Game: An activity providing entertainment or amusement; a pastime: party games; word games. Game: A competitive activity or sport in which players contend with each other according to a set of rules. Game: Mathematics. A model of a competitive situation that identifies interested parties and stipulates rules governing all aspects of the competition, used in game theory to determine the optimal course of action for an interested party. Give me one more medicated peaceful moment. ~ (V)^|) |<é!t|-| ~ ERROR: Your beta-version of Life1.0 has expired. Please upgrade to the full version. All important social functions will be disabled from now on.

Video Game: Potentially a little of all of the above, plus a bunch of other stuff.

I think that the mathematical definition fits very well.

After all a central part of any game is competition. If now against other people or the computer then against ourselves.

Computers are governed by rules so computer games must also be.

The purpose of the player is to find the optimal course of action to "win". Winning is done not only by completing the game (as it is menat in the game theory) but actually having fun during the game.

Jacob Marner

is the competition a condition sine qua non ? Otherwise the definition is very nice, indeed. After all, that''s what maths are for, make nice models of everything

But maybe we should check the deeper meaning of a game for humans.
I agree that a game is(should be at least) amusing,fun.
OK,a comedy show can be fun too but it is not considered a game.
So what makes a game fun?

I totally agree that competition is the essence of a game and this is the basic fun factor behind a game.
I mean it doesn''t matter how well a game is designed,how astonishing graphics it has,how excellent its music is.Unless a game gives no competition to the player it will never give fun.
The fun that games give and movies can''t give.

A game with no competition is not a game.
Competition between humans or between human and computer.
It is the same thing.
Compete for victory.

It is the essence of a game!

Voodoo4

you don''t play because it''s a competition, you play because it''s fun. What you call "fun", is simply another way to say it brings you pleasure. I would dare say, the pleasure comes from endomorphin, just like in sex.
And just like for sex, the pleasure is the reason you play. Because it''s a reward for doing. It''s a simple mechanism Nature has made to push us to do something supposed to be benefic for us. Sex is benefix for us, as it is necessary for the species survival, hence the reward for having sex : pleasure. Now put this back into the game context.
Games are pleasurable because they bring us some benefit. Better coordination, greater strength, better use of different parts of our brain, etc.

Well, at least that''s my point of view, you might call it Biological definition of games
Games are activities, physical or mental, used to practice skills that enhance the success of survival of a species. The pleasure provided by such activities is called "fun", and is a hormonal mechanism of reward.

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