Gameness of Games

Video games, board games, card games, roll-playing games, play-ground games and so on. There are countless numbers of games to be played and a large variety of consoles and devices to be played on. Bernard Suits states, 'Playing a game is the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles!' (McGonigal, 2011, P.22) When we play games we are coming to do voluntary hard work, work we enjoy doing, unlike work in real-life.

There are four defining traits of games; a goal, rules, a feedback system and voluntary participation. The ability to win is not a necessary trait of games. (McGonigal, 2011) Tetris, one of the most popular computer games of all time is the perfect example of a game in which you cannot win. If you play tetris you are always guaranteed to loose, so why it is so addictive? Many gamers do not wish to win the games they play, 'in high feedback games, such as Tetris, 'the value of being intensely engaged may ultimately be more pleasurable than even the satisfaction of winning.' (McGonigal, 2011, P.25) Gamers would rather work at playing a game rather than be entertained. This is why gamers spend less time watching television and more time playing games. (McGonigal, 2011)

'There are two different kinds of games: finite games, which we play to win, and infinite games, which we play in order to keep playing as long as possible.' (McGonigal, 2011, P.25) 'Jack-Change-It' is an example of a finite card game, once a player has gotten rid of all their cards they are the winner and the game is over. 'The Sims' is an example of an infinite computer game, the game has no end so the player keeps on playing because they enjoy the game.

Games have the ability to make us feel happier. 'A game is an opportunity to focus our energy, with relentless optimism, at something we're good at and enjoy.' (McGonigal, 2011, P.28) Games today are addictive and mood-boosting, which make them extremely popular. We feel more satisfaction with ourselves from doing hard work in games than doing work in real life.

Finally, 'the most primal emotional rush we can experience is called 'fiero." (McGonigal, 2011, P. 33) The Italian word for 'Pride', fiero is the emotion we feel after we triumph. It is extremely powerful in producing motivation for hard work. The bigger and harder the obstacle is to overcome, the more powerful and intense the fiero. (McGonigal, 2011) 

Bibliography
McGonigal, J., (2011), 'Reality is Broken, Why games make us better and how they can change the world, Penguin Press HC