Blog Tasks - Defining games

Blog Tasks - Defining games

Salen and Zimmerman observe:

• Of all the things that can be listed as "play", "game" applies to only some (ie organised play). "Game" is a subset of "play".
• There are many aspects within the category of "game" (aesthetics, design, rules, etc); "play" is but one of them. "Play" is a subset of "game".

Salen and Zimmerman, 2004: pp. 71-83

Salen & Zimmerman take the key elements in the eight works studied to produce their own definition:

"A game is a system in which players engage in artificial conflict, defined by rules, that results in a quantifiable outcome." (p.80)

Paidea vs Ludus

• Paidea: effectively, "play" for pleasure
• Ludus: more constrained by rules, with a clear outcome (eg "winning")

An example of a paidea game would be the likes of a flight simulator or SimCity as they have no set rules or goal and is basically a digital toy where players play in a virtual sandbox.

Examples of ludus games would be like that of racing games or platformers. In fact most games fall under this category as they usually have a defined goal.

Types of game

Newman considers different aspects of games/gameplay, using four terms which Caillois (2001) adapts from Huizinga (see Newman, 2004, pp.22-26):

• agon: Competition
• alea: chance/randomness
• ilinx: movement
• mimicry: simulation, make-believe, role-play.