Random Gaming Thoughts

[Hobie-wan]

When you receive the message and react to it, you're interacting with the text.

Interactive

1.
acting one upon or with the other.
2.
of or pertaining to a two-way system of electronic communications, as by means of television or computer: interactive communications between families using two-way cable television.
3.
(of a computer program or system) interacting with a human user, often in a conversational way, to obtain data or commands and to give immediate results or updated information: For many years airline reservations have been handled by interactive computer systems.

interactive (ˌɪntərˈæktɪv)

— adj
1. allowing or relating to continuous two-way transfer of information between a user and the central point of a communication system, such as a computer or television
2. (of two or more persons, forces, etc) acting upon or in close relation with each other; interacting

There is no two way communication with a book or a movie. Neither of them respond to your reaction and change.

It doesn't make sense to treat a book like a game this way - saying it's non-interactive because it doesn't change the same way games do is absurd. Once you perceive the text through your eyes, ears, or fingers, the interaction stays in your brain. The physical book's only purpose is to get the words to you! Would you expect your Super Mario Land cart to change after you beat it?

The data on the SML cart doesn't change, but calculations based on this information and input from you and the controller does directly affect what you see next. You react to the visuals and sounds, manipulate the controls, and the game reacts to that, and so on. That is interaction.

[KDub]

Once again Hobie beat me to the punch. For interaction to happen something has to change by what you do. That book will always tell the same story and if you stand up and dance the entire movie it will still be the same movie, it does not react to you at all.

[GSZX1337]

Been playing Cogs and Vertex Dispenser since I'm (kinda) trying to clear my backlog. I'm thinking about quitting both of those games, though. I've played the first episode of Vertex Dispenser and I found it kinda boring. Cogs on the other hand is just kicking my ass. I'm a bit reluctant to quit since whenever I solve a puzzle, I feel smart. But there's just so many puzzles, it seems a bit daunting.

[Valkyrie-Favor]

Anyway, about the word "gameplay." Who likes it, and who wants to see it go?
--
--Carrying on.

I see what you're saying, what you're describing is an active imagination...You actually have to use critical thinking skills and react to what's going on in a game, which you don't do in a book or movie.

-You saw what I was saying, and then misinterpreted it.

I am going to uselessly summarize part of the process of reading.

All text has to be interpreted. We all have active enough imaginations to tie images and abstract concepts to "words" - a complicated concept on their own - and then decode the information in them based on symbols we already know. After that, we infer meaning. Some word combinations are of course harder than others.

-You don't need critical thinking skills to read books? What kind of books are you into?

-I'm describing the process of reading. This happens when reading the dryest of nonfiction.

...but an active imagination is far different from the way you actually interact with a game and input commands. Books and movies are the same story every time, whether you have an active imagination or not. But with a video game, the input you give the game changes the what's happening on the screen.

That book will always tell the same story and if you stand up and dance the entire movie it will still be the same movie, it does not react to you at all.

Thank you for that information, but it's futile explaining books to someone who's already learned to read.

You react to the visuals and sounds, manipulate the controls, and the game reacts to that, and so on. That is interaction.

Agreed.

1.
acting one upon or with the other.

I like this definition too. Two-way communication isn't necessary for interaction to take place.

Can't argue with a definition from some random general-purpose dictionary on the internet, can I?

Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols in order to construct or derive meaning (reading comprehension). It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas. Like all language, it is a complex interaction between the text and the reader which is shaped by the reader’s prior knowledge, experiences, attitude, and language community which is culturally and socially situated. The reading process requires continuous practice, development, and refinement.

[dsheinem]

interaction ≠ interactive

[Valkyrie-Favor]

One more quote.

Across the many fields concerned with interactivity, including information science, computer science, human-computer interaction, communication, and industrial design, there is little agreement over the meaning of the term interactivity.

Looks like the experts don't agree either.

[dsheinem]

One more quote.

Across the many fields concerned with interactivity, including information science, computer science, human-computer interaction, communication, and industrial design, there is little agreement over the meaning of the term interactivity.

Looks like the experts don't agree either.

I bet they agree it doesn't mean the same as "interaction"

[Damm64]

I bet that when i finally play The last of us i will feel that is the most average game on existence.

[Valkyrie-Favor]

They seem to agree that there is a distinction, but can't agree on what it is. I normally prefer the way the dictionaries do things - by deciding the meaning of a word based on how it's used. Maybe it's time to just decide a definition. Or start a major English reform.

Our language is often sloppy, and that leads to sloppy thinking. A page or two ago, I used the word "game" in two different senses without realizing it for a few minutes. If everyone - and I am definitely included - would speak more precisely, we wouldn't need to pay as much attention to definitions in the first place.

So, the word "gameplay..." Am I the only one who's bothered by it?

[CFFJR]

I agree that its too generic.

Reading this discussion made me realize that lately I've started phasing out the word when I discuss games with people. I didn't set out to do that, I just stopped using it because it doesn't explain much.

"How's the gameplay?"

"Oh, its good."

Well...

Its much clearer to break it down and say, oh the combat is like this, the level design is like this, and so forth.

But, you're probably also worrying about it too much.