What is Risk Incentive
- Risk incentive involves placing items that the player can optionally collect in extremely dangerous situations.
- It creates a gambling situation.
- Collecting the item will produce a victory.
- However, the player can fail by falling prey to the danger.
If the player fails to collect the item, s/he will be aware that failure derived from his/her own choices, as the game did not demand retrieval of the item (Bleszinski 2001b).
Risk incentive occurs frequently in Ape Escape III, which suspends coins over bottomless pits. The coins are not necessary to complete the game, but can assist the player in unlocking irresistible extras. As these coin sections are often placed near the end of the level, the player is taking a huge risk to retrieve them, as a mistake will not only cause him/her to lose the coin, but also to endure much backtracking. Risk incentive not only enhances individuality, but also enhances tension by offering gambling-like situations.
References
Bleszinski, C. (2001b) ‘The Art and Science of Level Design’ In: Gamasutra.
Available at: http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20010110/cliff_01.htm [accessed: June 2006]
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