What do you think a game is?

[McJobless]

I've asked many people, and the answers always surprised and interest me.

I wrote my own answer on another forum, and so I copy/pasted it into an RTF and uploaded it as an attachment here. Word of warning, it's 2000 words long. It covers a bit of human psychology if you're interested in that.

So, what do you think games are?

[Ad Bot]

[tails]

It's something that's interactive.

[mus]

A game is a challenge that humans put themselves through to test the limits themselves.

That statement works for both video games and sports, like soccer, because humans are both times challenging themselves to keep their mental state heightened, but not in a way that is necessarily educational, as to not bore them. It's a challenge humans (or animals; primitive game concepts have been discovered in them, as far as I know) put themselves through to either show off or show their own limits.

If you're playing a game like soccer, or even a game like Call of Duty, you're showing off your skills and at the same time proving to yourself that you're able to achieve tasks rapidly, like shooting an enemy or kicking a goal. It's plain and simple, but that's just my theory.

[McJobless]

It's something that's interactive.

So punching a teacher or emptying the dishwasher is a game?

A game is a challenge that humans put themselves through to test the limits themselves.

I wouldn't say testing their limits, because not everybody is playing games to see how far they can go. It's one possible goal, but I think games are more about teaching and giving people a chance to better their skills, so that they can then demonstrate how far they can go in not just the game itself, but other places.

[mus]

So punching a teacher or emptying the dishwasher is a game?
I wouldn't say testing their limits, because not everybody is playing games to see how far they can go. It's one possible goal, but I think games are more about teaching and giving people a chance to better their skills, so that they can then demonstrate how far they can go in not just the game itself, but other places.

"Testing their limits" as in, testing their abilities. For instance, you're playing Call of Duty to get better, or you're playing it to be the top of the game. You're showing off the abilities you have, which you test by playing the game.

[tails]

So punching a teacher or emptying the dishwasher is a game?

Man it's like everything is a game man.

A game is a challenge that humans put themselves through to test the limits themselves.

This doesn't work, I Adore proteus and that has no challenge at all.

[foulprairiedog]

An interactive experience intended for entertainment.
thosere some long-ass words goddamn

[otto-san]

A video game is nothing more than a medium of entertainment. It seeks to achieve the same thing as a movie or a book, to connect with the player/viewer/reader using the medium's unique advantages and provide a pleasant 'escape' from reality. (they are also a media art, but i don't look at games as an art form so much as others may)

Video games have the advantage of interactive-ness, most obviously. More importantly, games make the player feel like their interactions are actually meaningful, which can be as simple as a scored point or as complex as a dynamic storyline.

Just like movies, television, or other entertainment, games can exist in a variety of ways and fashions for all different kinds of players. One player may like games that challenge them, another may like games that let them 'live another life', some may just want a game to make them feel like a god.

What makes a game fun, ultimately, is all on the individual player.

[McJobless]

A video game is nothing more than a medium of entertainment.

The same was said about books, paintings, TV and more. The problem is that not enough developers are trying to take games to the next level, and most are instead treating them like they're childish playthings, which is completely not true.

[otto-san]

The same was said about books, paintings, TV and more.

Those are media of entertainment, just like video games.

I'm not making a statement about current developers or where the video game industry stands, I was just saying what video games are: Entertainment. I'm not sure if the other things you said are really relevant to that, because games are still entertainment, regardless of if the developers are doing their best with what they know and can use in modern time.

[McJobless]

I was just saying what video games are: Entertainment. I'm not sure if the other things you said are really relevant to that.

My whole argument in that 2000 word rtf is that games teach, and through teaching is how they entertain, but games are not solely made just to dazzle people and "keep them occupied" for a few hours. I recently did a successful speech comparing the Australian Education System to Video Games and I concluded that video games would be more successful at teaching students that the current methods we use.

I mean, I might be making an argument out of nothing here since you're probably not disagreeing with me at this point, but this is one of those subjects I get pretty emotional about. We all have one topic which we care deeply for.

[otto-san]

but this is one of those subjects I get pretty emotional about. We all have one topic which we care deeply for.

I agree.

I can definitely see what you're saying when you talk about games teaching. That's getting into actual design of games. I guess that's what this topic is really about? In that case, teaching is definitely an element of game design, but definitely not the only one. There are still visual and audio cues (imagine a game that's completely silent. hearing is a powerful sense), decision-making, etc. Combining all the elements together well is what makes a game fun and entertaining. But it's all up to the individual player. Regardless of how well put-together and well-executed a game is, not everyone will like it simply because people enjoy different things.

but games are not solely made just to dazzle people and "keep them occupied" for a few hours.

The dazzling thing only applies when you look at games as art, you're right. I don't really look at games as "people make them to X", though. I look at it more simply: "games exist to X". I don't care too much about the psychology behind creating games. I'm mostly interested on how games affect the psychology of the player.

on another note, i don't think this is really an argument. it's just a discussion, and we both clearly have pretty strong opinions about the subject. that's what makes it interesting

edit:
I'm beginning to realise more and more that asking people this question can reveal a lot about what they enjoy in a game. For instance, I said I thought meaningful decisions were one of the most important elements of a game, because I value games that involve a lot of decisions, like SimCity, OpenTTD, Civ 5, more complex RPGs, and so on. I also mention challenge a lot, because I also like it when games require a degree of mastery.

[McJobless]

I can definitely see what you're saying when you talk about games teaching. That's getting into actual design of games. I guess that's what this topic is really about?

Admittedly, yeah. I find it a little hard to distinguish the two after a year of studying :/

In that case, teaching is definitely an element of game design, but definitely not the only one. There are still visual and audio cues (imagine a game that's completely silent. hearing is a powerful sense), decision-making, etc. Combining all the elements together well is what makes a game fun and entertaining. But it's all up to the individual player. Regardless of how well put-together and well-executed a game is, not everyone will like it simply because people enjoy different things.

A very good point. I probably should have made it a bigger section, because personal context changes how we interpret patterns and decides what we enjoy, hate and how we respond to everything.

As far as the audio/visual stuff, they have a lot of importance, but we need to make sure they're complimenting the gameplay, not overtaking it. I know I don't really like isometric games (there's a few exceptions) and so I usually avoid them, so any good game designer who wants to have a popular career would probably need to pull a Rare and cover as many genres as possible.

The dazzling thing only applies when you look at games as art, you're right. I don't really look at games as "people make them to X", though. I look at it more simply: "games exist to X". I don't care too much about the psychology behind creating games. I'm mostly interested on how games affect the psychology of the player.

I have an interest in both, which is why I'm now trying to pick up a course in Game User Research, but I have been pretty focused on the psychology of creating games thus far.

I'd certainly like to see a lot of devs try and answer "My game exists to X". That would put a lot in perspective.

on another note, i don't think this is really an argument. it's just a discussion, and we both clearly have pretty strong opinions about the subject. that's what makes it interesting

I appreciate it. A lot of the time I get shot down by people who don't really care about game theory and just make games "to look cool".

I'm beginning to realise more and more that asking people this question can reveal a lot about what they enjoy in a game. For instance, I said I thought meaningful decisions were one of the most important elements of a game, because I value games that involve a lot of decisions, like SimCity, OpenTTD, Civ 5, more complex RPGs, and so on. I also mention challenge a lot, because I also like it when games require a degree of mastery.

I'm a little different. I'm into a lot of artsy games like Bioshock, Bastion, Transistor, Minecraft, Contrast etc. That said, I love my RPGs that allow to build up my own character like KotORII, Planescape: Torment and Mass Effect and some other stuff. Hell, I loved Heavy Rain.

I don't think there will ever be a "perfect" game that everybody will enjoy, but that's okay.

[Planr]

Something meant to entertain by immersing you in the experience by letting you make the decisions. Simple.

[SquartleTurtle]

its something you do to ignore your diabetic baby that has mental crying syndrome