Is it a game?

For this week, I chose to play Molleindustria from the list of given video games, simply because I had no idea what that was, and I was a little curious to find out. I believe the game I chose to play is a “game” because Molleindustria is literally an arcade. When you open the page on your computer there is various games to choose from. Nevertheless, what makes Molleindustria an actual “game” in terms of the class is the hegemony of play. As we know hegemony is a term referring to leadership of dominance by a social group or country. This explains the hegemony of play, as described by Ludica: “Today’s hegemonic game industry has infused both individuals’ and societies’ experiences of games with values and norms that reinforce that industry’s technological, commercial and cultural investments in a particular definition of games and play, creating a cyclical system of supply and demand in which alternate products of play are marginalized and devalued.” From this quote, we see that inevitably games and play are connected in a particular way, but this does not explain what exactly links one to the other.

Koster mentions that when analyzing the theory of play, we come to realize that fun from games arises through mastery, which is only possible through playing the game itself. From this, we can conclude that a “game” involves a form of interaction, whether it be physical, mental, or verbal. Nevertheless, this does not mean a game must be fun; there must simply be some form of stimulation or incentive to keep playing. The game I played from Molleindustria is called “The Best Amendment.” This can be classified as a game because it involved a form of interaction from my behalf. I appear as a white, ghost like character on the screen, and I interact with the game by moving the character with my fingers both on the keyboard and touchpad of the computer. I also use mental interaction with the game by strategizing how to stay alive, accumulate the most points, complete the given objectives, and beating the level before time runs out. Another feature that makes a “game” a game is there has to be some sort of goal that must be reached or accomplished (Galloway).

In relation to another of the Molleindustria games I played called “To Build A Better Mouse Trap,” there were multiple goals that needed to be completed in order to actually pass the level. These tasks included making sure my mice laborers were being fed, achieving a steady flow of output from both the physical working mice and the ones at the computers, and making sure I did not run out of supplies. Initially, if these goals were not reached, my company would become bankrupt and the game would be over. Nevertheless, if I succeeded in building my surplus and income, I would move on to the next level. Although neither of these games were necessarily fun, they can still be classified as a “game” because of such features.

Links:

https://nuitdebout.fr/jeux-debout/2016/06/02/la-molleindustria/

http://www.molleindustria.org/blog/to-build-a-better-mousetrap-release-notes/