Starting at the Beginning : Definitions

What is a video game?

Video Games are electronically implemented games that output information (eg screen) that you can interact with.

I'd say this covers computer games, PC games, console and handheld games etc. As long as the game is digitally automated using a computer and output to a device to view it, you have a video game.

For thousands of years before the digital age of video games we have had board games, which is essentially offering a similar range of emotional experiences and escapism to people who want to play.

What is Game and Play?

Across all cultures and ancient civilizations, children instinctively play, sports are invented to pass time and puzzles created for the sole purpose of being worked out. It seams play is fundamental to human behavior.

Did human culture create play?
or
Did play create human culture?

This is discussed by J.Huizinga in Homo Ludens (Playing Man). That play is possibly the primary origin and an essential element to create human culture and society.

Huizinga identifies five characteristics of  play as having the following:

1. Play is free, is in fact freedom

2. Play is not "real" or "ordinary" life

3. Play is distinct from "real" life both as to locality and duration.

4. Play creates order, is order. Play demands order absolute and supreme.

5. Play is connected with no material interest, and no profit can be gained from it


In Rules of Play Salen and Zimmerman identify that all "games" are "play" but not all "play" are "games."
They define a game as:

A game is a system in which players engage in artificial conflict, 

defined by rules, that results in a quantifiable outcome." (p.80)

Caillois' Terminology

Roger Caillois also interprets game and play in a similar manner and derives structures in society and human behavior as elaborated forms of game and play. In Man, Play and Games he builds on Huizinga's ideas, proposing that elements of play and games can be placed in a spectrum from Paidia to Ludus.

Paidia
Play or a game that possesses paidia elements lack rules and formal structure. It can be completely improvised like a child playing.

Ludus
Play or a game that has elements of Ludus is on the opposite end of the spectrum of play to paidia. Ludus is play and games to set of rules. Like chess and sports.

He uses these words in conjunction with

Agon (Competition)

Alea (Chance)

Mimicry (Simulation)

Ilinx (Vertigo)

Using these words to describe elements of games can be very valuable to a game designer. They are abstracted terms and one can define in confidence many types of games using the same language.


Caillois, R. (2001[1961]) Man, Play and Games. University of Illinois Press. Urbana and Chicago

Huizinga, J. (1992[1949]) Homo Ludens. Beacons Press. Boston