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Play is in our blood.
I remember playing a game of tag and felt like the park was full of opportunities to evade from "It". What makes me feel like my friends are competitors at that moment? Why do I feel different when I'm "It"? Why do people team up against someone who is powerful in a game?
It's all fun and games until the theories come into play.
J. Huizinga, a Dutch historian, defines play in his book Homo Ludens as "a free activity standing quite consciously outside 'ordinary' life as being 'not serious,' but at the same time absorbing the player intensely and utterly."
French anthropologist Roger Caillois extends Huizinga's play definition as an activity being the following:
free
separate
uncertain
unproductive
governed by rules
make-believe
The fewer the goals and restrictions (such as an open-world game), the more it represents an unstructured and spontaneously playful activity known as paidia. The more structured with explicit rules and with more narrative and goals to it, the more the world acts as ludus.
Caillois isn't done yet.
In the world of play, Caillois explains that there are four different types of games:
Let's put this into perspective. Whenever you play soccer (agon), there's a chance that you may get to start with the ball via the coin toss (alea). Because your soccer team is the Giants, your head coach made you look, feel, and act like a giant (mimicry) against your opponents. Your soccer team is unique though; the way your team plays is kicking the ball and doing backflips and also extending your body our during slide tackles that no other team or soccer player could do (ilinx).
Here are more practical examples for each category, which may also classify as another category:
racing (agon)
roulette (alea)
a game of tag (mimicry)
swinging, skiing, aerobatics (ilinx)
Caillois Explained
Dr. Lori Landay from the Berklee College of Music explains Caillois's work in games and play in the link here.
When it comes to explaining why you play video games or what it is about gaming that interests you, understand that these elements of play let us feel as if we aren't bound by anything other than imagination. When two imaginations align when creating a game, then there is this opportunity for you two to create something that makes sense.
From there, you (the game developer) build the rules and create the boundaries that benefit the world of play. No matter how simple or complex it may be, as long as there's an objective and a feeling of accomplishment, it can go a long way to being recognized. Game on! :)
Game on,
Jox, Jox Digital Educator
info@jox.digital
A Jox Thought: With the onset of sports leagues getting back to practice in preparation for their revised 2020 schedule, I wonder what the players will do to spend their time off the court or field. This may leave them to get crafty and play video games in hotel rooms.
We've even seen Packers' Aaron Jones playing on his PS4 when his girlfriend was in the delivery room.
To the players, be safe and game on!
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