The Gaming Persona

Send us Fan Mail Silent Hill 2 Remake has been announced for the PS5! The Gaming Persona takes the time to review the announcement and cover the historical significance of the Silent Hill franchise to fans of gaming and the survival horror genre. Gaming Library: Silent Hill 2, Genshin Impact, Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius, WWE 2K22, Final Fantasy XIV Online, PT, Resident Evil, Flappy Bird, Phasmapho...

Send us Fan Mail Overwatch 2 was released in October 2022.  Dr. Gameology decided to (finally) play a PVP First-Person Shooter on Twitch, and he really liked it! Doc and Jenny decided to read books and look up reddit posts to get a full idea of where the research on Overwatch players has already gone, and they share their preliminary findings. Support the show If you would like to support the show...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Dr. Gameology and Gene bring in the President and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association, Stanley Pierre-Louis!! Topics included how video games support varied learning styles, which game titles assist with learning and other important experiences, and how our soft / hard skills are used to solve complicated puzzles in rapid ways while gaming. Support the show If...

Send us Fan Mail This week, The Gaming Persona reflects on the September 2022 policy update for Gambling on Twitch Streams. Dr. Gameology taps into his past as the Clinical Director for statewide gambling treatment in Florida to shed light on the ways this impacts people requiring treatment in order to search for a pathway back to being their best self. Support the show If you would like to suppor...

Send us Fan Mail The Live Stream Twitch Celebration of the Two Year Gaming Persona Anniversary occurred on September 14th. Join Dr. Gameology (Dr. Daniel Kaufmann), Jenny Lebron, and Gene Wong on a free flowing conversation looking back at Season 2 of the show, favorite moments, and hopes for the next season. Most of all, Continue the Journey!  Thanks to all of our listeners and supporters. We cou...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gameology is joined by Jenny and Gene to discuss the growth of the show and the release of "The Psychology of Pokémon: The Power to Catch 'Em All." Dr. Daniel Kaufmann, the real life person behind Dr. Gameology, wrote Chapter 15 of this book, and is getting ready to talk about it at Orlando Nerd Nite. The Gaming Persona crew talks about different ins and outs of...

Send us Fan Mail The host of The Psychology of Video Games podcast - Dr. Jamie Madigan - joins the show this week to discuss one of the chapters from his book; Getting Gamers. This week, we dive into nostalgia, how games use it, when it works, and why it sometimes doesn't work as well.  Gaming Library: Elden Ring, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Final Fantasy XIV Online, God of War / God of War:...

Send us Fan Mail The Gaming Persona welcomes Dr. Chris Ferguson to the show! This week, we review one of his research studies which explored perceptions from players related to whether orcs are portrayed in a racist way in Dungeons and Dragons. Gaming Library: Elden Ring, Final Fantasy XIV Online, Pokémon, Dead By Daylight, Assassin's Creed, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Dungeons & Dragons...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gameology and the Gaming Persona cast review games they have had to step away from. This difficult decision comes accompanied by research and player experiences from the entire group. This thoughtful discussion aims to bring gaming habits into a real-life context that helps to emphasize the value of knowing your in-game goals, and using play time as a way to help you move forw...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gameology has played Dead By Daylight for the first time. After an evening of getting chased down by Killers of all kinds, he reflects on the experience and discovers the research on this style of multiplayer. Spirited debate ensues on what winning and competition mean in the context of a game in this style.  Gaming Library: Dead By Daylight,  Borderlands,  Oregon Trail,  Amon...

Send us Fan Mail The Gaming Persona reviews a recent publication by Vuorre et al. (2022) which found no significant reduction in wellbeing due to gameplay patterns. Dr. Gameology talks with Jenny and Gene to uncover what it is about video games that works for their week, and what they pay attention to so they can stay on the right path. Gaming Library: Persona 5, Persona 3 Portable, Final Fantasy...

Send us Fan Mail The Gaming Persona talks about Stray! This game has been sweeping across the gaming world as one of our first best opportunities to run around the post-apocalyptic streets as a cat. The charm and mental shifts of playing as a cat definitely have an impact on the player. The TGP hosts all review their interactions with animals in games, and reveal the specific ways animals are used...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gameology reviews the Resident Evil franchise with Jenny and Gene. Research on problem solving and decision making is introduced to further the discussion of positive elements, even in games where players are running for their lives more than they are choosing to fight.  Gaming Library: Resident Evil, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Final Fantasy XIV Online, Nier: Automata, Phasmapho...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gameology and Jenny review some of the games most notorious in the current gaming landscape for deploying grinding mechanics to extend gameplay interactions for their player base. The discussion extends to labeling different kinds of grinds, and each host shares their experiences being drawn in by these styles of game design. Gaming Library: Disgaea, Man of Medan, Until Dawn,...

Send us Fan Mail We use so many life skills to conquer the many problems we face each day. Some of these skills are actually taught to us by video games. Each time we practice a new skill, we potentially level up in our abilities to handle new situations more effectively. This episode, The Gaming Persona welcomes in a new cohost to join the weekly discussion - Gene Wong! Now as a three person pane...

Send us Fan Mail The Persona games are a spin-off of the Shin Megami Tensei JRPG series, and this game centers on the Phantom Thieves. The games focus on the journey of these high school students as they use their personas, creatures born from their minds, to explore the depths of their psyches. Along the way, they must face their demons and prevent impending doom. While the tone of these games ca...

Send us Fan Mail Ninjas prefer difficult challenges, but they also desire fast-paced decision making and competition. For them, video games are regarded as a testing ground for their abilities and intellect. In-game progression isn’t as important to ninjas as it is to most other player types. It is all about skill-based mastery, not in-game advancement. They're quick and nimble, and they like...

Send us Fan Mail The Quarry has been released this month! This decision-based video game with multiple endings features teenagers in a spooky campground trying to survive until the end of the night. Our guest host for the week, Gene Wong, joins Dr. Gameology to review some of their most memorable gaming memories with stories we play using our choices on the screen. Since Gene and Dr. Kaufmann have...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gameology and Jenny discuss some of the most powerful mental health spells they have learned form their time in Final Fantasy XIV Online. This episode shares a tribute specifically to the Black Mage class, and how the metaphorical lessons in how we play fit into our daily lives. Support the show If you would like to support the show and help us unlock additional possibilities...

Send us Fan Mail Female gamers often report experiencing harassment during their times of playing video games online. For this episode, the Gaming Persona welcomes Dr. Michelle Fynan and her expertise on sex therapy issues to explore insights from recent research findings on why people watch streamers, and why it feels acceptable to behave poorly on the internet. Support the show If you would like...

Send us Fan Mail There is a new game in town, and this year, it has become one of the most popular games released so far. Elden Ring is a Souls Style game published by From Software that gives the players a vast open world, the opportunity to build characters of various classes, weapon choices, and stat selection, and an intense difficulty curve to master en route to becoming Elden Lord. In this e...

Send us Fan Mail Cooperative gaming experiences for couples are extremely rare. One game that focuses on this experience is the local coop game, It Takes Two.   It Takes Two was the winner of the Video Game Awards 2021 Game of the Year. The game features a married couple who are sucked into an imaginative and dangerous version of their own home life to battle the fears of their daughter who has ju...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know that mobile games can help boost mental health? Dr. Gameology and Jenny review some of the mobile games they are currently playing. They give special mention Pokemon Go, Candy Crush, and other games that had a tremendous impact on mobile gaming. It’s interesting to dive into the psychological insights of the mobile gaming experience. Examples include the experiences o...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Dr. Gameology and Jenny review the concept of archetypes and apply them to characters from various video games. This Jungian concept has been applied to all forms of literature and media with characterizations of different heroic traits and personal aspirations. We start first with the psychological concept, and then move into video game centric perspectives on th...

Send us Fan Mail For this episode, Dr. Gameology and Jenny review the variables being measured by a different motivation scale used by psychologists to understand gaming motivations. Metaphorical connections are shared relating to how we play Elden Ring from a place of confidence or from a place of fear. A special mention goes out to the moment Doc recites the lyrics to Triple H's entrance th...