Author Topic: What is the Universal Definition of: Video Game/Gaming (all opinions welcome)  (Read 4879 times)

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Offline Natura Wolf

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Hey there,

Me and my fiancee were debating over what constitutes a video game.

Reason being is that they are also known as Electronic Sports and personally I don't think a video game is the same as a sport, but sport can also be called a game and games generally incorporate rules, but not all video games incorporate rules.

You could say story but then isn't that more an interactive story?

So expect much devils advocating and analysis.

So to start off, what do you define as a video game/gaming.

I don't mind this topic wavering as its kind of a big and yet vague question

Go nuts,

Natura


Offline Foxpup

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Here's my view. If you just play with it, it's a toy. A toy with a goal is a puzzle. If you have to make non-trivial choices to solve the puzzle (ie, there's some form of interesting challenge), it's a game. If you play against other players in an organised competition, it's a sport. Almost any multiplayer game can be turned into a sport, and a few (eg, Q3A) are specifically designed for this purpose.

The presence of a story is largely irrelevant to the question of whether it's a game or sport, though clearly if a game contains not much else but story, it probably can't be called a game (some interactive fiction works are in this category).

Offline Natura Wolf

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Ok, I said something similar where I said a video game is where you are able to make an impact on a story.

but then there is games such as to the moon (though personally i call them interactive stories) where the story if fixed and unchangable and there are no puzzles.

Offline Foxpup

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Ok, I said something similar where I said a video game is where you are able to make an impact on a story.
What is the story of Tetris? Or Carmageddon? Not all games have a story, and not all forms of interactive narrative are games. The mainstream idea that any kind of interactive entertainment is a "video game" is not very sensible, in my view (and probably turns off people who think all video games are just mindless tests of reflexes, but that's another story).

Offline Old Rabbit

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I might be too old and out of step to know, but it would seem if one wished to
create a video game it should present a challenge. Even a multiplayer game works
well with challenges. Even a game wth a story.

Games that work mainly with a story tend to be played once through and laid aside.
Ones that challenge are more likely to be played many times, and have a
greater popularity. 

And of course greater popularity adds up to more money for the creater.   :D
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Offline Yip

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What is the Universal Definition of: Video Game/Gaming?

There isn't one.  Things in the real world rarely fit into nice little categories that people like to put them in. So therefore there are always going to be things at the edges that kind of fit the category but also kind of don't.   For example, some would say that Sim City isn't really a game because the main way to play it does not have a goal/winning condition. But I think it's also undeniable that a store should place it with the other video games and not with the toys.

The definitions we use are usually more like guidelines than hard rules.

Offline Yip

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While I don't think there is a "universal definition" for video games, that doesn't mean that discussing it is useless. 

But I think if you are going to classify them it needs to be driven by a purpose for the classification. For example, maybe the purpose is to explore why people like various games. Without having some sort of focused purpose, it seems to me like it's end up being very subjective.   Using the Sim City example again, while it may not have a specific goal, it still has a sort of goal in that you are trying to keep your town prosperous. Seriously, I always seem to end up running out of money in that game. My point is that even if it doesn't fit some technical definition of a game, it still feels like one.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2015, 08:53:06 pm by Yip »

Offline Kobuk

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This topic doesn't seem like a debate. More like a "logic puzzle" that Mr. Spock would enjoy.  :D


Quote
What is the Universal Definition of: Video Game/Gaming?

There isn't one.

Exactly.   ;)

Offline 9141702

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I'd have to go with a very broad and old-skool definition, myself.

"Any interactive screen-based computer program which presents the player with a challenge to overcome".

That would cover just about anything from Pong to Dark Souls, and should even include interactive graphic novels where a wrong multiple choice could result in not getting the "good ending".
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Offline HazardJackal

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But here's my question.  Can you really get away with wearing the title of Pro Gamer, if ALL you play is Flappy Bird and Candy Crush?  :D

I myself play all sorts of games, from handheld to PC to console to even arcade games, and i consider myself a gamer.  I have a family member who plays candy crush like their life depends on it.  I don't consider them a gamer.

But really, if you buy it at GameStop, or your local game store, and you put it into your gaming device to play it, i'd say it's a game, regardless of goals, story, multiplayer, any of those things.



Offline Pix

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There is alto of opinions here however there are a few things that may help to out line this a little such as league of legends is an e-sport since much like football it requires team work, communication, a game plan and understanding of your role on the team, but on the other end of the scale i personally think it is i one of a handfull of video game's that can hold the e-spots title. on that although there is no official definition of what a video game is there is some general consensus as to the definition of a video game. however at the end of the day this is a very vague term as to the exact difference between a video game and an e-sport, on top of this because e-sports are still quite young in the sense they haven't been an actual socially accepted thing for very long there is still alot of evolving as a gaming type to do.

this is only my interpretation of this but something i feel i have some insite in since i play legage of legends and i also play alot of other games of which i put on my you tube channel. to some degree i agree with Kobuk on this is some what more of a logic problem but adding to that it also depends on one interpretation of the matter as well and interpretation can change the view of something drasticly.
Errrr were do I go now ..... oh right

also with my species look up Kitsune on wikkipedia coz ther is also a charactor name it

Offline Natura Wolf

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Well here's the thing, there's been talk of getting export games such as dots and LoL onto the Olympics under the title exports...that doesn't sit with.

I think cause arguable LoL may meant to be team games, but they are horrible social and community games with the cussing, reporting and rigid expectations.

I don't think the skill in these games are worth honoring cause they ruin it socially

Offline Pix

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I compleatly agree with you on that and just on that alone it shouldnt be in the olimpics
Errrr were do I go now ..... oh right

also with my species look up Kitsune on wikkipedia coz ther is also a charactor name it