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