the reviews for this episode are in
critics are saying complete it
hello Internet welcome to game theory
hey that's my line
and you're not even doing it right the
cadence is all off hello Internet
welcome to Bear theory and I'm the only
disembodied voice on this show that's
Greg that's kind of his gig on our
channel and the bear thing it's kind of
a running joke fine so who are you and
what do you want my name is Gerard
dragon rider Khalil also known as the
beardman or as most people know me asked
the completionist and I'm Greg also
known as the mediocre s because I'm
mediocre at most things every week Greg
and I beat a brand new game to
completion every last item every
achievement every trophy but lately I've
been starting to wonder why do I do it
why do I have to fully complete a new
game each and every week well it is the
main premise of your show oh hey Captain
Obvious thank you so much Captain
Obvious he's our hero gonna tell you
what you already know does this guy have
an off switch he gets excited when he
meets new people I'm just trying to make
a good first impression oh I I'm sorry I
didn't mean to hurt your feelings I
think you're a perfectly Pleasant person
you like me you really like me Greg can
we get back to my question please all
right anyways since you're like the
sparknotes of gaming I thought you'd be
the best person to ask why are some
people born completionists well to
answer your question let me ask you a
question why do you play games well I
don't know they're fun I grew up playing
them ah baby beard been so cute and so
hairy and because they're great to play
with friends do you play video games
because you're good at them sure I guess
they wouldn't be as fun if I sucked and
let me guess you like to be challenged
don't you well of course
well my dear dragon rider you just
described the upper levels of Maslow's
hierarchy of needs Greg if you'll be our
Dick Clark
I'll be any kind of dick you need ladies
and gentlemen welcome to maslow
one hundred thousand six hundred and
seventy one dollar pyramid we we had to
account for inflation basically in 1943
a famous psychologist named Abraham
Maslow created his version of the food
pyramid but instead of grains and dairy
he covered everything humans need to
survive from the basics of air and
shelter to more obscure things like love
and self-esteem video games slightly
less important than air right lower
levels of the pyramid are all the basic
needs food water a home but on the upper
levels is where it gets interesting so
since we're all gamers here I've devised
a little game to find out what they are
mad pet you're going to give Gerrard
words or phrases related to a level of
the pyramid
Gerard it's your job to figure out what
category matpat is describing ready your
time starts now to have fun with friends
to be part of something bigger than
yourself I have no idea to share a study
group with Joe McHale Chevy Chase and a
hot nerd girl community correct remember
when you said you liked playing games
with friends people need people we need
to belong and whether you're a
completionist or a casual gamer playing
video games helps you bond with others
so I'm a completionist because I like
co-op that's just one reason you play
next level I feel good about myself I'm
so confident I can do anything
things people with high self esteem say
you're all those there you also play
because you're good at games
makes you feel good to be on top of a
leaderboard or to see your game or score
go up am i right definitely and that's
the next level of the pyramid is Steve
playing video games makes you feel good
about yourself you gain ranks and status
it's even in your channel name Gerard
you're not just any gamer you're that
one video gamer it gives you a clear
sense of identity in the talky-talky
times almost up the next level
to maximize your potential to master a
skill to become the best you can be
reasons to join the army I'm sorry but
you're out of time we were looking for
self actualization self actualization
Gerard how could I've ever gotten that
well technically it's called self
actualization but what it really means
is that you aren't content just being
any gamer you want to be the best gamer
gaming is a skill and you want to be the
master of that skill you thrive on
facing new challenges and crushing them
it's about the constant quest to get
better this is what matters to a
completionist the most so that's our
game thanks for playing
although you won't be going home with a
grand prize for being such a great
contestant you'll be going home with a
used sock and a half-eaten Charleston
Joon you're like a character in an RPG
you won't be happy until you reach max
stats
girag master of the Keyblade but that's
just one part of your story Gerard
something else we have to look at is not
just your motivation to play but the
rewards you get that keep you playing
and for that we need to bust out some
neuroscience up in this his house what
what is he seriously raising the roof
for neuroscience people call me the
crazy one so you know in modern games
you unlock achievements well each time
that notification appears in the bottom
of your screen you get a shot of
dopamine in the brain sounds deliciously
painful actually it's pleasurable so the
beard man's a masochist No
dopamine is an important
neurotransmitter in the brain that gets
least as a reward mechanism it also gets
released when you eat good food then
beard man's gettin doped up all the time
he's a dope man or have sex yeah I got
nothing
come on not to be rude but King can we
stop talking about the Dragon Rider sex
life plz k thanx bye appreciated a lot
thanks I don't know sounds to me like
nobody's been riding that dragon lately
oh snap snap tastic snap crackle pop
tastic anyway those pop-up rewards keep
you coming back or in this case playing
it's the same reason people get addicted
to drugs using drugs releases dopamine
drug addicts get hooked on the release
of dopamine in their brains so you're
saying that I'm addicted to the sense of
achievement I get when I play a game
exactly you're basically an addict and
your drug of choice is achievement man
as well face it he's addicted to dope
will be and not all achievements are the
same either sure you get a little rush
when you get one at the end of a level
when you would expect one to pop up but
you get more of a release when you're
not expecting it like the
congratulations you just killed your
fifty three thousand five hundred ninety
fifth infected achievement you don't
know it's coming so when it pops up your
brain has a big bath the dopamine those
surprise achievements are the ones that
are most effective at keeping you
playing correct me if I'm wrong what did
that mean that when I get to the end of
the game I'm getting less of a rush
because I know a reward is coming well
yes so on one hand you're getting that
dopamine reward rush for each
achievement you get which keeps you
playing and striving for more and more
gamer points but your desire to actually
complete the game with everything
involve some pretty cutting edge
research yeah you hear that beardman
you're hip you're a hipster put on those
fake glasses and break out the Pabst
Blue Ribbon start taking pictures of
your food and making it look all
old-timey
your need to be a completionist is
actually a form of
conceptual consumption basically it's a
new theory that says that some people
consume ideas and information like they
do physical things like food
you're the Kirby of game reviewers quiet
Greg I'm trying to learn actually you're
mildly irritating friend has a point
you are like Kirby basically conceptual
consumption theory says that you suck in
a bunch of experiences so that you can
possess them own them the rare the
experience the more valuable it is so
for you Gerard you complete gains each
time you do you are in essence putting
them on an invisible trophy wall well no
actually not invisible your channel is
your trophy wall showing off all the
experiences and accomplishments you've
reached and think about it each video
influences the next you've assimilated
parts of them into the show everything
from laser clowns to of course
bears buyers and it's not just your show
just like Kirby keeps a piece of the
enemies he absorbs you to some extent
have assimilated the games you've
completed into a part of who you are you
know the saying you are what you eat
well does gamers we are what we play we
experience all those individual fantasy
worlds sure it's through an avatar on
the screen but I was there too
experiencing everything along the way I
still remember the first time I met
pokey and earthbound and I'm sure you
can remember your first time on mumbles
Mountain I was floored when I first
defeated earthbounds guy guess just as
I'm sure you were at the end of banjo
kazooie with gruntilda we experienced
those victories we own them and yes to
some extent it influences who we are
sure hundreds thousands of millions of
people play these games but
the experiences we have on the quest is
uniquely our own and that my dear
theorists is why we're gamers and why
you Gerard are a completionist that that
was beautiful man thank you
Oh any but there you have it my
diagnosis for a completionist you play
because your friends play you feel good
when you play and you want to be the
best player possible you keep playing
because you're a non-sex to achievement
Annie and I played to complete because I
can add another unique experience to my
life resume that's what I think at least
but hey that's just a theory okay be
really a game theory I know enough about
you let's go play some games Metroid
Prime sound good to you
absolutely you know I've always wondered
how she fits into that ball of hers next
episode next episode next time on game
theory Metroid or how I learned to stop
worrying and cram myself into a tiny
metal ball but for now check out our
group review of Metroid Prime over on
their main channel click here for more
awesome action from this sexy threesome
admitted Matt you're attracted to me
aren't you let's continue this
conversation over on our channel while
we play Metroid Prime
you