What is a Video Game

In this text, Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen tries to find a clear definition for what a game is and particularly how a video game differs from any other forms of games. I can clearly agree with him on some of his points, such as the fact that “the player can perceive the game action as meaningful even though it has no reference to the outside world” (34). Being a passionate gamer I have to admit that I can totally relate to this. Games like Mass Effect or the Witcher, where the player’s actions have more or less strong consequences on the overall story, aim to get the player emotionally attached to the characters in the game, even though they are completely fictional.

It was quite interesting to read about the different real-world consequences of games (25), and I think Egenfeldt-Nielsen could have added the field of e-sports into that section, since, just like with traditional sports, we have huge competitions and even world-wide tournaments looking for the best player, the best team in a specific video game. It goes without mentioning that these tournaments have great real-world consequences for every participant.

Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Simon. "Understanding Video Games: The Essential Introduction." New York: Routledge. 2008, 22-44. Print.