Play – experience and pleasure

1. Play – experience and pleasure second order design

2. Experience • definitions • an event lived through – “I just drove home in the storm - that was quite an experience.” • participation that provides practical knowledge – “He has experience with several versions of linux.” • apprehension of something through senses or in the mind – “If you spin around fast, you will experience vertigo.” COSC 4126 play - meaning

3. Experiencing video games – Sutton-Smith, 1986 • visual scanning – visual perception of screen, parts and whole • auditory input – listening for game event sounds and signals • motor response – physical manipulation of game controls • concentration – focus on play • learning patterns – becoming familiar with game structure perception action cognition COSC 4126 play - meaning

4. Experience he missed… • Emotional response to meaning • Social interaction with other players COSC 4126 play - meaning

5. 1 2 4 3 6 5 Experience as part of game system • input – from game output • output – to game input • internal decision-making process designing “experience” is second-order design COSC 4126 play - meaning

6. Core mechanicdominant repeated play activity • examples • Donkey Kong – joy stick plus jump button to maneuver • Quake – move, aim, fire, manage resources • tag – chase and tag, evade • baseball – large collection of skills and strategies COSC 4126 play - meaning

7. Core mechanic of Breakoutan Atari 2600 classic • descendant of first video game, pong • move paddle left and right to intercept ball bouncing around the game space • goal: • remove bricks by hitting with ball • two screens to clear COSC 4126 play - meaning

8. Core mechanic of Breakout • creation of meaning: • breakout physics • side and brick bounces ‘reflect’ intuitively • paddle has five reflecting surfaces to be ‘learned’ • skills to acquire • tactics to learn • breakout – get ‘above’ bricks early • cleanup – hit final few bricks vertically COSC 4126 play - meaning

9. 1 2 4 3 6 5 Variations on the core mechanic • timed play • minimize time to clear two screens • Breakthru • bounce goes through bricks COSC 4126 play - meaning

10. 1 2 4 3 6 5 More variations • steering paddle • effects ball in flight • stick paddle • ‘catch’ and release ball from paddle • invisible bricks • appear when one is hit • (12) combinations of variants COSC 4126 play - meaning

11. Extensions of Breakout • Atari Super Breakout sequel • many levels • more than one ball in play • descending bricks • Nintendo Alleyway • gaps in brick wall – more frequent breakout • distinct ‘hit’ sounds during breakout • progression of behaviour by level • other variations – complex bricks that take several hits to eliminate COSC 4126 play - meaning

12. CentipedeComplex decision making space invaders style game • core mechanic – move and shoot • horizontal + limited vertical movement (20%) • ‘single shot’ firing – one shot on screen at once • targets • five elements with distinct behaviour • objects interact, some threaten shooter • feedback loops in population • behaviour means decisions are tradeoffs COSC 4126 play - meaning

13. 1 2 4 3 6 5 So why is this fun? Constraint • L.S. Vygotsky, 1976: “Play continually creates demands on the [player] to act against immediate impulse, i.e., to act on the line of most resistance.” • pleasure delayed and constrained is pleasure enhanced, S & Z, p.330 COSC 4126 play - meaning

14. Constraint and... • rules – restrict play, enhance pleasure by inefficiency • free play – rules restrict the space of activity and ‘resist’ play • lusory attitude – self control by acceptanc eof aritificial system • stylized behaviour – dramatic, ritualistic sense of belonging COSC 4126 play - meaning

15. 1 2 4 3 6 5 So why is this fun? Autotelic • Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,1991 (Chicks send me highly) games are (mainly) non-utiliatarian games provide their own intrinsic and artificial goals COSC 4126 play - meaning

16. Types of pleasure, LeBlanc, 1999examples? • sensation – game as sense-pleasure • fantasy – game as make-believe • narrative – game a drama • challenge – game as obstacle course • fellowship – game as social framework • discovery – game as uncharted territory • expression – game as self-discovery • submission – game as masochism COSC 4126 play - meaning

17. Types of ‘coginitive arousal’,Apter, 1991 examples? • exposure to arousing stimulation • fiction and narrative – character identification • challenge • exploration • negativism – rule breaking • cognitive synergy – imaginative play • facing danger – risk within magic circle COSC 4126 play - meaning

18. Others from ‘play’ definition • Callois • challenge, risk, mimicry, vertigo • Sutton-Smith • concentration, visual scanning, audio, actions, learning patterns COSC 4126 play - meaning

19. Flow - Csikszentmihalyi COSC 4126 play - meaning