A Play, Or Not A Play, That's A Question.

Games and Play

• Games are a subset of Play
• Games constitute a formalized part of everything we might consider to be play.

• Play is an element of Games
• Play is an essential component of games

Categories of Play

• Component of play: 
• Being playful [or being in a play state of mind]
• Play is latent [hidden] in any human activity
• it's a matter of attitude
• Involves pushing against the structure and seeing what result you get 
•  Ludic Activity [informal play]
• more clearly differentiated as an activity 
• you can usually state whether you're playing or not
• no goal or quantifiable [Express or measure the quantity of] outcome
• e.g peek-a-boo, dog chasing each other
• Game Play [formal play of games]
• The experience of a game set into motion through the participation of players
• player is free within the limits set by the rules

Crossing The Boundaries

• Easier to slip back and forth from play to non-play with ludic activities
• the boundaries aren't as well-defined, can became playful then serious smoothly
• games are highly defined by nature - with strict rules etc - that makes it harder to slip back and forth of game mode [magic circle - can be considered a shield of sorts, protecting the fantasy world from the outside world.]

Types Of Play (Sutton Smith) [reference, reference2]

• mind play
• e.g. daydreaming
• solitary [Done or existing alone] play
• e.g. as collection or handicraft
• social play
• e.g. joking around, dancing with someone
• performance play
• e.g. playing music, acting
• contest play
• e.g. board games, video games
• risky play
• e.g. hang gliding, extreme sports 

Callios's Taxonomy of Play [reference]

AgÔn: competitive play
Alea: chance-based games
Mimicry: role-playing and make-believe
Ilinx: playing with physical sensation of vertigo [dizziness: a reeling sensation; a feeling that you are about to fall]

Paida: wild, free-form, improvisational play
Ludus: rule-bound, regulated, formalized play


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Is Game Design, in itself, a form of “Play”? 

Justify how Game Design is or is not a form of play.

play/plā/

Verb:	Engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.
Noun:	Activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation, esp. by children.
Synonyms:	verb.  perform - act - toy noun.  game - performance - drama - sport

Game Design [reference]

• designing the content and rules of a game
• design of gameplay, environment, storyline, and characters during production stage
• Game design requires artistic and technical competence as well as writing skills

A Play, Or Not A Play

• a consideration of play rather than core of play itself
• Game Design, as itself is a none-play and play
• doing concept prototyping can be a major play part of game design as you make you tend to play with the the features and see if it seems legit 
• Play is a very subjective topic, whether Game Design is perceived or considered as play actually depends on the person itself. For example, a Game Designer for the sake of designing then it’s not a play rather working but if the designer is so engross and having fun playing with the prototype and making the small little stuff in it etc. then it is a play
• a play only exist when the person is enjoying the moment  the activity which he or she is currently doing
• a play that is structured and goal-oriented
• Another example, doing GDD [Game Design Document] can be rather dry and not much of a play but if you were to highlight the keys words or all tittles in rainbow [just like how I did it for my this post]
• it is a self proclaim challenge/goal without purpose, proper reward or rules, it's just for the sake of fun yet without breaking the initial purpose of writing the document [Ludic Activity - informal kind of play]
• because of it being self proclaim, I can stop any time I want, thus this kind of play shall fall back and forth between play and none play 
• a Paida yet Ludus kind of play
• Paida because I can improvise how the document looks but Ludus because I must stick to what content must be within the document and playing without spoiling the document [off color contrast which people can't read anymore or the colors are over done until making too loud - as well as not spending too much time on it as GDD usually have dead line]