Gaming: Dissection

The term I will be focusing on this semester is ‘Gaming.’ As Saugata Bhaduri defines it, gaming is, “the act of playing video games or games with a digital interface” (Bhaduri 140). Bhaduri first begins to explain gaming as its origin of ‘game.’ The word game derives from the combination of communion and enjoyment. The connection is then drawn between communion, enjoyment, and the involvement of wagering — drawing similarities to gambling. This idea thrives off of the idea that games as a whole are a form of structured enjoyment, implying a structured set of rules producing joy (Bhaduri 141).

Bhaduri continues by drawing connections between games, and play. Play, defined as an, “activity connected with no material interest, and no profit gained,” relates to games as a form of shared human activity (Bhaduri 142). Associating games and play tends to also draw the word ‘sport’ into the mix; Bhaduri snuffs this notion out quickly by contrasting the differences in rule obedience. Gaming is referenced as a form of cheating the system where as sporting is compared to rule-bound action (Bhaduri 143). Bhaduri finishes by introducing the idea of ‘game theory,’ where the player submerges themselves into the decision-making processes of the game (Bhaduri 144). In summary, gaming is heavily based around the enjoyment of the user and the digital platform through which they interact with.