Play reading

I found it challenging to read this piece not just because of the scholarly language I'm not used to deal with on  a regular basis. It's because this reading wants to dissect and think about play, and play is just not something I've ever felt the need to think about or challenge (as this reading points out). Play is just there, it's something everyone knows how to do. I have been taught how to play different games, but I don't remember being taught the basic concepts of play.

The part of this reading I found the most interesting is not so much trying to define play, but more of talking about aspects of play that are so much apart of our society that I never thought of it. For instance, the idea that play can not be forced. You can't really tell someone to go play; probably the reason I hated gym class so much as a kid. Play is freedom. Another interesting idea was that  play is not 'not serious'. Play can be very serious; recently there has been heavy debate and strong emotions by several people in my dorms because of a football game.It is 'non-seriousness'.  I tied the idea of 'non-seriousness' in with the idea of a break from reality.

What struck me the most was the interesting rules set up in our play, and what it probably reflects about people on a very basic level. For instance, the idea that the cheater is more often then not less punished then the spoil sport. A cheater may break the rules, but to break the rules the cheater must acknowledge the rules exist. The spoil sport throws away the rules entirely, taking away all power the rules and the structure the rules try to hold up, and in such ruin the game. I think you see this a lot in the gaming industry in the way that some parts of the gaming community will go up in arms not about someone questioning or even disregarding whatever rules they have set up. The main character is the hero; what you are doing is for good. The hero gets the girl; this is the reward for doing what is good. The bad guys will be defeated; this is the punishment for going against the good. Anyone who questions if the main character is doing good while killing so many people in an FPS or if the woman can fill a role besides the princess in another castle or if evil is not so much evil but someone who does not agree or is being wiped out will be violently riled against in the gaming community.

In the end though I still don't feel like I can sit down and define play, though that will probably come with actually thinking more about play itself.