In defence of The Game

Wladek · 2010-07-08T15:18:25Z

A game is a structured activity, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool.... Key components of games are goals, rules, challenge, and interaction. Games generally involve mental or physical stimulation, and often both. Many games help develop practical skills, serve as a form of exercise, or otherwise perform an educational, simulational, or psychological role. This quote, from the now central expression of cultural definition, wikipedia, sums up a brief understanding of the definition of a game. There has been for a while, since I became involved in this hobby really, the idea that what we do is not 'a game' but something else. From this brief introductionary definition I find no problem in finding these key components present in what we do, so why do we have a problem defining it as a game? I write this now as I unabashedly state that I am 'a gamer'. I live in a world of games and I engage in the playing of them frequently and seriously. Does this make me sad? Perhaps so, but it is a pejorative that does not concern me. But what does this playing of them 'seriously' mean? Does it mean I am obsessed with winning? Well I do like to win, but no it does not. Winning a game is not what drives me play them, playing the game itself is the motivation. This motivation leads me to want my games to be an immersive experience, so that playing them is worthwhile. I seek for the best games to make my experience of playing them better, and constantly seek ways to make the games I play better still. This does not automatically make me desire realism in my games, for not all games have realism as in important element, I want a different experience when playing Cluedo to when I play Hearts of Iron. So how does this relate to this airsoft malarkey? Well firstly what I want from my game of airsoft differs depending on the game. All games are, to me, inherently social activities (even computer games I can only really be bothered if I can play with someone else) so in the first instance I am only really interested in playing with 'friends'. In this particular scene it is the people that make WWII airsoft so enjoyable, and the reason I attend so many games so frequently. Likewise when I attend an open day I only have the interest in doing so when meeting up with these friends. For these open days what I desire from this game is covered by this, simply playing with these friends is all I desire from the day â€“ like playing Risk with friends, the game is always going to be rubbish, but the friends you are playing it with makes it worthwhile. The crux of this point, and at this point essay, is how does this seriousness for games effect my view of WWII airsoft? Here the game itself it an important part for me. Though you lovely people are the 'reason' I play it, my seriousness for games make me want more from it then simply shooting guns with friends. I desire to be immersed in the period and the situation, I want to feel like I am taking part in the tactics of the time and, to some degree, experiencing this world. To me it is the challenge inherent in the game (of overcoming the obstacles of the opposition) confined within it's rules (that force our fair play, period attire, and structure) that creates this immersion for me. If we lacked this game element, this challenge, then I feel that so much of the immersion would be lost. A blank fire battle without even the noise. Without 'the game' there is not much so far as I can see, so why the need to re-label what we do? We haven't changed the activity, it still contains these definitions and I hope it will continue to so. Is it because a game is considered something ephemeral? Something that one picks up and puts down at leisure without ever being truly 'involved' with it? Or is it that we see games as childish, and we wish to be perceived as (like a 13 year old with a stuffed bra and make-up) grown up? To all these I say, pish Sir! We can be as involved in any game as any event, and we can involve ourselves with this game, taking how it is played and the experience this creates, seriously. We haven't changed what we do, so why change this word. If people see us as childish for playing this game, then let them, I care not. If people perceive themselves as childish for playing, then if you will forgive the wittery, grow up. Let us not shun this word, but let us embrace it. Let us strike forward from the secure supply base that we play this game and continue to improve what we do. Let us not pretend to improve what we do by re-labelling it, non of us fall for it in politics, why should we here. In summary (and for those who have skipped to the end 'hello'): let us not strive to move beyond playing games, let us strive to play better games. Thank you madam speaker.