One of the unique aspects about Playstates is the distinction between what a Game is and what a Sport is. I have discovered that not all Games are Sports, but all Sports are Games.
Games are the Play of Measurement, while Sports are the Play of Competition. The rules that determine how that competition is structured is based around a meta-system play of measurement. So let’s take a look at Soccer/Football.
You win the game by kicking a ball into a goal. This is a play of measurement and is what I call a Game. The sport aspect of soccer is that a competing player is trying to take that ball away from you and score the ball into a different goal. Overlay that competition with a larger meta-game and meta-sport of win/loss/tie record, leader-boards, scoring leaders, playoff elimination, and championships it becomes evident that Sport is more than just a Game.
Another distinction is that Sports have Win and Loss states while Games do not need to have one. Old-time arcade games like Space Invaders, Pac-man could not be won. You kept playing until you ran out of lives or money. Games also do not need to have a lose state with examples like Clicker Heroes, Cookie Clicker, and any games that allow reloads.
Based on my Playstates theory, any play activity can be made a Game, and any Game can be made a Sport when the proper play elements are added:
Example 1:
Jigsaw Puzzle is a Puzzle Playstate. The play centers around matching pieces to complete the picture.
When we introduce a measurement element such as time it becomes a Game.
When we introduce a competitive element (tournaments) it becomes a Sport. This has culminated in the WordJigSawPuzzle tournament.
Example 2:
Tag is a Playground Playstate (mostly) with some Role-Play. The play centers around chasing each other to physically tag to make the recipient ‘it’. It is one of the oldest kinds of play.
When we introduce a measurement element such as scoring it becomes a Game.
When we introduce a competitive element such as tournaments it becomes a Sport. This has culminated in World Chase Tag tournament.
Example 3:
Improv Theatre is a Role-Play Playstate. The play centers around spontaneously taking on roles and acting out those roles with others.
When we introduce a measurement element such as time or scoring it becomes a Game.
When we introduce a competitive element such as tournaments it becomes a Sport. This has culminated in a type of competitive Improv called TheatreSports.
I believe that these examples demonstrate the ingredient, trait quality of Playstates. The diversity of play and its interrelations becomes possible to discern when we see Play as having distinct ingredients that can be combined.
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