When people decide to start a video game or board game, they readily embrace the rules and constraints that come with it. In fact, people often enjoy a game by overcoming its obstacles. Solving problems is the whole point of playing.
Thi Nguyen, a philosophy professor at the University of Utah, highlights this in his book titled “Games: Agency as Art.”
He tells KCRW, “When we play games, we can pursue a goal, not for its own value, but for the value and the beauty of the struggle.”
He adds that games are a core part of our communication, allowing us to understand our own actions and reasoning. They also help us gain control of our lives.
Meanwhile, social media and web metrics such as “likes” and clicks are increasingly influencing our lives. While some gaming apps may encourage us to stay fit, are our values being reduced to digital points?
“You can count steps, but you can't count that joyous feeling of quiet that comes down on you when you canoe quietly over a lake in the morning,” Nguyen points out.
Dive deeper into life, philosophy, and what makes us human by joining the Life Examined discussion group on Facebook.
Games Agency as Art by Thi Nguyen. Photo courtesy of Thi Nguyen.