Nov 28

Layered Dissonance in Video Games

by Chris Billows in Playstates Theory, Republic of Bloggers 0 comments tags: Change of Mind, Games Analysis, Playstates
An open letter to Chris Bateman responding to his blog-serial on Game Dissonance at Only A Game as part of the Republic of Bloggers. Feel welcome to provide your own input via the Comments. Dear Chris, First of all, thank you for your kind reference to me. It gives me joy to know that my enthusiasm for your work has helped you. Your work to me has been invaluable as it helped evolve my understand of philosophy and video games. We have been able to create a digital pen-pal relationship that honours the Republic of Bloggers. Thank you for doing what you do. Now onto my response. As you have consistently stated, stories exist in more than books and films and prove this by successfully operating a consultancy that offers narrative design showing how stories can be told via video games. These stories sometimes are not knitted well to game-play and your article explained how dissonance occurs in those situations. This made me think further on the ideas that I’ve been teasing through a few recent posts that video games do not need to be Art or Literature to be meaningful. Video games are their own medium and thus need […]
Jul 04

Primal Storytelling in Video Games

by Chris Billows in Playstates Theory 0 comments tags: Game Philosophy, Games Analysis, Playstates
Video games are a young media, establishing a foothold in early 1970s and really taking off in the the 1980s. Video games were initially focused on games proper or as I like to say the play of measurement but evolved to include puzzles, sport, toys, and sign-play. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts I see video games as being the digital child of play and play is fundamental to humans and other species. I am not embarrassed to love video games. Yet there are quite a few enthusiasts and creators are so desperate for legitimacy they need to equate video games with art or as I will discuss in the post, with literature. We see some of these suppositions below: ‘When is a game going to win a Pulitzer Prize? Are we ready and deserving of such an honor? Can we at least TRY to be worthy of that? Please.’ ~ Warren Spector ‘However, early NES titles were yet too primitive in scope to tackle political themes. Games were childish diversions rather than interactive art.’ ~ Ben Sailer Some are desperate for video games to possess the same qualities of literature as defined by Rick Gekoski: “Nevertheless, what you find […]
Jun 06

Why Video Games Are Not Art

by Chris Billows in Playstates Theory 0 comments tags: Game Philosophy, Games Analysis, Playstates
I came across this compelling Youtube by the Game Overanalyser that challenged my perspective about games and art. It is a well-done video that argues why video games are to be considered art.      Why Games Are Art attempts to convince the viewer that (video) games are art. It is unfortunate that Game Overanalyser conflates all games to be video games but that’s another matter. The video is produced in a quick-fire method where he argues that video games are art for a multitude of reasons. These reasons are listed below are a confusing mess when evaluated. I respond to these points in the brackets: The Hero’s Path is a staple in most video games and exists in most art. (He confuses art with literature). Stories are art. (Stories and art are not the same thing). Emotions are art. (Life is full of emotion but that does not make life art). Art exists for its own state. (This is debatable whether this is true). Is Michael Jordan not a artist with his unique style of basketball? (He confuses player performance with game rules). Art is disinterested pleasure. (Some video games induce this but the vast majority of video games […]
Dec 15

Playstates Theory Definition – Version 2.0 (Dec/19)

by Chris Billows in Playstates Theory 0 comments tags: Game Philosophy, Games Analysis, Playstates
I’ve updated and enhanced my Playstates Definition below. My plan is to continue to develop this theory and eventually establish a website dedicated to demonstrating how the theory works. Playstates is a theory that explains how different types of play coexist, combine together, and are recursive. The different types of play are each defined by a singular core trait that acts as a both a distinguishing and complementing characteristic. At present there are five different kinds or states of play.   Toygrounds Sign-Plays Puzzles Games Sports   Each of the five Playstates can be defined as “The Play of …” which represents the core characteristic of that Playstate. These are as follows:   Sign-Plays – The Play of Meaning. Signals  – signs that require constant encoding and decoding and interpretation Symbols – signs that are more static and require subtle interpretation Role-Plays – using our behavior to communicate and experience meaning   Toygrounds – The Play of Exploration. Toys – objects that are played with freely and with transient rules Playgrounds – spaces that are played with freely and with transient rules   Puzzles – The Play of Matching. Symbols – letters or numbers as basis for matches Shapes – […]
Dec 15

Playstates Theory Update

by Chris Billows in Playstates Theory 0 comments tags: Game Philosophy, Games Analysis, Playstates
I recently finished reading Brian Upton’s book Aesthetics of Play and I found it containing many insights into Games Design which also can be applied into our understanding about theory of Play.  Of particular interest for me was his description about the emotional state of anticipation being a form of mental play. This anticipatory plan he then applies to our interaction with media like books, film, theater, and music. Our delight in anticipating what will happen next in these linear medias is still an active form of play according to Upton and I can’t help but agree with him. This prompted me to consider updating my Playstates theory since I first wrote about it in May 2017 and established its first version in April 2018. When I wrote these posts I considered Play to be an overtly interactive activity. It was Upton’s explanation about how the media of books, theater, movies, and music are fundamentally practices of Play. While they don’t overtly possess agency and interactivity, Upton is brilliant in illustrating that it is the anticipation of what will happen next is where the Play takes place. This can happen in a chess match when you wait your turn to […]

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Jun 03

The History of Game Development

by Chris Billows in Playstates Theory 0 comments tags: Games Analysis, Video Game History
Based on my categorization exercise in my last post, I’ve gleaned what I consider to be a synopsis of Game Development history. It starts off appropriately as a fun and experimental exercise on the University campuses. 1961 HobbyDev GameDev that is for fun and experimentation, not intended for commercial purpose Prime example: In 1961 we see the release of Space War! by Steve Russell, in collaboration with Martin Graetz and Wayne Wiitanen. In a separate realm, where software development was serious business (as early software developers worked for Defence Contractors) we see how Ralph Baer and his Sander’s Associates carved out a niche within his larger company to explore GameDev as a commercial venture. 1967 ProDev GameDev is sold as a commercial product, with fun being its market need Prime example: Begun in 1967 up to its release in 1972, the Magnavox Odyssey was the first commercial Video Game Console. Ralph Baer, Bill Harrison and Bill Rusch spent those years creating the first games for the Brown Box, the Odyssey prototype. What these two ecosystems share is that they are both closed systems. The HobbyDev was restricted to only people who could attend University while ProDev was limited to the […]
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