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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.

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 […]
May 16

New Theory of Play: Playstates

May 16, 2017 by Chris Billows in Playstates Theory, Republic of Bloggers 0 comments tags: Change of Mind, Game Philosophy, Games Analysis, Playstates
An open letter to Chris Bateman responding to his blog-post The Liberation of Games will not be streamed on Twitch at ihobo.com. Feel welcome to provide your own input via the Comments! Hi Chris, Here is a brief summary about my new theory that is influenced by your writings. I wanted to run it past you to see if you see any validity, utility, and novelty. My overall goal is to encompass Play in its various forms and break it down in broad categories that I hope will un-jam some of the dogmatic claims we see in Video Games. It is conciliatory in intention but I expect and accept that there will be disagreements with what is being proposed. My theory is based on research, play experience, observation, pan-sector validation, and what I hope is a keen discernment to see patterns that have been glossed over. First of all, I would like to pay respect to your own writing in Imaginary Games, your blogs, plus our Twitter/Email exchanges. When I started thinking about Video Games and their aesthetics, I had some very concrete ideas that were influenced by Chris Crawford and what I read on Tadgh Kelly’s blog. Those perspectives […]
Apr 23

Cyberg Applications

April 23, 2017 by Chris Billows in Mental Mischief, Republic of Bloggers 0 comments tags: Blogging, Human Condition, Virtuous Discourse
An open letter to Chris Bateman responding to his blog-letter Top Ten Cybergs at Only A Game as part of the Republic of Bloggers. Feel welcome to provide your own input via the Comments!   Dear Chris, What an great concept. It makes so much sense to link human networks with its inherent technology. The term Cyberg emphasizes the linked aspect of humanity, technology, and networks. It got me thinking about some additional Cyberg applications that were not included in your list, but I’m not sure where would these fit in your hierarchy of top Cybergs. I think that a few of them may warrant some attention.   1) Literacy Literacy is a tool and technology to symbol understanding. I think it might be the very first connection system, being one of the fundamental pillars that supports civilization. While this technology is not cyber based it is definitely a network that communicates ideas and thoughts.   2) Toys Toys, like Literacy appears to be older than any of the other cybergs as it is so fundamental to human and animal development. While it is not a  network, I think the the fact that it is shared cross-species, it is as if […]
Feb 19

Refining the Defining of Games

February 19, 2017 by Chris Billows in Playstates Theory, Republic of Bloggers 0 comments tags: Game Philosophy, Games Analysis
I came across Oscar Barda’s Gamasutra article where he make a bold attempt to define games. The definition of games is a game in itself, havings its own traps and dangers. There are going to people who are going to vehemently disagree, and people that will simply ignore you. I fall into a third category of people that appreciates his effort, but would like to see it refined. Oscar’s definition of “Games as a formalized fiction of doing” is pretty accurate. There is nothing to fundamentally disagree with, but I think that it doesn’t provide enough depth. While Oscar’s definition can be accurate, I think it is perhaps too broad, captures too many things that makes the definition not helpful when you dig deeper. After all, in saying that human beings are living creatures is an accurate statement, it is so broad that humans are not distinguishable from other animals or even insects. A definition is most helpful when its both broad and deep enough. The problem with “Games being a formalized fiction of doing” is that there are too many other human activities that fall into that definition or neglects game activities that don’t fit his definition, such as: […]
Jan 23

Winnipeg Jets Player Transactions 2015-16

January 23, 2017 by Chris Billows in Jets Flight Control 0 comments tags: GM Tasks, Jets Free Agents, Jets Re-Signed, Jets Trades, Jets Waivers
The 2015-16 season was the fifth season of the Winnipeg Jets since the Atlanta Thrashers were purchased and moved to Winnipeg. On July 1, 2015 Cheveldayoff started his fifth year of building the franchise when the Free Agent season opened. Cheveldayoff had a successful career as a hockey executive. As an Assistant GM He won a Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2009-10. As a GM he also won two Calder Cups in the AHL in 2001-02 and 2007-08 and two Turner Cups in the IHL in 1997-98 and 1999-2000. So far the team he has built for Winnipeg remains consistently mediocre. There are four kinds of transactions that any General Manager can perform. They can 1) trade players, 2) re-sign existing players, 3) hire new players as free agents, and 4) claim unwanted players off waivers. The transaction season follows a July 1 to June 30 calendar. What follows is the transactions that Cheveldayoff performed in 2015-16. You will see that the ordinal value of each category is a continuation of what occurred from the previous season in 2014-15. [advanced_iframe securitykey=”f1c7736ca92d4b6153f3d7f60bd5d4d6ae63d8ee” src=”https://billo.ws/files/Jets-Transactions-2015-16.htm” width=”100%” height=”750″]
Jan 11

Understanding Socialism in Games

January 11, 2017 by Chris Billows in Playstates Theory, Political Ponderings, Republic of Bloggers 2 comments tags: Blogging, Human Condition, Political Opinion, Virtuous Discourse
Brian Green wrote on his Psychochild blog an interesting post about how MMO games are a means to understanding Socialism. First of all, its an interesting post to just think about games in terms of political economics. Second of all, I think Brian makes a typical mistake of associating positive qualities with something he favors, known as the Halo Effect.   Games as Socialism… I’ve run into an interesting situation with some people in FFXIV. Many times people have needed items which I have gladly been able to provide (or acquire easily), but people feel bad taking the items from me. They insist on paying for the items somehow, or they want to trade. One friend said she felt bad always asking me for stuff, even if I offer on a regular basis. I wanted to take a look at this, and look at why it really didn’t bother me to offer these items or services to others. Why I’m a big-hearted socialist in MMOs. Okay, I used “the scary S-word” in the title. Intentionally. 😉 Since many Americans have a terrible understanding of what socialism is, let me give a basic definition here. This delves into some economic theory, […]
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