Defining games

A game can be defined as a set of elements  working together that enables a person to have an experience through interaction with it. The aim is for the player to have a good or fun experience and to do this it is generally agreed that a game should include the following concepts:(Schell.J 2008) -

"Games

- are entered willfully

- have a goal

- have conflict

- have rules

- can be won or lost

- are interactive

- have challenge

- create their own internal value

- engage the players

- are closed, formal systems

This is based on theory developed by Chris Crawford. He discusses what a game is by asking questions and identifying what a game is not e.g.:-

 -a movie is not a game as you don't interact with it, 

 - a toy can be played with/ you can interact with it but it is not a game because there are no      goals. 

 - A rubic cubic whilst having a goal and a challenge is not a game as it has no competitors.(Stevens, M. 2013)

The diagram below shows Chris Crawford's logic tree on the definition of what a game is.

(MMORPG.com. 2013)

bibliography

MMORPG.com. (2013). Chris Crawford's definition of a game. [online] Available at: http://forums.mmorpg.com/discussion/380397/chris-crawfords-definition-of-a-game [Accessed 26 Apr. 2016].

Schell, J. (2008). The art of game design. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Morgan Kaufmann.

Stevens, M. (2013). Why Do We Play Games?. [online] Vsauce/YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5jDspIC4hY [Accessed 26 Apr. 2016].