The Purpose of Play

While I was studying a few days ago I had my pen dangling over the couch, and the more playful of my two cats started attacking it.  The game it was playing started me down the familiar line of thought of why animals of all species, especially humans, play.  The cat was honing its attacking skills.  While we don't let the cats outside, I'm sure if we did they'd be able to bring down any writing utensils they found in the wild.

But what about the video and computer games humans play?  I started considering how a first person shooter might teach a person some practical skills in life.  At first glance, it would seem that the violence and wanton destruction teach anachronistic skills (or very niche modern skills).  However, maybe the violence is just a sugary lure that calls to the primitive urges of man.  The meat of game is everything else.

To make "everything else" more specific:  the skill I feel I've most strongly developed from 3D games is navigation.  First person games often put you in interestingly designed arenas with labyrinthine paths and hidden nooks.  After exploring enough of those levels, I feel like I've developed a strong sense of space.  Drop me into any city and a few days later, I'll have a solid mental map -- mainly because I treat the act of exploration like it's a game.  I visited Mountain View, CA, a few months ago and turned off GPS for most of the trip.  A few times I got lost, but I kept going in the direction that felt right until I found a familiar road.  It was a rewarding game because after three days I felt at ease driving around the city.

Some other skills you can practice in an FPS include teamwork, strategy, competition, and sportsmanship, though the latter skill is often ignored on the Xbox Live.  But these skills can be taught through other games as well -- sports and board games both offer all of the above.  I would argue that sports offer even more because they get you outside and exercising.  The physical and violent exertion of a game of football (American or otherwise) surely exceeds the pixelated gore of an FPS when it comes to triggering primordial instincts.

So what advantage do video games have as play?  Why are they more succulent treats than the endorphins of physical exercise?  Do they have anything to offer that a rousing game of Scrabble or rugby would not?

I think the best promise of video games (including first person shooters) is in moving human minds towards abstract thought and familiarity with the digital environment.  At the cost of health and the promise of fortune and ease, the people of the first world are moving towards spending their lives in virtual and indoor spaces.  Games are the bellwether (and maybe even a catalyst) of this movement.  The debate of whether or not this is a good thing can be left to the philosophers of our age.  In the meantime, I'm going to think of ways to build on this notion of conveying abstractions of the digital realm through electronic gaming.

Thought exercise III:  Create a game that subtly and implicitly teaches an unexpected skill.  Explain the mechanics and the skill it hones.