C. Thi Nguyen discusses games and agency as art with hosts, exploring philosophical analysis of agency in games, different gameplay types like striving play, agency in immersion, agential layers, autonomy in games, humanism influence, unconventional gameplay, agential distance in design, value capture in gamification, agential fluidity in engagement, and exploitation of gamers in the industry.
Games emphasize the means over the end goal, focusing on the experience of struggle and striving play.
Games offer simplified goals as a refuge from life's complexities, providing focused experiences of achieving arbitrary goals.
The podcast critiques the language of immersion and submersion in games, questioning their accuracy in describing player experiences.
Players engage in diverse forms of agency within game structures, exploring the intricate relationship between immersion and different modes of agency.
Games craft aesthetics of agency through intentional frustration, akin to horror movies, teaching users how to interact and interpret game objects.
Deep dives
Chapter 1: Striving Play and the Aesthetic Quality of Struggle
Games offer a motivational inversion of everyday life, emphasizing the means of achieving goals over the goals themselves. Striving play involves pursuing goals for the sake of the struggle, enjoying the activity of trying rather than solely achieving the end result. The concept of aesthetic striving play captures the essence of engaging in games for the experience of struggle.
Chapter 2: The Simplification and Refugia of Games
Games are described as a refuge from the complexities and demands of everyday life, offering simplified goals and artificially narrowing the world to focus on specific actions. The term 'striving play' is introduced as a way to demarcate goal-oriented gameplay where the means of achieving the goal are the focus. This chapter emphasizes the appeal of games for simplifying life's challenges and providing a focused experience of achieving arbitrary goals.
Chapter 1: Immersion and Submersion in Layers of Agency
The language of immersion and submersion is introduced to discuss how games impact agency. The concept of immersion critics highlights the inherent critiques of using these terms, questioning the accuracy of describing gameplay experiences as immersive or submersive. This chapter sets the stage for exploring the nuances of agency within game experiences by critically examining the language used to describe player engagement.
Exploring Agency in Games
Agency in games is delved into deeply, focusing on how players immerse themselves in different forms of agency within various game structures. The podcast discusses how games offer alternate modes of agency, presenting diverse potential sets of agency to engage with, contrasting real-life situations that determine possible sets of agency. The concept of immersion is analyzed in relation to agency, shedding light on the intricate relationship between immersion and structured forms of engagement.
The Intersection of Agency and Design
The podcast delves into the importance of the design of games in crafting the aesthetics of agency. It describes how games provide experiences where pressing the button in the on-screen action may bring frustration rather than harmony, akin to horror movies generating unpleasant but intentionally evocative feelings. The concept of prescriptive frames is introduced, highlighting how objects, including games, teach users how to interact with and interpret them.
Reflecting on the Aesthetics of Action
Discussions in the podcast touch on the aesthetics of agency, emphasizing the beauty and harmony of action in games. Examples such as figuring out puzzles in games or experiencing the physical exertion in rock climbing demonstrate the aesthetic qualities of engaging with challenges. The aesthetic packages offered by games like Quop and Octodad, eliciting frustration rather than ease, are likened to horror movies that evoke unsettling emotions.
Expanding Views on Framed Agency
The podcast expands on the idea of framed agency, exploring how rules in games function within a prescribed frame of interaction. It addresses the relationship between the rule set and the player's experience, emphasizing the interplay between understanding game rules and the outcomes they produce. The nuanced discussion navigates the complexities of how games guide players within the boundaries set by their design, leading to varied interpretations and engagements.
Interpreting the Concept of Playing a Game
The podcast delves into the debate around what constitutes playing a game and whether deviating from expected gameplay norms still falls within the realm of playing. It explores instances where players engage in unconventional behaviors within games, such as speedrunning or completing all in-game tasks, leading to a discussion on the varying interpretations of 'playing the game'. The episode also raises questions on the minimum criteria for having 'played a game' and how different playstyles, like speedrunning, can be considered legitimate despite deviating from typical gameplay.
Exploring the Notion of Value Capture in Gaming
The podcast delves into the concept of 'value capture' in gaming, where players adopt the values embedded within games, potentially influencing their real-world values and behaviors. It discusses how games, through their design, can subtly shape players' perspectives and priorities. The episode raises ethical concerns about how games, by presenting simplified and seductive depictions of reality, may influence individuals' decision-making processes and worldviews, potentially leading to a transformation in their value systems.
