Week 4

We usually say the phrase - “play games”. However, did we consider the relationship between “play” and “games”?

The “magic circle” describes “play” and “games” with the affiliation clearly. On one hand, play includes games. We have many games to play, like Manhunt, football matches, and so on. However, not everything we can play is the “game”. It is said that “play” is broader than “games” here. On the other hand, games have many characteristics like rules, skills, competitions, goals, et al..”‘Play” is only a component of “Games”, and “games” is boarder than “play” here. In conclusion, it is difficult to define which belongs to which - “play” and “games” have the different affiliations which depend on our perspectives.

Salen K. and Zimmerman E. (2004, p97, cited from Ibid p38-39) told us the Lusory Attitude “in anything but a game the gratuitous introduction of unnecessary obstacles to the achievement of an end is regarded as a decidedly irrational thing to do, whereas in games it appears to be an absolutely essential thing to do.” It “allows players to adopt rules which require one to employ worse rather than better means for reaching an end”. Therefore, players are limited in the rules of the games, and the activities of game playing should be chosen voluntarily.

Game: Fishy

It is an easy game – control the direction of one fish to eat the smaller fishes, avoid the larger fishes. The only thing we can do is to use the direction buttons to control a fish to get more scores by eating. The free thing is the fish people controlled can “swim” up and down for moving. Otherwise, the fish is in the “sea” and can not touch the larger fish. All of these are the rules of this game, people need to obey the rules and continue getting scores. This is the Lusory Attitude inside.

Reference:

1. Salen, Katie and Zimmerman, Eric (2004, p93-99). Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals, Cambridge, Ma: MIT
2. Huizinga Johann (1970). Homo Ludens: a study of the play element in culture, London: Maurice Temple Smith Ltd.