Week 1- Too Play

I am taking this class because I wanted to find out more about the types of games that I grew up playing and how to build something like that on my own. I also thought that this class would help answer all the questions I had about games and how they are able to still be profitable in a world today where video games are so prevalent and I found my answer in a statement of Sicart's in Play Matters. Sicart says, "To play is to be in the world. Playing is a form of understanding what surrounds us and who we are,  and a way of engaging with others. Play is a mode of being human." (Sicart 1). This to me shows that play is in human nature and a way of connecting with others and is why they are still able to thrive in a world today that is in Sicart's words, "we live in exciting times." (Sicart 1). I hope to learn more about what makes a game better than the rest, how to make a game that is enjoyable for all people, how to make a games rules easy but still challenging, how to make a game to promotes skills and improving, like chess, and how to make a game that has high market appeal. I think that how to build a game would also a fun thing to learn and am excited for the chance to do it the correct way. Sicart says, "We play games, but also with toys, on playgrounds, with technologies and design." (Sicart 2). I believe that this is why games and play are still so prevalent in the world today, because play is not only with our physical bodies but also with objects we create. Sicart also says that "Context comprises the enviroment in which we play, the technologies with which we play and the potential companions of play. Context is the network of things, people, and places needed for play to take place." The context of play is extremely important when considering games, and is why I think games and play are so exciting, because a game is never played the same way because of different variations of context in a game.

Sicart says, "We need play precisely because we need occasional freedom and distance from our conventional understanding of the moral fabric of society." (Sicart 5). Games and play are so prevalent because its a way to freely express yourself and a way to often times express your culture. I want to learn how to create a game that helps celebrate freedom and culture and allows the player to express themselves in a fun way. 

I've played a lot of games growing up, such as chess, checkers, connect 4, candy land, Monopoly, Catan, Risk, Life, Sorry, and many more. I feel like Ive played a lot of different games but I've haven't played nearly as many as there are out there. I keep an open mind when it comes to games and I am excited to try out and play new games that I haven't seen before. I look forward to progressing in this class and I'm excited to see what comes next.