Defining Videogames

16/10/14

We had a lecture today on the Definition of Games. We spoke about ways in which we can categorize games.
We explored the distinction between the words "game" and "play" by looking at Salen,K., and Zimmerman,E. (2004) Rules of Play: Games Design Fundamentals. London. MIT Press.
They discovered that games are systems in which players compete with defined rules in place to have a specific outcome or goal. Play however does not have rules usually, for example when children "play" they have no set rules in which they are playing.

We then looked at Newman, J., (2003) Vidoegames. London: Routledge. to fine tune our understanding. He often referred to Caillos, R., who classified games into two terms:

Paida - When a player plays a game for pleasure.
Ludus - This is defined by rules in which a specific outcome or goal is clear.

 Newman went on to further categorize games using Caillos work adapted from Huizinga.
These categories are:

Agon (Competition) - Sports eg. Racing, Wrestling, Athletics.
Alea (Chance) - Betting, Roulette.
Mimicry (Simulation) - Carnival, Theater, Cinema.
Ilinx (Vertigo) - Mountain climbing, Skiing.

We then discussed in which categories games we play fit into. It became apparent that games can fit into multiple categories. Using what we have learned I used this information to categorize games I play.

ArcheAge

The first game I chose to categorize was ArcheAge. This game is a MMORPG sandbox game, meaning you can literally do pretty much anything you want. I would therefore categorize this game as Paidia. Although there are aspects of Ludus as well because there are rules to limit what you do and rewards for achieving small goals (ie. Killing a dungeon boss). Being a RPG it has a strong categorization in Mimicry because of the role-play and make-believe elements. It has Ilinx styling within the game as your able to climb massive mountains and use a glider to fly across the world. You can really feel how large the world is and that you are just a small cog in the extensive Trion landscape.

 

Forza Motorsport 4

Another game that I spent many hours playing is Forza Motorsport 4. This is a classic racing game but with a twist of being able to modify the vehicles you have in your garage. This is clearly categorized as Ludus because of the clear rules and outcome of having to win. We can also put this in the Agon category because of it being competitive. There are aspects of Paidia though through the reward scheme, in which players get cars in there garage for race placing and completing circuits/race series. There is Mimicry in this game because of it being a simulation.