Alana Tush
Class Discussion thoughts- I didn’t grow up playing many games, and I don’t really do so now, so I was pretty lost when everyone was discussing their thoughts on the games being presented.
Dumb Ways to Die Thoughts- what was played in class seemed to be an updated version of the game, I remember some of the levels, but some were new. I played this game a lot on my I pod touch J. It was fun when I was younger but now it just seems stupid.
Fake it to Make it Thoughts- I thought this game was a good way to show how fake news is spread. It spreads more awareness of how gullible we are than actually having fun playing the game.
Cast Your Vote Thoughts- this game shows the player how to cast a vote and shows how important it is to make an educated decision rather than blindly voting.
Generate a list of five game ideas that revolve around the theme of empathy. Wrinkle: Take one of the five ideas and make it an alternate reality game.
Kindness Bingo– complete acts of kindness to fill a bingo card, encouraging positive behavior.
Feelings Charades– act out emotions, helping players recognize and empathize with different feelings.
Role Reversal- Players switch roles in a scenario, (parent/child, professor/student) to experience challenges from each other’s point of view
From chapter 1:
How does Mary Flanagan’s definition of game differ from chris Crawford’s as well as the definition crafted by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman?
Mary Flanagan’s definition- “Games can be thought of more productively as situations with guidelines and procedures.”
Chris Crawford’s definition- Games can evolve, and rules may shift at certain points in a game and can change with the player’s actions.”
Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman definition- “system in which players engage in an artificial conflict, defined by rules, that results in a quantifiable outcome.”
Mary Flanagan’s definition has less structure than Katie Salem and Eric Zimmermans’ outline of a game.
What is an activist game?
Activist games have emphasis on social issues, education, and intervention. They are games that engage in a social issues through: themes, narratives, roles, settings, goals, and characters.
From chapter 3:
– Go and chess are examples of games that feature “perfect information”, what other games share that feature?
Perfect information- “all the information constituting the system of the game is visible on the game board at all times. Play in an abstract strategy game often unfolds as players move pieces on the board, creating a set of ongoing puzzles for other players to thwart.”
Examples- checkers, scrabble?, tic tac toe
– Why might chance or gambling games hold spiritual or religious importance to ancient cultures?
They saw games as a way to connect with the powers of fate, chance, and the afterlife.
– When was the earliest battle between government/ religious groups and games? what modern games can you think of that have been banned or demonized?
European’s in the Middle Ages were captivated by the game and the church fought to forbid its play. The battle between government or religious groups and games is at least as old as this event, if not much older. When faced with the popularity of style games in Europe, the church decided to use the game to further its religious message.
– What is a fox game, and what would be a modern example?
Fox game- board games featuring unequal opponents, one player is the fox, or aggressor. Other players control or play the prey. The fox attempts to avoid the traps his opponents set all around him.
– What was the purpose or intent of the game: Mansion of Happiness?
Purpose- “Children would take these principles to heart and connect wholesome thoughts to the secular joys of competing for positions, projecting themselves into situations of good and evil, and enjoying the company of their playmates and family.” Reinforcing good morals
– Why do artists from the Fluxus and Surealist movements play games? Why did Surealists believe games might help everyone?
They play games as form of recreation and research.
– Changes in what can signal profound changes in games? How were pinball games reskinned during WW2?
Changes in the economy can signal profound changes in games. “Pinball gained widespread popularity in the United States, United Kingdom, and France, mass- produced as a popular pastime for military men.”
