According to a study by Nicole Lazzaro (XeoDesign) the reasons why people play video games can be divided into four main "keys" all affecting the focus/design of the game. Any game will include aspects from each key but tend to lean heavily towards one key in particular.
Hard Fun: Players like the opportunities for challenge, strategy, and problem solving. An example of a "hard fun" game would be Civilization.
Easy Fun: Players enjoy intrigue and curiosity. Players become immersed in games when it absorbs their complete attention, or when it takes them on an exciting adventure. An example of an "easy fun" game would be Myst or GTA.
Altered States: Players treasure the enjoyment from their internal experiences in reaction to the visceral, behavior, cognitive, and social properties. These players play for internal sensations such as Excitement or Relief from their thoughts and feelings. An example of an "altered state" game would be Tetris or Halo.
The People Factor: Players use games as mechanisms for social experiences. An example of a"people factor" game would be World of Warcraft.
I think that this way of looking at games can be usefull in that each "key" poses different requirements for the UI. It would be interesting to know what keys are most important to console FPS players - This is something that a focus group might help us with.
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