How to play a video game

Over the weekend I read the book "How To Play A Video Game" by Pippin Barr. I want to be able to talk about the video game relationship between the player and the character and identify how it is viewed in my project. I am also looking for research of what it means for the player to be playing video games in the first place (from their perspective of what impact the game can have).

What this book discusses is the decisions, experience and impact video games can have for a person. What was important to me was how it talked about the choices the player has when playing. The choice of performing as the game was designed to such as missions and objectives, or playing which is doing anything you want to do that you can in the game. When the player chooses to perform they will make their player character act from instructions they get from the game. The player has a goal and will perform to complete that goal, when this happens the game has control over the player which is brought onto their player character.

How to play video games

This type of performance I feel still separates the virtual space and the real is spoken in a virtual context. It has the player play as their virtual self. What I am doing is having no player character and trying to identify the player and the character separately. In my game the player identifies that the character is a tool that they need to use them to get through these rings and complete the puzzle. The player is performing and by doing so is pushing the game character. As the player wants to solve the ring puzzle they expect a meaning for putting the pieces right. Their perception is to only see the virtual space as having the impact and by the end of it can switch off the machine and not think about it again. The players impact is not only a deceitful one but one that interferes with their real personal space without that impact to the character. Games are usually with purpose for completion. My game does not create that virtual purpose but gives a very literal real one.

References

Awa Press Non-Fiction Publishing New Zealand : How to Play a Video Game. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2012, from http://www.awapress.com/products/published/books/TheGingerSeries/howtoplayavideogame