The explicit rules for game play. These are most of the stated rules in game books or within the games, or are built into the games, as with rules against attacking certain creatures where the creatures cannot be injured, thus making it impossible for players to break that formal rule. Formal rules also include the formal rules of behavior. These are most often found in end user license agreements (EULAs) that prohibit particular behaviors like reverse engineering, specific behavior in multi-player games, and copyright infringement. Formal rules also include the methods for winning a particular game. Some games allow players to win by reaching a particular benchmark, other games require winning by reaching a benchmark in a particular manner, like avoiding detection in stealth games.
Published in Chapter:
Gaming Ethics, Rules, Etiquette, and Learning
Laurie N. Taylor (University of Florida, USA)
Copyright: © 2009
|Pages: 11
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-59904-808-6.ch061
Abstract
This chapter explains the significance of informal and unwritten rules in order to show the connections among formal rules of play, formalized learning, informal and unwritten rules, and collateral learning. It argues that computer gaming’s rules of play include the formal rules by which games are played and the informal and unwritten rules within the magic circle of play where the games are played. Too often games are reduced to their formal rules of play and the collateral learning fostered by the realm of play is neglected. By examining unwritten rules, this chapter also connects to and informs other areas that rely primarily on formal rules, including educational gaming.