”Circulation” and ”Interactivity

Abstract

This paper connects “interactivity,” a foundational concept in video game studies, with the notion of “circularity” found in pre–video game theories of play, and clarifies their similarities and differences. It positions the play theories of Buytendijk, Gadamer, and others as “theories of circularity,” and compares them with contemporary definitions of “interactivity” proposed by Smuts, Lopez, and others. On this basis, it identifies as shared elements reciprocal action, the coexistence of controllability and uncontrollability, and dynamically emergent structures. At the same time, it demonstrates the differences between debates on interactivity that seek to delimit what is distinctive about video games and a circular theory of play oriented toward philosophical applications.