Toxic Jam

Week Eleven Task

When given a word such as Gameplay, it can be very difficult to define what the word means. Terminology like this is used regularly, and people using it seem to know what they are talking about, but what does it actually mean?

I have said previously that Gamers could have some kind of intuitive knowledge behind the word that comes as a result of experience. It could be that Gameplay is self-evident to the people who use the word, and they have never felt the need for a greater explanation.

Another idea is that the word Gameplay has no meaning at all. As there is no true definition behind the word therefore any use of it would be invalid and meaningless. The word is used so frequently, that it is hard to believe it could be meaningless. It obviously means something to people, as they continue to talk about is as a true element within a game.

A factor that should be considered when thinking about Gameplay is the culture in which we live. This is because definitions of words will differ from place to place. This could be why different versions of games will be produced according to where they are going to be released. This would mean that the definition of Gameplay is relative according to the circumstances.

The term is also not used to talk about any other part of our lives, I have never heard the word Gameplay used when referring to a board game or a game of football. It is specific to Computer and Console games, therefore a vital part of our studies.

When I was just a young lass, I remember watching my brother and my next door neighbour playing various games. One day they were playing a Tomb Raider game, I can’t remember which one, but that’s not important. Lara was stuck in a room, that had a door that wouldn’t open and a few plants in it. She walked around the room for quite a while without a hope of finding a way out. Eventually I was handed the controller and after a few minutes found a lever and opened the door.

The important thing about this story is that Gameplay could also be relative to the player. It seems that Gameplay is a thing to be rated, it can be good and it can be bad. Therefore whether the Gameplay is good or bad would be down to personal preference.

If Gameplay is relative to the player, I could then describe what I think makes a game.

I think storyline is an essential part of a game, it must keep the player interested and entertained. I also think that a sense of achievement is important, for me this is would come as a result of solving a hard puzzle, or defeating a difficult boss.

This is a very simple description of what I think makes a game. But to me that is essentially what Gameplay is. It is the level of enjoyment that I receive from playing the game. This information could be used in the industry by thinking about what different types of people enjoy, and keeping focus upon a target audience.

‘The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by play instinct’
– Carl Jung