Why rewards always devalue the game experience

by SonofMacPhisto , Saturday, April 20, 2013, 10:58 (4241 days ago) @ Cody Miller
edited by SonofMacPhisto, Saturday, April 20, 2013, 11:02

This makes me wonder something about two games I've played a lot recently - Borderlands 2 and Mass Effect 3 (specially co-op).

These games have huge reward/player investment systems. I have tons of fun in spite of those, however, and think the core gameplay is pretty awesome in both. My proof is that in Borderlands 2, I'm having as much fun at level 61 with crazy stupid gear as I was at level 1 with the intro pistol; in Mass Effect 3 I still favor a lot of the original characters, and just equip whatever gear fancies me at the moment.

Am I blind to the reward systems and how they've manipulated me into having fun? I don't think so - I'd play these games if the reward systems went away. Some proof would be with Mass Effect 3, as I remember those moments during the demo when I nearly burst into tears with how perfect it all was.

EDIT: Battlefield 3 is a good example of a game with huge reward mechanics that, at it's core, I thought had underwhelming gameplay that did not nearly engross me as much as the two examples above.