05 Pleasure, Pain and Play

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05 Pleasure, Pain and Play
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Fishy for Allhttp//www.xgenstudios.com/play/f
ishyclassic
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Exercise Gaming Pleasure and PainBrief
Individually (no conferring), write down in the
first column as many things as you can think of
that you enjoy about digital games. Record in the
second column as many aspects of digital games
that you dislike. Then seal your list inside the
envelope provided, and put your initials on the
front. NB This is a difficult exercise. Well
return to the envelopes at the end of the session.
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Exercise Plenary? How was Fishy?
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Aesthetics? Huizinga we must attend to the
players experience? Aesthetics 2 senses (1)
Ancient Greek perceived by the senses
(scientific) e.g. how do we experience
sight, hearing, taste, etc? (2) 18th Century
artistic taste (artistic) e.g. what makes
a good piece of art, music, TV? e.g. why do
we like certain films, plays, games?
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Gaming Aesthetics? why are games fun?? why
do we enjoy playing games?? what makes one game
more enjoyable than another?
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Media AestheticsGames are similar to other
media ? TV film visual spectacle, exciting
action, sound effects and music e.g. DOOM ?
Literature tell a story (sometimes) e.g.
Manhunt
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Aesthetics of PlayGames are dissimilar to
other media ? digital games offer distinct,
unique aesthetic pleasures? you dont read, or
watch, or listen to games? game aesthetics
located in play
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Pleasure and Pain? aesthetics of play why
we enjoy games?? 3 theories of pleasure of play
? pleasure and pain of play closely related?
thus, three theories of pain
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Theories of Fun? investigating pleasure or
fun notoriously difficult? 3 theories not
exhaustive or precise? useful theories?
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3 Theories of the Aesthetics of Play(1)
reward(2) flow(3) iteration
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1. Reward? Steven Johnson, Everything Bad
Is Good For You (2005) ? popular culture makes
you smarter? e.g. Sopranos, Matrix,
Desperate Housewives? require more from the
audience ? opens book with games
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Games Not Fun ShockPlaying games is
frequently not fun ? action games playing same
section repeatedly e.g. DOOM II ? strategy
games mechanical repetition e.g.
Civilization? adventure games getting stuck
e.g. Samorost 2 Games thus often painful to play
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So Why Keep Playing?? not the flashy graphics
and sound (cf Fishy) ? not the sex and violence
(cf Fishy) ? games tap into the brains natural
reward circuitry
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Real Life Rewards? immediate rewards we give
ourselves (easy to define) e.g. chocolate,
food, cigarettes, socialising, etc ? long term
rewards (harder to define) e.g. promotion?
e.g. a good grade for your Gaming Journal? ? but
how to get there? background reading (but
what and how much?) thinking about theories
(but how?) applying theories to games (but
how exactly?)
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Gaming Rewards? games provide lots of clearly
defined rewards e.g. more lives, new levels,
power-ups, different guns, extra equipment,
better technology, etc.? always another reward
just round the corner? you keep playing, despite
the pain, for the next reward
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4 Types of Reward? Rewards of Glory no
impact on play, but pleasurable e.g. score,
collectables, cut scenes for completion ?
Rewards of Sustenance character maintenance
e.g. health packs, armour, ammo, carrying sacks ?
Rewards of Access new locations and resources
e.g. keys, lockpicks, passwords ? Rewards of
Facility enhance or new abilities e.g. new
weapons, magic items, technology (Hallford
Hallford, 2002)
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Irrelevant Subject Matter ? human brain is
wired to seek out rewards? the actual reward is
irrelevant? can even be virtual? thus, finding
a key or password is irrelevant? what is
important is that this is a reward? other media
dont provide this
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Fishy ? Reward of Glory the score? has no
impact on the game? you are constantly rewarded
for your success
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Summary ? games often not fun? people keep
playing for the clearly defined rewards? subject
matter of reward is largely irrelevant ? Any
Questions?
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2. Flow ? Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Hungarian
psychologist? Flow The Psychology of Optimal
Experience (1991)? interested in focus and
enjoyment ? discusses diverse activities
chess, rock climbing, playing music
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Flow ? a Zen-like state of total oneness with
the activity? lose track of time, and your sense
of self? total control of your actions, master
of your fate? a feeling of freedom, enjoyment,
fulfillment, skill, focus? exhilarating,
optimal experience? in the zone e.g.
football or rugby e.g. painting
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8 Components of Flow 4 prerequisites of
flow (1) Challenging Activity you must be
actively engaged in an activity, not
passive (2) Clear Goals you must have clear
goals or objectives (3) Clear Feedback must have
clear feedback on how well you are doing (4)
Control in an Uncertain Situation there must be
a chance of failure or degree of doubt
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8 Components of Flow 4 effects of flow (5)
Merging of Action and Awareness you become so
absorbed that activity becomes spontaneous,
automatic (6) Concentration you achieve complete
focus and concentration, no room for
irrelevant information (7) Loss of
Self-Consciousness your sense of self melts
away, not aware of yourself (8) Transformation
of Time your perception of time changes, it
stretches or shrinks
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Flow in Games (1) games are active, not
passive you must play a game(2) clearly defined
goals monsters to kill, keys to find(3) clearly
defined feedback score, health, ammo, etc.(4)
uncertain environment, many factors you dont
control(5) actions become spontaneous
automatic movement(6) total focus and
concentration completely absorbed(7) not aware
of self, just the game play(8) time perception
whole evenings can disappear
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Flow in Games ? flow not unique to games?
games can induce flow particularly well
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Boredom and Anxiety ? so what about the
pain?? Csikszentmihalyi examines challenge and
skill level? if game is too difficult
anxiety? if game is too easy boredom
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(No Transcript)
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Tennis (1) limited skills equal to easy
lessons flow? (2) skills outstrip lessons
boredom(3) lessons outstrip skills
anxiety(4) greater skills equal to greater
demands flow?
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Game Difficulty Levels ? games get harder as
they progress game tries to accommodate your
improving skills? difficulty levels you
adjust levels to optimise own flow
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Fishy ? active not passive? clear goals eat
fish, avoid fish? clear feedback burp sound,
Gulp! screen? control fish in an uncertain
environment (other fish)? movement becomes
spontaneous and automatic ? total focus and
concentration, especially later? lose sense of
self, ignore class? lose track of time
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Summary ? flow is a Zen-like state of total
oneness with the activity? flow has four
prerequisites? flow has four effects? flow is
not unique to games? games can induce flow
particularly well? games that are too
challenging lead to anxiety? games that are too
easy lead to boredom ? Any Questions?
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3. Iteration ? Barry Atkins, The Aesthetics
of Iteration (2003) ? interested in narrative
digital games, e.g. Manhunt? similar to TV and
film, but different too
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Knights of theOld Republic ? a narrative
game ? Jedi Knight? involving story (based
on films)? but what is its unique aesthetic
pleasure?
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Repetition ? Atkins got stuck killed by
Sandpeople on Tatooine? played section over and
over ? from the outside this looks repetitive
and tedious
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Iteration ? not repetitive not exactly the
same? tried something slightly different each
time? not repetition, but iteration? to
iterate to perform an action again, to redo
something, to repeat or renew? repetition with
difference, same-but-different
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Why is Iteration Pleasurable? ? player
derives pleasure from varying their actions? can
see/feel the difference it makes? repetition
with difference gives your actions meaning? you
choose the difference
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Playing is the Difference ? film and TV
passive viewing? novel passive reading?
gaming active playing? option to play again is
what makes games different? playing constant
possibility of doing differently
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• Iterative Possibility ? you are aware of the
  possible consequences of your own actions?
  even if you fail? even if you dont replay a
  section? you are aware of the possibility of
  iteration
• ? this imaginative engagement is pleasurable

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Pleasure and Pain ? dying isnt a problem
(just play again differently)? pain repetition
(tedium, non-imaginative) ? iteration
pleasure? repetition pain
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Just Narrative? ? Atkins discusses only
narrative games? but most games have some
narrative (even Fishy)? his iterative approach
has broader application
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Fishy ? appears repetitive, but is actually
iterative? you vary your actions as you play?
you know if you act differently youll do
better/worse? your actions make a difference
pleasurable
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Summary? game play is iterative because it is
actively played, not passively consumed? good
digital game play is thus iterative, not
repetitive ? aesthetic of play repetition with
difference ? iteration pleasure, repetition
pain ? Any Questions?
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Return of Fishyhttp//www.xgenstudios.com/play
/fishyclassic
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Exercise Reward, Flow Iteration (1) In
your groups apply these three accounts to ? DOOM
II? Civilization II? Samorost 2 Do the three
accounts of the aesthetics of play apply to each
of the Module Games?
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Exercise Reward, Flow Iteration (2) One at
a time, open up your envelopes. In turn, explain
each of the items on your list of pleasures to
the other members of the group. How many of the
items correspond to the three accounts of
pleasure at which weve looked? (3) Next look at
what you have put under pain. Explain each of the
items on your list to the other members of the
group. Do these items result from a lack or
frustration of these three kinds of pleasure? (4)
Are there other pleasures and pains of play?
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Plenary The Module Games ? DOOM II ?
Civilization II ? Samorost 2
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Plenary ? which of the three accounts do you
find convincing? ? what do the three accounts
omit?? are there other pleasures or pains of
play? ? is it possible to account for
pleasure or fun? ? Any Questions?
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• Gaming Journal ? play one or more games
• read background reading on the pleasures of
  play
• describe reward or flow or iteration
• ? apply one of these to your own gaming
  experience explain with examples the pleasure
  of satisfying rewards explain with examples the
  pleasure of flow explain with examples the
  pleasure of iterative possibility

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Gaming Journal Overview? due next week
12.30pm, Friday 09.03.07? http//www.cyberchimp.c
o.uk/U75105/jour.htm ? 4 entries, 1 per week?
1500 words total? spelling and grammar not
assessed ? SAE is you want feedback
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Gaming Journal Referencing 1Use Harvard in
text ? Tyler argues that digital games are great
(2005, p. 7). ? As Tyler argues, digital games
are great (2005, p. 7).? It has been argued
that games are great (Tyler, 2005, p. 7).
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Gaming Journal Referencing 2Use Harvard for
Bibliography/Works Cited/References ? Tyler, Tom
(2005). I Love Digital Games. New York SUNY. ?
Tyler, Tom (2004). Counter-Strike is the Best.
Parallax 15(3), pp. 253-269. ? See (online)
Bibliography for more examples?
http//www.brookes.ac.uk/services/library/resource
s/harvard.doc? Harvard variations info. is
what is important
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Assessment Criteria Playing? see Module
Handbook, p. 12 ? scrape a bare pass play three
digital games? more games better mark? any
games acceptable? must discuss and apply (not
just mention)
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Assessment Criteria Reading? scrape a bare
pass read one text? more texts better mark?
see online Bibliography? must discuss and apply
(not just mention)? perhaps quote (but not from
my PowerPoints)
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Assessment Criteria Describing? Week 1
Wittgenstein on games (family resemblances) ?
Week 3 rhetoric ? Week 4 magic circle and
lusory attitude ? Week 5 reward or flow or
iteration ? each entry concise, succinct, clear
account of concept? demonstrate youve
understood concept? perhaps employ background
reading? no need to assess or evaluate theory or
concept
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Assessment Criteria Applying? most important
part? apply theories to games you have played?
demonstrate you can employ concept, e.g. ? how
did your games demonstrate Wittgensteins
ideas?? how did your particular game illustrate
the magic circle? ? must discuss specific games
and your own experience
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Assessment Criteria Conclusion? doing all
this in 1500 words is difficult? clear and
concise writing is a communication skill ? no
room for waffle
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Further Reading ? Pleasure Salen and
Zimmerman (2004, pp. 328-61) Poole (2000,
Ch8). ? Reward Johnson (2005a, pp. 25-39) Salen
and Zimmerman (2004, pp. 342-50) Hallford and
Hallford (2002) ? Flow Csikszentmihalyi (1991)
Salen and Zimmerman (2004, pp. 336-39, 350-53)
Poole (2000, pp. 168-71) ? Iteration Atkins
(2003b) Salen and Zimmerman (2004, pp. 340-42)