[arg_discuss] ARGs, games or not?

[Brian Clark]

"Player performs an action, action is judged, player receives
feedback/rewards based on performance."

Get it, but doesn't that make everything a game and the whole argument
collapse in a heap of post-modernism?

Student takes a test, the test is graded, and the student receives a grade
based upon their performance.

Terrorists attack us, we think that sucks, so we invade a country that
harbors them.

"I have two ultimate points: First, if someone says "game", I think
that's appropriate."

Absolutely. I take a psycho-social approach: all group interaction becomes a
form of gameplay. That's human nature.

"And second, I for one am interested in exploring more game-like aspects of
this...medium. Thing."

So is that something different than this other stuff people are talking
about that aren't using game in their definition? 

-----Original Message-----
From: arg_discuss-bounces at igda.org [mailto:arg_discuss-bounces at igda.org] On
Behalf Of John Evans
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 3:59 PM
To: Discussion list of the IGDA ARG SIG
Subject: [arg_discuss] ARGs, games or not?


>From: Brian Clark <bclark at gmdstudios.com>

>Next problem ... global economic crisis! Solve as an ARG community crisis

>problem! Discuss!


So...SuperStruct?


>From: Brian Clark <bclark at gmdstudios.com>

>So the only consensus we really have is that whatever this, it isn't

"game",

>eh? Haven't seen anyone just tag something on game ... like "platformless

>gaming". 


Well, hold on there. Personally, I tend to think of them as games, but
that might be because of my own interest in all things game-ish.
There are many definitions of "game" but let me pull one out of my...
brain: "Player performs an action, action is judged, player receives
feedback/rewards based on performance." There's also the voluntary/
magic circle stuff that is very important but not to this discussion.

So, using that definition, any sort of "interaction" could be thought
of as a "game". If you just have, say, story elements provided over
different types of media...that's less of a game and more storytelling,
but if you have people contributing, then it's more game-like.
Superstruct appears to be quite game-like, with points and "badges"
awarded for players who contribute.

I have two ultimate points: First, if someone says "game", I think
that's appropriate. And second, I for one am interested in exploring
more game-like aspects of this...medium. Thing.

--
John Evans
Chaoseed Software - http://chaoseed.com

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