|
One of the reasons Hoozinga is passionate about making games is that we believe in their ability to communicate, influence, persuade, and initiate action, and that games are an important part of culture and play a vital role in society. While the popularity of video games has heightened awareness and launched academic inquiry, this is not a new idea. In 1938 Dutch historian, cultural theorist, and professor, Johann Huizinga (yes, our namesake) published Homo Ludens, which translates to “Man the Player.” This has become the seminal text for “ludology,” the study of play. Huizinga believed play was a most basic function, an element of our evolution, and that play concepts could be found in a wide range of cultural components from language to war.
Play leads to fun. Huizinga defined “fun” as one of those irreducible terms. We all know inherently what “fun” is, but try to describe it. It’s like “love,” each person will have their own idea of what fun means to them. Raph Koster, in his Theory of Fun, believes fun is a state of the brain. We can all agree that fun is pleasurable, but what creates the pleasure? Koster argues fun is the reward your brain gives you for learning. Which explains why games are so much fun, and why we love to play them.
Games are full of learning. Not to say they are always academically wholesome, but to play a game you must learn, assess, make decisions, and adapt. They make our brains very, very happy. And with all that fun comes an intense focus, more intense than can be achieved while consuming passive media. This combination of active participation, fun, learning, and focus can create a psychological state called “flow.” This state was first proposed by psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi in 1990 to describe an intense state of immersive concentration in which the mind is completely absorbed in the task at hand. Games are very good at achieving flow.
To sum things up, games are great for communication. They ensure your audience is listening, and create the perfect learning environment for engaging information and messages. What is tricky is ensuring your game communicates what you want it to. Hoozinga’s understanding of game media is our advantage and your advantage over competitors. We know games.
|
