The Magic Circle and
The Primary Schemas
Assigned readings:
Chapters 9 and 10 (Rules of Play Book)
Dr. Héctor Muñoz-Avila
Boundaries of a Game
• When a game begins and ends?
– Games create their own time and space
• You are “glued” into the playing experience; time “flies”
• Is it always clear when a non-digital game begins and ends?
– and for digital games?
• Magic circle: frame of game; separates (connects) “reality” of
game and “real life”
– Games create their own time and space
• (Not to be confused with RTS games where times is an
explicit concept in the game)
Boundaries
• Boundaries of play versus non-digital game
– Where does one ends and the other begins?
 Games have formal rules that
define their boundaries
 But these boundaries can be loose
• Same question but now for digital media.
Nintendo warriors
Why “Magic”
• Chess can be seen as a:
– Decoration in a living room
– In contrast to gaming experience
• Pieces arrangement
• In a game, objects and behaviors are well defined
• Within the magic circle, rules have authority
– We learn this since childhood
Open and Closed Systems
• Games as open and closed systems
– Dimensions of system:
• Formal
• Experiential
• Cultural
– Games as:
• rules
• play: example of both open and closed?
• culture
Lusory Attitude
• Captures what the magic circle represents for the player
– Long monopoly game, WOW raid
• Willingness to accept unnecessary obstacles:
– In “real world” it is an irrational thing to do
– In games we are willing to accept these obstacles
• Examples?
• Parody
• Lusory attitude implies not just accepting the rules
– Playing the game is an end by itself
A Conceptual Framework for Analyzing
Games
• How about by genre (RPG, RTS,…)?
– Do you see any problems with this?
• Instead we are going to use schemas
– Schemas act as reduced descriptions of
aspects of an object or event
•Embedded (missioncampaing)
•Knowledge (archerrange unit)
• Primary Schemas:
•Variables (information – fog of war)
– Rules (formal)
•Abstract (small skirmish vs. large
– Play (experiential)
battle. Video 4:17)
– Culture (context)
Rules: Formal Schemas
• Rules are a key characteristic of games
• Rules are formal schemas
– They constitute the inner organization of games
• Discussion: Chess
– Differences between two games of Chess
– Commonalities?
•Material
•Motivation
•Outcome
•…
Play: Experiential Schema
• We consider the relation rules-system
– Delivers a particular experience of Play
• What kinds of experiences?
•Social
•Narrative
•Pride
•…
• In play experiences are made explicit
Cultural: Contextual Schema
• Shared systems of value and meaning
• Effects of culture in games
– Example?
Social pyramid
• How games affect culture
– Example?
Guidelines for Test on Monday
• Covers all of Unit 1 (Preface and Chapters 1 to 10) plus
all topics covered in class
• Closed book, no notes and no calculator!
• Questions will ascertain your understanding of the
concepts covered (in class or book) so far
• Most concepts have a straightforward interpretation
which I expect you to know
• For some situations our interpretations might be different
(mine versus yours)
– As long as you can sustained those interpretations in
your write-up and demonstrate that you know the
concepts, you are ok
– Be as clear as possible; demonstrate your knowledge
of the concepts