IAT 210 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Formal System, Resource Management, Greg Costikyan

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IAT 210 - Textbook - Chapter 3
Play & Game
Play & games have complex relationship
Play is both smaller & larger term than “game” depending on way it is framed
In one sense, play is larger term including game as subset, in another, reverse is true -
diff relationships
Relationship one - games are subset of play
Some forms of play formalized & forms of play can often be considered
games
Relationship two - play is a component of games
Experience of play is but one of many ways of looking at & understanding
games
w/i larger phenomenon of games, play of game represents one aspect of
games
Although play is crucial element of larger concept of games, play is
subject of game
Pairing of terms represents more conceptual approach situating play &
games w/i field of game design
Comparing Definitions
One challenge of understanding term “game- has so many uses
For our purposes, only single subset of all possible meanings of “game” relevant -
category of games proper, category including board games, card games, sports,
computer games, similar activities
Definition 1 - David Parlett
Provides model for understanding games
Distinguishes b/w formal & informal games
Informal - undirected play/”playing around”
Formal game - has twofold structure based on ends & means
Ends - contest to achieve objective, only one of contenders can achieve it
since achieving it ends game
To achieve object is to win
Formal game, by definition, has winner & winning is “end” of game in both
sense of word
Means - has agreed set of equipment & of procedural “rules” by which
equipment manipulated to produce winning situation
Both components - idea of winning & idea of doing so by means of ryles - key ideas in
defining games & in distinguishing them from other, less “formal” kinds of play
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