In Game Frame, Aaron Dignan outlines what games are, their components and how to create behavioral games to change your own and others behavior.
He clearly states his goals for the book in the introduction: “The truth is, we are born knowing how to play, and how to invent games where none exist. I’m convinced that there is a role for games and play in reshaping the world around us.” introduction, xiii.
Dignan goes on to do just that. His detailed breakdown of the components of games and why we think they’re fun was particularly good.
I also agreed with his assertion that “play is a state of mind”: “…when a chef cooks something new, it feels like play. When I cook something new, it feels like work. Both of us are making a meal, but we’re not experiencing the same thing. Play is a state of mind.” pg 26.
My quibble with this book is that he didn’t convince me that games are the best way to change behavior. In Level 5 (Chapter 5), Dignan describes a speech given by Professor Jesse Schell at the D.I.C.E. conference in 2010 that scared the crap out of me.
Essentially, Professor Schell outlines how businesses and the government could use behavioral games to create a dystopian world in which our every action is analyzed and nudged towards consumerism.
“You’ll get up in the morning to brush your teeth and the toothbrush can sense that you’re brushing your teeth. So hey, good job for you, 10 points for brushing your teeth. And it can measure how long, and you’re supposed to brush your teeth for 3 minutes. You did! Good job! … And who cares? The toothpaste company. The toothbrush company. The more you brush, the more toothpaste you use. They have a vested financial interest.” pg 58
After that chapter, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Dignan is inviting us to open a Pandora’s box.
“My challenge to you is simple: I believe that a million behavioral games could change everything, but they must be imagined and realized soon.” pg 169.
Hypothetically, say I design a game with the best intentions, but then, at some point, it’s taken over by the government and forced on people. Suddenly, it stops becoming a game and ruins the world.
Who wants to take the risk to potentially be the person who destroys society because of an ill-conceived behavioral game? Not me.
Recommended only for the truly brave gamers.
Thanks for reading!
- The Book of Hedge Druidry: A Complete Guide for the Solitary Seeker by Joanna van der Hoeven
- Maestros by Steve Skroce (Writer/Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Fonografiks (Letterer)
- Trance-Portation Learning to Navigate the Inner World by Diana L. Paxson
- Ecstasy Through Tantra by Jonn Mumford
- A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) by Sarah J. Maas
The Help Desk Book Blog 