Archive for July 2013

The Rules as Law

Games and sports have many things in common, in particular rules. A game requires rules to maintain order and construct boundaries. The enjoyment of games and sports often comes from the sense of achievement in succeeding in the scenario, given the restrictions of the rules. There is significant differences between the ways in which rules are enforced depending on the game or contest. In video games mostly the computer program or AI (Artificial Intelligence) provides the rule enforcement, for physical board and card games the rules are general socially enforced (with the exception of tournament play), and for sports umpires or referees enforce the rules.

In Taking Umpiring  Seriously: How Philosophy Can Help Umpires Make the Right Calls J.S Russell discusses the role of an umpire and their impact on the game, specifically looking at Major League Baseball. Russell leads off the theory of performance utterance (J.L Austin), in which he explains in the case of baseball that the action that occurs is not in fact an action until it is called so. For example a pitcher pitches his ball, until the home plate umpire makes a call it is neither a strike nor ball.

The more important point this article brings to light is the concept of the umpires use of the “Spirit of the game”. To illustrate his point Russell  refers to the 1983 Pine Tar incident in a baseball game between Kansas City Royals and the New York Yankees. The George Brett (Kansas City Royals) had applied pine tar to his bat. Prior to the knowledge of this Brett had hit a game-changing home run. Pine tar is a sticky residue that hitters apply to the handle of their bat in order to increase grip. According the the rules at the time the residue could only be applied to no more than the bottom 18 inches of the bat. In Brett’s case he had applied pine tar to more than that. The Yankee’s team manger (Billy Martin) challenged the awarded home run. In which they applied the rule and the run was disallowed. Then on another challenge, after extensive discussion the ruling was reversed (with the Home Run allowed). Umpire Brinkman stating that it was not in the spirit of the game to disallow the run. The application of pine tar to the hitting surface of the bat would create a disadvantage more so than any extra advantage. This point in baseball history has been much remembered.

Pine Tar Incident Bat

 

This incident, quite rightly, lead to same changes in the rules for the following Major League season. Referee discretion is now written into many codes of sports to allow umpires and referees to maintain integrity of the sports over which they preside. Russell also notes that for the sport to survive integrity must upheld by its rule enforcers.

 

References

Ruseell, J.S. (2004) ’Taking Umpiring  Seriously: How Philosophy Can Help Umpires Make the Right Calls’ Popular Culture and Philosophy. Accessed 14/07/2013. http://www.georgereisch.com/popularcultureandphilosophy/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Taking_Umpire_Seriously.pdf

Rewards. Means I get a trophy right?

Rewards are a natural part of games and gamification. They appear to create the motivation to engage in a given behaviour. This is true pf many things. Most (if not all) games systems have a reward involved from board games, to digital games, and even other things that have been “gamified”.

Rewards can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic rewards in games are where the player engages in the action for the simple enjoyment or pleasure of the task. Extrinsic rewards are those that would grant a reward that does not have application to the immediate task, eg grinding away in World of Warcraft (WoW) for that one amazing sword you must have. Both types of rewards have their values.

In Extra Credits Season 6 Episode Intrinsic or Extrinsic they discuss the ideas of both motivations. The narrator notes that all games should be made wholly with intrinsic rewards, were playing the game would be its own reward. While this is a great idea I find that this would not really appeal to me. Whilst I am not the first person to shoot my hand up to grind out a day for an awesome shield or some other similar reward, I see and feel the appeal. The narrator does come to note that building wholly intrinsically motivating games is unlikely.

Val Teixeira (2013) hits the nail on the head, different people are have different motivations. Some people are motivated by extrinsic rewards, while others are a motivated by the intrinsic nature of games. Which brings to mind the Bartle player types, perhaps the style of player influences motivation? What is more interesting perhaps is to what extent each gamer is motivated to engage with the game where only extrinsic rewards are presented.

Back to gamification, one of the most common methods of this is the application of badges, trophys or other such rewards to non-game processes. These are always extrinsic rewards. So, why for so many people do they stay engaged when clearly there is no intrinsic motivator? An answer I’d like to know. Recently Steam released a new method of extrinsic rewards, cards. It motivates gamers to play certain games in order to attain digital cards. Cards are not, by default, available for all games. It will be interesting to see the development of Steam cards over time. Not just of the community but the patterns of play. Will frequent gamers abandon the games they have put hours into, just to start playing new games that offer them opportunities to get the cards?

 

Further Reading

Games and motivation

Reward Systems

Bartle Player Types

 

Resources

Penny Arcade (2013) ‘Episode 01 – Intrinsic or Extrinsic’ Extra Credits, Season 6. Accessed 18/07/2013.

Val Teixeira (2013) ‘Rewarding players’ Boardgamegeek.com. Accessed 18/07/2013. http://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/21342/rewarding-players

Valve (2013) http://store.steampowered.com/news/10946/