[game_edu] Definition of a Game

[Pete[r] Landwehr]

Hey all,

In case you haven't read it (& sorry for those to whom this is old
news), Jesper Juul has a pretty interesting essay on the topic at
http://www.jesperjuul.net/text/gameplayerworld/, in which he
identifies six features of a "classic game model", with the idea that
we can make games that transcend this model by altering some of its
salient features.  To save people time, I'll just put this bit in
here.

The game definition I propose finally has 6 points:
1) Rules: Games are rule-based.
2) Variable, quantifiable outcome: Games have variable, quantifiable outcomes.
3) Value assigned to possible outcomes: That the different potential
outcomes of the game are assigned different values, some being
positive, some being negative.
4) Player effort: That the player invests effort in order to influence
the outcome. (I.e. games are challenging.)
5) Player attached to outcome: That the players are attached to the
outcomes of the game in the sense that a player will be the winner and
"happy" if a positive outcome happens, and loser and "unhappy" if a
negative outcome happens.
6) Negotiable consequences: The same game [set of rules] can be played
with or without real-life consequences.

I don't know that this definition has the grace of many simpler, more
elegant one sentence definitions, but it does delineate a lot of the
conventional game space.  Juul's idea is that some things are
definitely classic games (Dance Dance Revolution), some things are
borderline cases (The Sims, many MMOs), & things that are not games
(walking down the street).  So by this standard, I'd say that passage
is a borderline case (meets points 1 and 6, but is very sketchy on
points 2 - 5, or at least such was Rohrer's intent.)  Don't know that
this helps us any more than the other definitions put out on the list
(since we're all just fitting Passage into a framework), but this
might be a useful addition.

Best,

pml

On Tue, Dec 8, 2009 at 8:20 AM, Corvus Elrod <corvus.elrod at zakelro.com> wrote:

> The definition of game that I use is strongly linked to my definition of

> play.

> Game is a set of rules and/or conditions established by a community and

> intended as a bounded space for play.

> Play is any pastime with a primary goal of self-guided exploration of

> possibility within a bounded space.

> I'd argue that Passage falls firmly under this definition of game.

> --

> Corvus Elrod, Zakelro Story Studio

> Studio: www.zakelro.com, Blog: corvus.zakelro.com

> www.linkedin.com/in/corvuse, twitter.com/CorvusE

>

>

> On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 9:21 PM, Nic Colley <Nic.Colley at cpcc.edu> wrote:

>>

>> For those not aware of the game Passage, you can download it here.

>> http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/passage/

>>

>> Hmm. Using Passage as the example now, wouldn't this be more classified as

>> an experiance/art and not as a game? Yes fun is to broad to be in the

>> definition of a game, but there still should be something that alludes to it

>> as most people play games for that very purpose.

>>

>> I guess I need to ask what is your definition of play? Is it just the mere

>> interaction that denotes "play"?

>>

>> For me, play can be defined with one's enjoyment and pleasure with an

>> activity.

>>

>>

>> ________________________________

>> From: Ian Schreiber [ai864 at yahoo.com]

>> Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 11:46 PM

>> To: IGDA Game Education Listserv

>> Subject: Re: [game_edu] Definition of a Game

>>

>> Note that "play" is different from "fun." Jason Rohrer's Passage is not

>> fun, but it is most definitely a game, and a play activity.

>>

>> - Ian

>>

>> ________________________________

>> From: Nic Colley <Nic.Colley at cpcc.edu>

>> To: IGDA Game Education Listserv <game_edu at igda.org>

>> Sent: Mon, December 7, 2009 11:22:46 PM

>> Subject: Re: [game_edu] Definition of a Game

>>

>> I have to agree with you there Peter. Some interesting discussions have

>> occured.

>>

>> The reason I asked the question was to see if anyone had/is incorporating

>> the word fun/enjoyable into the definition. When I saw the post from Susan,

>> I was delighted and suprised to see the word "play" in it. Fun and enjoymnet

>> are to broad in the definition alone. Let alone the fact that fun is like

>> art, no real consistent definition. I have come across some definitions that

>> almost define a game but in the end only define an application like Excel.

>> ________________________________________

>> From: Peter Border [pborder at msbcollege.edu<mailto:pborder at msbcollege.edu>]

>> Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 5:12 PM

>> To: IGDA Game Education Listserv

>> Subject: Re: [game_edu] Definition of a Game

>>

>> OTOH, I have found that just writing the question on the board makes for

>> an interesting class discussion- also a nice introduction to the whole

>> program.

>>

>> Peter Border

>> Game and Application Design Coordinator

>> Globe University/Minnesota School of Business

>> 1401 West 76th St

>> Richfield, MN 55423

>> pborder at msbcollege.edu<mailto:pborder at msbcollege.edu>

>> ________________________________________

>> From: game_edu-bounces at igda.org<mailto:game_edu-bounces at igda.org>

>> [game_edu-bounces at igda.org<mailto:game_edu-bounces at igda.org>] On Behalf Of

>> Ian Schreiber [ai864 at yahoo.com<mailto:ai864 at yahoo.com>]

>> Sent: Monday, December 07, 2009 4:03 PM

>> To: IGDA Game Education Listserv

>> Subject: Re: [game_edu] Definition of a Game

>>

>> There is no single definition. Salen & Zimmerman's "Rules of Play" lists

>> no less than nine (including its own), and also includes a discussion of why

>> all definitions are bound to be flawed. Our Curriculum Framework offers a

>> tenth definition, which came from me just throwing something at the wall and

>> no one speaking up to shoot it down :)

>> There's no "official" IGDA definition that I know of, other than that.

>>

>> - Ian

>>

>> ________________________________

>> From: Nic Colley <Nic.Colley at cpcc.edu<mailto:Nic.Colley at cpcc.edu>>

>> To: IGDA Game Education Listserv

>> <game_edu at igda.org<mailto:game_edu at igda.org>>

>> Sent: Mon, December 7, 2009 12:24:46 PM

>> Subject: [game_edu] Definition of a Game

>>

>> I am curious to see what everyone's definition of a game. Also is there a

>> one that the igda has?

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>>

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