# Reality Is Broken  Author:: Jane McGonigal ## Highlights > Why do unnecessary obstacles make us happy? ([Location 486](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B004G8Q1Q4&location=486)) > Games make us happy because they are hard work that we choose for ourselves, and it turns out that almost nothing makes us happier than good, hard work. ([Location 489](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B004G8Q1Q4&location=489)) > “Games are an obvious source of flow,” he wrote, “and play is the flow experience par excellence.”2 ([Location 620](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B004G8Q1Q4&location=620)) > Gamer addiction is a subject the industry takes seriously—it’s a frequent topic at industry conferences and on game developer forums: what causes gamer addiction, and how can you help your players avoid it? This might at first seem surprising: doesn’t the industry want gamers to spend more time (and money) playing games, not less? And it’s true: more gaming by more people is the primary goal of the industry. But the industry wants to create lifelong gamers: people who can balance their favorite games with full and active lives. And so we have what is perhaps the central dilemma of the game industry over the past thirty years: how to enable gamers to play more without diminishing their real lives. ([Location 748](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B004G8Q1Q4&location=748)) > As a partial solution to gamer regret, many of the most addictive online games have implemented a “fatigue system.” ([Location 765](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B004G8Q1Q4&location=765)) --- Title: Reality Is Broken Author: Jane McGonigal Tags: readwise, books date: 2024-01-30 --- # Reality Is Broken  Author:: Jane McGonigal ## AI-Generated Summary None ## Highlights > Why do unnecessary obstacles make us happy? ([Location 486](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B004G8Q1Q4&location=486)) > Games make us happy because they are hard work that we choose for ourselves, and it turns out that almost nothing makes us happier than good, hard work. ([Location 489](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B004G8Q1Q4&location=489)) > “Games are an obvious source of flow,” he wrote, “and play is the flow experience par excellence.”2 ([Location 620](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B004G8Q1Q4&location=620)) > Gamer addiction is a subject the industry takes seriously—it’s a frequent topic at industry conferences and on game developer forums: what causes gamer addiction, and how can you help your players avoid it? This might at first seem surprising: doesn’t the industry want gamers to spend more time (and money) playing games, not less? And it’s true: more gaming by more people is the primary goal of the industry. But the industry wants to create lifelong gamers: people who can balance their favorite games with full and active lives. And so we have what is perhaps the central dilemma of the game industry over the past thirty years: how to enable gamers to play more without diminishing their real lives. ([Location 748](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B004G8Q1Q4&location=748)) > As a partial solution to gamer regret, many of the most addictive online games have implemented a “fatigue system.” ([Location 765](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B004G8Q1Q4&location=765))