[RESEARCH] The Meaning of Play, Analysing Games

No one really knows the meaning of play because it's not something we should understand. It comes naturally to the human nature, which is why we don't have to learn anything about it. Johan Huizinga wrote a book explaining the meaning of play, 'Nature & Significance of Play as a Cultural Phenomenon', and I will be extracting quotes from there to base my argument upon.

'Animals play, so they must be more then mechanical things.' This quote really explains how animals (and also humans) have souls, and we are not all the same as each other. This would render us as robots, doing the same exact thing as everyone else, droning our way through society as we know it. Which brings me onto another point, one of the other quotes state 'Play is a function of the living.' Does this mean that if you do not play, we are merely objects that cannot function? I'm quite unsure of this comment; people who don't enjoy play are not living? Or is it that if you know the function of play then you know you are living? It could mean many things. I believe it means that play just makes us human/living because of the sheer aspect of it being a 'living' thing to do; we all do it, even if we are serious or don't mean to play.
'All play is a voluntary activity', you don't get ordered to play unless it's a work stated progress. Which brings me onto learning through play. Working is never fun, unless it's something you enjoy doing, then that brings it in as play. However, learning through play is something you will always enjoy, but you are working, learning through these systems. Animals play fight to learn real fighting, children play as certain 'roles' in life to learn about their futures and their aspects in life or even social skills, we even corporate play in learning to ensure that people still stay entertained and learn much faster then writing it into a book. Does this then make play pure? Considering that play fighting animals will then learn how to fight and be vicious when their older? Or children that play to learn roles of life make them make difficult and tragic choices? It's a natural aspect, of course, but believing that it's pure could make the meaning of play go more ways then one. Being violent or tragic couldn't then make play as a fun subject, or be play at all, it becomes real and then it makes people focus on the real world; Play is contained in time. Play is an escape from reality as we know it, it's a release from the grips of unhappiness which life brings at times, we use it to create our own worlds and inhabit them in our own way.

[RESEARCH] Semiotics

Assassins Creed Brotherhood

This image is showing Ezio (the main protagonist) using his assassins to
clear an area of danger.

★ There is a lot of fighting in this scene. Fighting normally refers to dominance on one side, or a disagreement between two sides.

★ Women, Courtesans, stand beside a man. This may be due to protection or simply helping people around them with troubles or pleasures. It may also show how woman were treated, as tools, in that present day.

★ Buildings of high standard, flourishing green trees and walkways surrounds the beings in this image. This could be in the region of the rich and well being humans which live in this area.

★ The Assassins dressed in white resemble peace or innocence in their image. Possibly referring to a god or some one who they look to for guidance to help with their deeds. It could even be to pretend, to play as some one else. They also have splashes of red in their clothing, making their clothing some-what intimidating; red meaning danger.

★ Knights/Guards cover the area, protecting the people around. This may be because there is something very important in the area they need to protect. Or maybe they could be on high alert, looking for some one in particular to capture and contain.

★ The raised hand by the side of the Courtesans symbolises power and control over bodies or a situation which is at hand.

★ The amount of people fighting, like second bodies, seem worthless (or pawns). This could be because there is a war afoot and people deal with things like this (as they are determined) by fighting for their own country or beliefs so that their country/beliefs stay true and alive.

★ The shocked faces of the woman correspond to vulnerable, weak women which they played roles as during these times. They rely on men, the dominant species, to save and protect them at any costs as they did all of the work and sinful tasks which men assigned them to do.

★ Fighting between two sides seems common, and there seems to be no terror of other characters in the scene.

★ The buildings are in the style of the Renaissance period. Beautifully crafted buildings reach high into the sky, giving them a very detailed and historical feeling to them.

[RESEARCH] Analysing Games

The image I am using is from Dark Souls. The knight is called
Solaire, knight of Astora.

Recording the Details

Name of Designer/Team: From Software

Name of Publisher: Namco Bandai

Title of Work: Dark Souls

Date it was made/published: October 7th 2011 (Europe)

Genre: Action Role Playing Game

Target Audience: Hardcore Gamers

Formal Elements

[Composition]

The main organisational features of this image is set spectacularly to really bring out a characters glow gently against the light source which is provided (buildings, areas and other beings happen to have this glow as well). This happens in all parts of the game, but this image particularly shows this feature. The main focal point of this image is Solaire of Astora, standing brightly against a lit sky. The building Solaire is standing on is full of geometrical shapes, such as round soft curves to express that it is a building of high standard (a castle), and not been taken lightly to make. The walls may be crumbling but they blossom with beautiful ivy which crawls through the cracks of rocks and settle on the wall. There is no methods regarding symmetry, but there is ways in which this image sparks up the character standing in the middle. Solaire is lit purposely to bring out his character, and to share his glorious back story and relation to the sun with the player.

[Space/Depth]
As talked about before, the effects created on this image is merely sunlight beaming brightly on a knight. It's really to create a sense of power and innocence, as sunlight is deemed as 'pure' or 'incandescent' to quote from Solaire himself. Or it may be an illusion that he indeed 'pure' or 'innocent', to trick the player into thinking that this character is some what special to the story.

[Colour]
The main colours used in this image is undoubtedly dark and dank colours; greys, whites, greens and reds. This gives the image a more natural looking tone, like all of the world is some what being given away by mother nature itself. The splashes of red and yellow really sets warmth to this image, and is donned on Solaire. These are his clan colours, and he represents them in a very open way to the player (this is also another way to relate the player with the character.) There isn't much range to the pallete but the effects it creates are very noticeable and is seen as a style the game has taken up.

[Light]
Atmospheric light is something that occurs quite a lot in Dark Souls, because it sets the tone, and meaning to an area which you have just come across in gameplay. Solaire, being related to light in many more ways then one, is always glowing brightly against a light source. As well as colour, light also brings a feeling, and this feeling is happiness. There is a lot of Chiaroscuro lighting is more used later on in the game, as characters and the player progress on their own story, it becomes more apparent that the world they live in is breaking apart. In this image, Solaire is lit brightly, but so is his surroundings.

[Style]
It's hard to place a style on Dark Souls, as there is a lot of realistic entities embedded in the game, but also manga influences regarding humans in this game. You can't see it on Solaire in this image, however his armour is very fantasy like. The buildings are very realistic, and as the game progresses, you are always struck with beautiful structures and confusing tunnels for you to explore. The castle that Solaire stands on is one of the first buildings you climb, and it inhabits a dragon, a mixture of both realistic and fantasy worlds.

[Subject, Theme & Meanings]
The character Solaire is indeed the subject in this image, shining brightly against the suns brilliance. He is a knight of the sun, and is looking for his own personal 'sun'. This really sets the scene (or the Mise en Scene) of Solaire's own personal goals and, possibly, achievements. The sun is actually his own image, as well. Solaire is possibly a fallen disciple from the gods above, and he's trying to regain his own authority back as best as he can. Seeming this is the first time you encounter Solaire, after a boss battle, you could believe that he's 'godly' just by being at the end of the line, he managed to perfectly escape and possibly destroyed all possible threats towards him (a powerful entity). An issue with this could also be that he's 'insane'. Looking for a 'sun' of his own, like the glowing gas ball in the sky? Either he could be 'godly' and talking about a power he once had, or that he's actually looking for a sun.

[Context and Influences]
Dark Souls is really influenced by mythology. It takes on all sorts of  cultural aspects of Mythology (Asian Mythology) with Dragons, Gods and Architecture. The game then takes that inspiration and creates its own spots of mythology, and the characters/NPC's all talk about it. They seem very unsure, or they are determined to go and find something that may or may not exist. For example; Solaire is looking for his 'power', his 'sun', so this could be a myth to him because he's also unsure where about it is or where it exists but he's so determined to find it, because it gives him hope. Hope is what drives the NPC's in the Dark Souls' world, as the areas are just full of monsters and humans who have lost themselves to the terrors, they all need something to grab onto to protect so they don't feel alone. Going back to Mythology, there's gods which different Clans look towards for guidance, they preach to them, and that is what gives them power and protection.

[Personal Response] 
I really like Solaire as a character, as so much is going on in his mind and his own story. The first time I came across Solaire in Dark Souls, I felt attached to him because of the way his dialogue was perfectly referencing himself and me (as the player) fighting together to destroy evil. That reference towards player and character could really go the wrong way, and make something like that quite 'soppy', but it really depends on the player. His character design is gorgeous, simple, and full of bright and cheerful colours. That enough to make any one either like his armour for themselves, to be Solaire, or just like him as a character, and as a 'buddy' to use to defeat bosses through out the game.