When is a game not a game?

No, don't worry, you haven't fallen down the rabbit hole and landed in Wonderland. The question above isn't a riddle, it is merely contemplating the point when something that was a game, reaches a point where it is ruined, and therefore not a game anymore.

The cause of a game ceasing to be a game can differ depending on the type of person. A very competitive online player will have a completely different opinion to someone who just enjoys the game play, or someone who plays digital games such as online Keno. So let's have a look at some of the different reasons that games stop being fun.

The first reason probably goes without saying, especially for those who enjoy playing online casino games. A game is no longer a game when the chances of winning are significantly higher for one person than the rest. In other words, someone cheats.

Although online gaming makes this very difficult to do, I'm sure there are people out there who attempt to swing the game in their favour. The concept of cheating will be more obvious for online gamers on consoles (or PCs), who could notice an unusually small amount of damage being done to an opponent, despite the bullets being fired. Cheating in any kind of game, particularly online, is extremely unfair; thankfully most online games will have some form of moderator to whom you can report the cheating individual.

The same goes for internet games. If you are involved in a game of poker, for example, and come across a cheater, yes, you can leave the game but that won't stop the person cheating, and potentially ruining someone else's game. By all means, cheat all you want in an offline game (or campaign mode), but don't enter an interactive game with an unfair advantage.

Other people believe that some services available online, who masquerade as games, should not be classified as such, for example Online scratchcards. The dictionary definition of a game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Some people argue that some ‘online games' do not fall into this category, and therefore should not be classed as games; but, to each their own.

Have you ever been in an online shooter where everyone else is running around having fun and doing what they're supposed to, but then you come across someone who is hiding in a dark corner, taking cheap pot shots at every passing player? ‘Camping' really gets under a gamer's skin and we're sure those who agree take great pleasure in ruining a ‘camper's' winning streak.

There are those people out there who believe games are ruined when people don't take the game seriously. Yes, the can be annoying if you're playing as a team and someone isn't doing their part, but if you're playing something different, how about just getting on with it yourself and not letting them bother you? I guarantee you'll feel better for it.

Other people throw down their controllers and declare a game ruined when they come across glitches. A gaming glitch is a programming error which causes behaviour that was not intended. Glitches could include wrongly displayed graphics, Online Game freezes, sound errors or collision detection errors.

While some glitches are harmless (albeit annoying), such as the floating apple in Black Ops, others can be dangerous to data that has been saved. If you come across a glitch whilst playing a game, you are supposed to report it to the game's programmers, giving the exact location.

So, there's our list of the things which can, potentially, ruin a game. Hopefully you won't encounter too many of these negatives when you're next gaming (either on or offline).

29 June 2011

This is a sponsored posting.