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GAMES - Coggle Diagram
GAMES
Multifaceted Nature of Games
The "Magic Circle"
(Huizinga)
Games construct a "magic circle" that's separate from the outside world. Games have no effect on things outside that circle
But does it really?
Games do extend into other spheres of our lives:
Time, mood, communication, behavioral influence
On a negative note: Etiquettes (or a lack thereof) in the virtual world, bullying, scamming, etc.
What about when you participate in other activities you're completely immersed in?
Think sports, dance, etc.
Reflections of Culture
(McLuhan)
Tied to the cultures in which the game exists, games can reveal the culture's values
Games also reflect technical capability of the time periods in which they become popular.
Think how we went from playing Super Mario on Nintendo consoles to Pokemon GO on our smartphones.
Role Training
(Mead)
Games allow for players to learn to belong, learn roles and rules, thereby giving rise to one's sense of self.
An Art
(Jenkins)
Games are a new, popular form of art that moves people emotionally, especially through advanced aesthetics and player control.
Games facilitate immersion and new experiences that were not possible before.
While games offer an extension of reality, nowadays, modern forms of art also facilitate audience immersion and engagement, such as the Van Gogh immersive exhibition or virtual reality experience.
Aspects Common to Games
4 features of video games
(Crawford)
Representation
Games represent a subset of reality
Interaction
The player influences the game and gets responses to his actions
Conflict
Games present obstacles to the players
Safety
Games are safe environments for players to experience the world, overcome obstacles, or even undergo failures
4 categories according to games' dominant features
(Callois)
Competition
Skills determine success
E.g.: Hide-and-seek, chess, physical sports, action video games, etc.
Chance
Chance decides winning
E.g.: Lottery, dice game
Imitation
Players take on the role of someone else. Winning is usually not the primary focus
E.g.: Role-playing games, adventure video games
Campus Quest: Players take on the role of a first-year university student at UBC
Vertigo
Play = pleasurable sensation through physical activities
E.g.: Roller coaster, racing games
Complex game forms arise from the combination of more than one of these features
4 qualities of gameplay
(Callois)
Voluntary
Uncertain
Unproductive
Make-believe
Genres
Each system based on different criteria
Interactivity
(Wolf)
List of 43 genres
But loose connection to the criterion and no clear, consistent classification system
Success
"What does it take to succeed in the game?"
Action games
Motor skills & hand-eye coordination
Adventure games
Deep thinking and patience
Strategy games
Somewhere between action and adventure games
Real-time vs. Turn-based strategy
Process-oriented games
Provide players with a system to interact with. Players can manipulate the world
Blended/Hybrid games
Mix genres / Mix digital & analogue games
With that much complexity and classification efforts, are genres useful?
Might be good for categorizing kids-friendly games
Important in creating tags for commercial games and helping players explore games of the same genres
Help create expectations as players enter games of certain genres