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The Journals of Doc Surge is the personal blog of Chris Billows. This blog’s purpose is to explore ideas and concepts through the discipline of writing as an exercise to further personal understanding.

Check out more about me, some of my thoughts on Games and Hockey.

Jul 02

Winnipeg Jets Prospects Evaluation 2011 to 2017

July 02, 2017 by Chris Billows in Jets Flight Control 0 comments tags: Jets Draft, Jets Improvement, Minor League Stats
Following the recently held 2017 NHL Entry Draft, I am updating my evaluation on the cumulative draft and develop progress of the Winnipeg Jets. Drafting is the single best way for a sports franchise to build success so its not surprising that Winnipeg Jets Management has made draft and develop its central strategy. This post (and the one that preceded it) will break down how the Jets have done with their 2011 to 2016 draft picks up to the end of 2016-17 season (which is why this evaluation goes from 2011 to 2016 even thought the 2017 draft class is listed). I have created a table that tracks each draft prospect taken by the Jets according to a very simple, transparent statistic called ProGames (ProGms). ProGames counts the number of NHL and AHL games that a drafted player accumulates for their new team. NHL games played count as 1.0 ProGms while AHL games played count as 0.5 ProGms, and these are accumulated across both Regular Season and Playoff Games. So a drafted player who plays 20 NHL and 10 AHL games for his new team will accumulate 25 ProGms for his team. While the goal of the draft is to […]
Jun 24

Measurement as Power

June 24, 2017 by Chris Billows in Playstates Theory 0 comments tags: Games Analysis, Playstates
I’ve read a few articles and posts criticizing Video Games being too much about Power Fantasy. The dynamics found in leveling a character, getting better gear, defeating an enemy, accumulating resources, exploiting an environment, etc. is all about dominating something else and the 4X genre would be its marquee. The aesthetics contained in Power Fantasy is a turn off to a minority of players, who fall into the trap of criticizing the entire industry unfairly. The reason why I say it is unfair is because I believe there is a very valid reason why Video Games naturally gravitate towards Power Fantasy. Video Games tend towards Power Fantasy because Games are about the Play of Measurement and measurement is essentially another term for power. This was beautifully captured in Carroll Quigley’s The Evolution Of Civilizations which talked about how the first hierarchies of civilization arose by their ability to track the measurements of the stars: Page 211-213 ... The chief tasks of the priesthoods, at the later date, beyond their obvious religious functions, were the study of the stars and the keeping of the records of celestial observations. From this evidence we might infer that, at some remote date, some unsung […]
Jun 17

The Playstates of Fandom

June 17, 2017 by Chris Billows in Playstates Theory 0 comments tags: Playstates
Playstates can be found as distinct activities within theĀ Fandom industry. I call it Followship and would define it as the act of collecting, collating, and consuming a Media Franchise. It is an elaboration on the concept of Fandom using the five Playstates. We can find Playstates in Fandom with the following examples:   Toys/Playgrounds – toys and fan clubs/conventions. Role-Plays – fanboys/fangirls and cosplays. Puzzles – fan-fiction and plot/canon holes. Games – collecting the Media Franchise. Sports – fans who root for favorite media franchise to be popular.   While Fandom is the industry, Followship is the distinct behaviors of play found within it.
Jun 12

The Immersion Accords

June 12, 2017 by Chris Billows in Playstates Theory 0 comments tags: Change of Mind, Comprehensive Analysis, Playstates
After posting about Playstates, a commentator on Twitter said that he wanted to see more discussion about how Playstates relates to core concepts like Interactivity, Narrative, etc. I had intentionally left out those concepts because I wanted to stay away from a dead-end debate. Many game designers and developers have argued that Games and Video Games in particular have a unique monopoly with those concepts. I admit that I thought so as well but now I see it in a new way after writing this article. The problem I think is that we have assigned those concepts to Games and Video Games because that is where they are most overtly demonstrated. When we think Game, we automatically think about how to play its rules, how we interact with it, how the rules affects our agency, and the underlying mechanics that makes the Game run. The push by some Video Game designers to see Narratives as being critical to a Game is a relatively recent occurrence. But similarly to how definitions can be broad but not deep enough, I think the same limitation has occurred here. We have captured the obvious, low-hanging fruit.Ā  While an arcade game has easy to see […]
Jun 11

Response to Defining Play, Game, and Gaming

June 11, 2017 by Chris Billows in Hobby Heedings, Playstates Theory 1 comments tags: Game Philosophy, Playstates
Over at DavidMullich.com I shared a couple of comments relating to his definitions on Games. #1 Hi David! I appreciate your definition ā€œa playful activity with rules and goals.ā€ but do think it does not go deep enough. A jigsaw puzzle has rules and a goal, but its not a game (which is why its called a puzzle). A role-playing game also has a rules and goals, but its not a game like chess is. Iā€™ve come up with a definition to games that satisfies my mind and I would like to share it. ā€œGames are about the Play of Measurementā€. The measurement can be physics (3D shooters), grid (board games), tractable (CRPGs), etc. Iā€™ve included a link to my theory blog post so would welcome your thoughts. Best regards, Chris #2 I agree with you. A Jigsaw puzzle is not a game, but could be made a game by adding a time limit (complete the puzzle in x amount of time). I believe you would say that this is an example of conflict (race vs the clock) while I would see it as a Puzzle made into a Game by the addition of the Play of Measurement (time being […]
May 23

Why Games Are About Play of Measurement

May 23, 2017 by Chris Billows in Playstates Theory 1 comments tags: Game Philosophy, Games Analysis, Playstates
The Play of Definitions One of the biggest areas of contention in the Video Game industry is conflict over definitions of what a game is and what it isn’t. Because Video Games is a billion dollar industry, there will be marketing terms and short-hand that helps guide players to find what to engage with. We see terms like: 4X Strategy. First Person Shooter. Real Time Strategy. Walking Simulator. Tower Defense. Side Scroller. Platformer. Match Three. Each of these terms is well known to hobbyists but looks like bizarre word scrambles to people who are not gamers. The world of Video Games has its own language. Even the term ‘Video Game’ is a marketing and cultural term. Essentially any electronic game played on a video screen belongs and since marketing and culture is dynamic, I believe we will see new terms being invented indefinitely. But is every Video Game a Game? I am going to argue that it isn’t based on my theory of Playstates. Walking Simulators have attracted lots of heat and attention. They look and operate like First Person Shooters, but contain no enemies and weaponry which totally changes the dynamic of the play experience. Because the player is […]
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