avoid the horror that is the Blood Moon.
Players that use these practices in the game can apply them to the real world to deal with the feeling bubbles and the awareness of the affect a person feels during these feeling bubbles. Self-awareness is the key to best deal with a time of stress and uncertainty (Callan, Terry, & Schweitzer, 1994). Even without a perfect map or guide, a person can attempt to be prepared and aware of their emotional state. A game like Minecraft can provide a good model for how to do this.
