Classic Game Definition CMPS 80K Winter 2006 Prof. Jim Whitehead January 9, 2006
Goal for this Lecture Describe Juul s classic game definition Poke at this definition by examining several borderline games Why bother? By understanding what is generally considered to be a game, it points in the direction of how to make new kinds of games. Provides a framework for analyzing games That is, it gives you interesting questions you can ask about games
Play Children often play, a free-form activity that is mostly not rule-based A child playing with dolls, trains, trucks, blocks, running around with friends Often some rules: that baby is sleeping (so don t wake it) Sometimes fixed goals: building a specific structure (fire station for a fire truck) But, mostly marked by fluidity of rules and goals (little minds are fickle)
Games vs Play Games are distinguished from play Play is free-form Games are rule-based The rules structure the activity, and make it possible to repeat it
Classic Game Definition Jesper Juul s Classic Game Definition, Half-real, 2005, pp. 36. 1. Rules Games are rule-based. 2. Variable, quantifiable outcome Games have variable, quantifiable outcomes. 3. Valorization of outcome The different potential outcomes of the game are assigned different values, some positive and some negative
Classic Game Definition 4. Player effort The player exerts effort in order to influence the outcome (games are challenging). 5. Player attached to outcome The player is emotionally attached to the outcome of the game in the sense that a player will be winner and happy in case of a positive outcome, but a loser and unhappy in case of a negative outcome. 6. Negotiable consequences The same game [set of rules] can be played with or without real-life consequences
Rules Well defined / unambiguous So they can be programmed on a computer So that players do not have to argue about them every time they play Tendency for non-computer games to trend towards decreased ambiguity Over time, misunderstandings about rules are raised, discussed, then eliminated Unambiguous game rules makes them a natural for implementation on a computer
Rules (cont d) Rules require that players submit to the rules Players agree to abide by the rules, because it makes the game activity possible. In computer games, this is a given the game just doesn t work any other way For non-computer games, the players are executing the rules of the games, and must do so faithfully That is, people are the hardware, and the rules are the software
Variable, Quantifiable Outcome Quantifiable outcome: Game has different end states Tic-tac-toe: can end up with three-in-a-row, or a mixed board Super Mario Bros: many ways to lose a life, or can make it through to the end Outcome of the game is designed to be beyond discussion Goal of Pac-Man is to get a high score, not move in a pretty way Specification of outcomes tends towards preciseness and away from ambiguity over time (like rules)
Variable, Quantifiable Outcome Variable outcome: the end state for a given player is in doubt Tic-tac-toe with expert players does not have a variable outcome An expert player vs a beginning player in Chess or Go does not have a variable outcome (need a handicapping scheme) But, what about a player that has solved a game like Adventure for the Atari 2600? Juul: It is still a game, but no longer qualifies as a game activity
Valorization of Outcome Valorize: to give or assign a value to Some of the possible outcomes of a game are better than others Tic-tac-toe: 3-in-a-row is better than all other outcomes, and is the winning state Super Mario Bros: going all the way to the end is much better than losing a life Players are generally assigned conflicting positive outcomes Tic-tac-toe: one player must have 3 X in a row, the other must have 3 O in a row Positive outcomes generally harder to achieve than negative outcomes This is what makes a game challenging If losing a life in Super Mario Bros was a good thing, the game would be pretty easy
Valorization vs Quantifiable Outcomes Quantifiable outcome: the various outcomes can be precisely enumerated Super Mario Bros: you get to the end, or you lose a life But, no values given to the outcomes. They are all just outcomes. Valorized outcome: each of the outcomes is given a value, good or bad. Now, some outcomes are better than others.
Player Effort Games are challenging, or games contain a conflict Players actions can influence the state of the game, and the game s outcome A player needs to work to win a game
Player attached to outcome The player is emotionally attached to the outcome of the game A player feels genuinely happy if they win, unhappy or angry if they lose Seems to not be related to effort Players are still happy winning games of chance A player is considered to be a spoilsport if they refuse to seek enjoyment in winning, or refuse to be unhappy when they lose
Negotiable Consequences Games can optionally have real-world consequences Poker: Can play this game without betting real money. Once money is bet, the game has real-world consequences. Can negotiate consequences: Play-by-play (bet on each play of a game) Location-by-location (entering a casino means the games are for money) Person-to-person (playing golf with Fred is always for money, but with Jack is always for fun)
Negotiable consequences Border case: games that use weapons Example: fencing, boxing In this case, the conventions of the game are to avoid serious injury Still, hard to argue that boxing would ever have any non-negotiable real-world consequences For video games, at least, real-world consequences are negotiable No self-destruct joysticks yet