The Nature of Games

Abstract

This paper examines the nature of games and its relation to research, education and entertainment. We discuss the need and importance of having a better definition for the word 'game'. Ideally, such definition should be clear-cut, acceptable across various disciplines and coincide with common use of the word. We arrived at our definition by reexamination of some previous definitions and focusing on the distinctions between 'game' and closely related phenomena. It is suggested that 'game' may be defined as a partially ordered dynamic that has an element of tension ; the structure of games is always a result of conflicting desires. This definition gives insights regarding the value of games for research, education and entertainment. Particularly, we suggest that a measurement for the entertainment of games should be dependant on the number of simultaneous tensions experienced, their degree and duration. We denoted this new fuzzy measurement as tension space. Using this new measurement, seemingly different games can be compared. The tension space is dependant on the game skills and knowledge of a player. We suggest as well, that measuring the communication i.e. the information transferred in a game, is another promising direction for further research. Lastly, we examine the metaphor "life is a game" in light of our new findings.