Proceedings Article•
Exploring Aesthetic Ideals of Gameplay
01 Jan 2009-Vol. 5, pp 8
TL;DR: The properties and ideals provided provide concepts for how games attribute aesthetical value to gameplay design and how they distinguish their own preferences from inherent qualities of a game artifact.
Abstract: This paper describes a theoretical exploration of aesthetics ideals of gameplay. Starting from observations about the game artifact, several gameplay properties that can affect the aesthetical experience are identified, e.g. tempting challenges, cohesion, and gamer interaction. These properties are then used to describe several aesthetical ideals of gameplay, e.g. emergence, reenactment, meditative, and camaraderie. The properties and ideals provide concepts for how games attribute aesthetical value to gameplay design and how they distinguish their own preferences from inherent qualities of a game artifact.
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TL;DR: In this article, a history of the relation of art to poetry is presented, including the early concepts of art and poetry, as well as the evolution of the concept over time.
Abstract: one. Art: History of the concept.- I. The early concept of art.- II. The transformation in modern times.- III. The fine arts.- IV. New disputes over the scope of art.- V. Disputes over the concept of art.- VI. Renunciation of definition.- VII. An alternative definition.- VIII. Definition and theories.- IX. The present.- two. Art: History of classification.- I. Division of all the arts (Antiquity).- II. Division of the liberal and mechanical arts (Middle Ages).- III. Search for a new division (Renaissance).- IV. Division of the arts into fine and mechanical (The Enlightenment).- V. Division of the fine arts (Recent times).- three. Art: History of the relation of art to poetry.- I. Our concepts of art and Greek concepts.- II. The concept of art.- III. The concept of poetry.- IV. The concept of beauty.- V. The concept of creativity.- VI. Apate, Ratharsis, mimesis.- VII. Plato: Two kinds of poetry.- VIII. Aristotle: First approximation of poetry to art.- IX. Hellenism: Second approximation of poetry to art.- X. The Middle Ages: Renewed separation of poetry and art.- XI. Modern times: Final approximation of poetry to art.- XII. New separation of poetry and painting.- four. Beauty: History of the concept.- I. The evolution of the concept.- II. The Great Theory.- III. Supplementary theses.- IV. Reservations.- V. Other theories.- VI. Crisis of the Great Theory.- VII. Other eighteenth-century theories.- VIII. After the crisis.- IX. Second crisis.- X. In conclusion.- five. Beauty: History of the category.- I. The varieties of beauty.- II. Aptness.- III. Ornament.- IV. Comeliness.- V. Grace.- VI. Subtlety.- VII. Sublimity.- VIII. A dual beauty.- IX. Orders and styles.- X. Classical beauty.- XI. Romantic beauty.- six. Beauty: the dispute between objectivism and subjectivism.- I. Antiquity.- II. Middle Ages.- III. Renaissance.- IV. Baroque.- V. The Enlightenment.- seven. Form: History of one term and five concepts.- I. History of form A.- II. History of form B.- III. History of form C.- IV. History of form D (Substantial form).- V. History of form E (A priori form).- VI. History of other forms.- VII. New concepts of form.- eight. Creativity: History of the concept.- I. Art seen without creativity.- II. History of the term.- III. History of the concept.- IV. Creatio ex nihilo.- V. Contemporary concept of creativity.- VI. Pancreationism.- VII. The artist's creativity.- nine. Mimesis: History of the relation of art to reality.- I. History of the concept of 'mimesis'.- II. Other theories of the past.- III. Some history of the concept of realism.- ten. Mimesis: History of the relation of art to nature and truth.- I. Art and nature.- II. Art and truth.- eleven. The aesthetic experience: History of the concept.- I. Early history.- II. Age of the Enlightenment.- III. The last hundred years.- IV. The legacy.- Conclusion.- Index of names.
63 citations
06 Oct 2010
TL;DR: It is argued that some of these patterns can be seen as aesthetic gameplay design patterns in that they are closely related to aesthetic ideals and can be used as design tools when aiming for certain gameplay aesthetics.
Abstract: This paper explores how a vocabulary supporting design-related discussions of gameplay preferences can be developed. Using the preference of experiencing camaraderie as an example, we have analyzed four games: the board games Space Alert and Battlestar Galactica, the massively multiplayer online game World of Warcraft, and the cooperative FPS series Left for Dead. Through a combination of the MDA model on how game mechanics give rise to game aesthetics via game dynamics, and the concept of aesthetic ideals in gameplay, we present gameplay design patterns related to achieving camaraderie. We argue that some of these patterns can be seen as aesthetic gameplay design patterns in that they are closely related to aesthetic ideals. Further, as a consequence, gameplay design pattern collections which include patterns related to all levels of the MDA model can be used as design tools when aiming for certain gameplay aesthetics.
29 citations
TL;DR: In charting the social space of playing, this article shows the inherent social aspects of singleplayer games – and the solitary aspects of social games.
Abstract: Due to the popularity of social media networks and the games played on those platforms interest in the so-called social games has piqued. This article looks at those games in the context of general social aspects of game play. By approaching game play as an activity, it is possible to distinguish between different kinds of social interaction: the sociability players engage in around the game and the social play contained and mediated by the game. In charting the social space of playing, this article shows the inherent social aspects of singleplayer games – and the solitary aspects of social games.
28 citations
Cites background from "Exploring Aesthetic Ideals of Gamep..."
...(What we call social play has also been called gamer interaction (Lundgren et al., 2009), whereas Salen and Zimmerman (2004) call social play internally and sociability externally derived social interactions....
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...(What we call social play has also been called gamer interaction (Lundgren et al., 2009), whereas Salen and Zimmerman (2004) call social play internally and sociability externally derived social interactions.)...
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Proceedings Article•
01 Jan 2012TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the paradoxical idea of zero-player games and provide five subcomponents to help in the understanding of the player concept: Is this a human player? Does the player have agency, does the player play over time, appears to have intentionality, exhibits aesthetic preferences, and exhibits aesthetic preference.
Abstract: Do games need people? If so, what is it that makes people important to games? It can seem self-evident that games are artifacts designed to be used by players, but in this paper we will discuss the paradoxical idea of zero-player games. We do not wish to argue against the study of players, but we believe that many common conceptions of players are too vague to be useful. Based on the examination of zero-player games, we provide five subcomponents to help in the understanding of the player concept. Expressed as questions, these are: Is this a human player? Does the player have agency? Does the player play over time? Does the player appear to have intentionality? Does the player exhibit aesthetic preferences?
27 citations
References
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Book•
01 Jun 1996TL;DR: Csikszentmihalyi as mentioned in this paper used 100 interviews with exceptional people, from biologists and physicists to politicians and business leaders, poets and artists, as well as his 30 years of research on the subject to explore the creative process.
Abstract: Creativity is about capturing those moments that make life worth living. The author's objective is to offer an understanding of what leads to these moments, be it the excitement of the artist at the easel or the scientist in the lab, so that knowledge can be used to enrich people's lives. Drawing on 100 interviews with exceptional people, from biologists and physicists to politicians and business leaders, poets and artists, as well as his 30 years of research on the subject, Csikszentmihalyi uses his famous theory to explore the creative process. He discusses such ideas as why creative individuals are often seen as selfish and arrogant, and why the tortured genius is largely a myth. Most important, he clearly explains why creativity needs to be cultivated and is necessary for the future of our country, if not the world."Accessible and enjoyable reading." "--Washington Times" "Although the benefits of this study to scholars are obvious, this thought-provoking mixture of scholarly and colloquial will enlighten inquisitive general readers, too." "--Library Journal (starred review)"
5,589 citations
Book•
01 Jan 1938
TL;DR: The sociology of culture seeks to locate the world of the arts within the broader context of the institutions and ideology of society as mentioned in this paper, where the authors present a wide-ranging set covering the sociology of dance, literary taste and cinema.
Abstract: The sociology of culture seeks to locate the world of the arts within the broader context of the institutions and ideology of society. This wide-ranging set covers the sociology of dance, literary taste and cinema. Taking into account also the cultural context of play and child-rearing, this is important reading for students and researchers in Cultural Studies.
5,195 citations
Additional excerpts
...Notions of art as being something set apart from everyday life also have an equivalent in theories of game and play, e.g. in Huizinga’s “Magic Circle” [15] and special instances of Goffman’s “frames” [11]....
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...in Huizinga’s “Magic Circle” [15] and special instances of Goffman’s “frames” [11]....
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Book•
01 Oct 2003
TL;DR: This text offers an introduction to game design and a unified model for looking at all kinds of games, from board games and sports to computer and video games.
Abstract: This text offers an introduction to game design and a unified model for looking at all kinds of games, from board games and sports to computer and video games Also included are concepts, strategies, and methodologies for creating and understanding games
4,333 citations
"Exploring Aesthetic Ideals of Gamep..." refers background in this paper
...Meaningful Choices can be seen as a part of “meaningful play” [26], but only focused on making decisions rather than on planning....
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Book•
01 Jan 2002TL;DR: Brown's list of human universals as mentioned in this paper includes the following: Know thyself: in touch with reality out of our depths the many roots of our suffering the sanctimonious animal.
Abstract: The blank slate, the noble savage and the ghost in the machine: the official theory silly putty the last wall to fall culture vultures the slate's last stand. Fear and loathing: political scientists the Holy Trinity. Human nature with a human face: the fear of inequality the fear of imperfectability the fear of determinism the fear of nihilism. Know thyself: in touch with reality out of our depths the many roots of our suffering the sanctimonious animal. Hot buttons: politics violence gender children the arts. The voice of the species. Appendix: Donald E. Brown's list of human universals.
2,077 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors apply Godel's seminal contribution to modern mathematics to the study of the human mind and the development of artificial intelligence, and apply it to the case of artificial neural networks.
Abstract: From the Publisher:
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this book applies Godel's seminal contribution to modern mathematics to the study of the human mind and the development of artificial intelligence.
1,983 citations