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Disclaimer: This is a simplified and a little less dry/academic version of my dissertation. If anyone falls asleep while reading this, well, just be glad you didn't read the original.
Most people play games for leisure; they play games because they are fun. Anyone with a peanut-sized brain could tell you that, but here's the difficult part: what exactly is fun? Or at least, what is the definition of "fun" in the context of videogames? The problem in determining this is that videogames are not, or no longer simple rules-based games similar to that of other gaming forms: sports, board games, et al. Instead, they have evolved into a highly narrative-based structure with complex plots, cinematic atmospheres, and lovable characters; all of which are similar in design to that of film and other audio/visual media. Therefore, we have two ways to analyze videogames: videogames as games (ludology) and videogames as narrative (narratology).
The most definitive experience of videogames is, of course, interactivity. Obviously, how a player interacts with a videogame greatly affects his or her notion of whether the game is fun or not. The measuring of interactivity in ludology equates to our capacity to play, while in narratology it is our capacity to immerse into the story. Play is predominantly ruled by a set of game rules and algorithmic patterns. Examples of this: piece movement in a game of chess, rules in a sports game like soccer, or even class abilities in Tactical RPGs. Knowledge of these rules and patterns lead gamers to develop strategies in order to win. This is the basic concept of play; gamers play games in order to have a definitive experience of success in a competitive environment. This, in turn, creates a social aspect to the game, as well as a system of performance evaluation. This is even evident in single player games, take for instance platformers like Super Mario World where the competitive nature is not always to beat someone else but to beat the level and get bragging rights for difficult accomplishments. This may all seem like just a meaningless mechanical way to look at how games and players interact with one another; however, purpose in these activities is injected via narrative. Sometimes, the purpose narrative tries to convey does not always go over smoothly; many would argue that narrative in games only seek to hinder the gaming experience. Such are the complaints of long cutscenes in the Xenosaga series and Metal Gear Solid series, yet these are some of the most popular games out in the market today. Keep in mind that when I say narrative I don't just mean the full-blown script of a Final Fantasy title, but also the narrative that is found in even the most simplistic games. Take for example, chess: two nations waging war with their armies. In an extreme case, Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov could be retelling the story of communist Russia through his game. Tetris follows that "as long as everybody falls in line we'll all be safe." The concept here is not only the ability of games to tell stories in the form of linear and readable text, but also the ability to let gamers actively partake in story-making and discovery; Elder Scroll games are a perfect example of this. Even Final Fantasy is a good example, as gamers do have their own interpretations of each story and not all gamers' experiences will be the same. The meaning that these interpretations hold usually come with some emotional weight derived from our own personal narratives. This can definitely be a huge factor for "what is fun" in videogames, as the emotional core is much more associated with humanity than, say, the mechanical nature of gameplay. But just because it is something that is more true to human sensibilities, does not mean this is the reason why people play games.
So, I still have not answered my own question, and I certainly don't intend to answer it this week. Instead, I would like to see what others have to say about this before I put up my own findings which are based on my research, observations as people play, and a focus group discussion I moderated. So think about it: is it our nature to satisfy our competitive spirit or is it the purpose-injected narratives that drive us to play videogames?
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