The Magic Circle andThe Primary Schemas

Dr. Héctor Muñoz-Avila

Assigned readings:Chapters 9 and 10 (Rules of Play Book)

Boundaries of a Game

• When a game begins and ends?

– Games create their own time and space

• You are “glued” into the playing experience; time “flies”

• Is it always clear when a non-digital game begins and ends?

– and for digital games?

• Magic circle: frame of game; separates (connects) “reality” of game and “real life”

– Games create their own time and space

• (Not to be confused with RTS games where times is an explicit concept in the game)

Boundaries

• Boundaries of play versus non-digital game– Where does one ends and the other begins?

• Same question but now for digital media.

Games have formal rules that define their boundaries

But these boundaries can be looseNintendo warriors

Why “Magic”

• Chess can be seen as a:– Decoration in a living room– In contrast to gaming experience

• Pieces arrangement

• In a game, objects and behaviors are well defined

• Within the magic circle, rules have authority– We learn this since childhood

Open and Closed Systems

• Games as open and closed systems

– Dimensions of system:• Formal• Experiential• Cultural

– Games as:• rules• play: example of both open and closed?• culture

Lusory Attitude

• Captures what the magic circle represents for the player– Long monopoly game, WOW raid

• Willingness to accept unnecessary obstacles:– In “real world” it is an irrational thing to do– In games we are willing to accept these obstacles

• Examples?• Parody

• Lusory attitude implies not just accepting the rules– Playing the game is an end by itself

A Conceptual Framework for Analyzing Games

• How about by genre (RPG, RTS,…)?– Do you see any problems with this?

• Instead we are going to use schemas– Schemas act as reduced descriptions of

aspects of an object or event

• Primary Schemas:– Rules (formal)– Play (experiential)– Culture (context)

•Embedded (missioncampaing)•Knowledge (archerrange unit)•Variables (information – fog of war)•Abstract (small skirmish vs. large battle. Video 4:17)

Rules: Formal Schemas

• Rules are a key characteristic of games

• Rules are formal schemas– They constitute the inner organization of games

• Discussion: Chess– Differences between two games of Chess– Commonalities?

•Material•Motivation•Outcome•…

Play: Experiential Schema

• We consider the relation rules-system – Delivers a particular experience of Play

• What kinds of experiences?

• In play experiences are made explicit

•Social•Narrative•Pride•…

Cultural: Contextual Schema

• Shared systems of value and meaning

• Effects of culture in games– Example?

• How games affect culture– Example?

Social pyramid

Guidelines for Test on Monday

• Covers all of Unit 1 (Preface and Chapters 1 to 10) plus all topics covered in class

• Closed book, no notes and no calculator!• Questions will ascertain your understanding of the

concepts covered (in class or book) so far• Most concepts have a straightforward interpretation which I

expect you to know• For some situations our interpretations might be different

(mine versus yours) – As long as you can sustained those interpretations in

your write-up and demonstrate that you know the concepts, you are ok

– Be as clear as possible; demonstrate your knowledge of the concepts