Reality is Broken four defining traits

In culture it is associated that games are a form of pastime entertainment, although society is against them. The indications of games are often connected with players how are immovable form the playing screen until they get to the next level, highest score or complete the mission, therefore manufacturing the player to become a competitive person, doing the best of their ability on achieving whatever it requires on prevailing goals.

"the stereotype that gamers are highly competitive people who care more about winning than anything else."( McGonigal, 2011, p.24)

 McGonigal's four traits of the definition of a game are a goal, a rule, the feedback system and the voluntary participation. Here the author's first trait is a goal, which gives the plaer a sense of purpose. The goal provides motivation for the player to achieve specific missions within the game. This indication creates the sense to players sending more time on games that in real life.

She continues with rules which are set of instructions that player most obeyed by to succeed goal. Challenging the player to reflect their options on overcoming the hurdles of the contest, illustrating as a player accepting the way in which the game should be played fairly. However players will try finding ways of breaking the rules.

"They unleash creativity and foster strategic thinking" (McGonigal, 2011, p.21)

Fallow by feedback system which encourage players to keep on playing, this is attained by rewarding the players with passage to the next levels, points or a scores. In turn keep the player inspired on succeeding completion. These possess motivation for players on striving for accomplishment, although inhabiting personal strengths and weaknesses not knowing when to stop.

These in concludes voluntary participation that all players accept that the game will contain challenges to overcome, along with independence consent of staying or leaving the game at any time.

As many features that are related with games complement the four defining traits are the mean selection found in every game.

"Everything else is an effort to reinforce and enhance these four core elements "(McGonigal, 2011, p.21)

Bibliography
McGonigal, J.(2011). Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World. Penguin Press HC.

Reality May Be Broken, But 'Other Reality' Is Coming To An End

Jane McGonigal opens the first chapter of her 'Reality is Broken' book with a quote from Bernard Suits about the definition of a game.

Playing a game is the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles

(Suits, B. 2005: 54-55)

In his book, entitled 'The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia' Suits offers up the concept of the Lusory Attitude, which is a psychological mindset where the player will be willing to accept the rules of the game, in order the reach the goal.

"To play a game is to attempt to achieve a specific state of affairs, using only means permitted by rules, where the rules prohibit use of more efficient in favour of less efficient means, and where the rules are accepted just because they make possible such activity" (Suits, B. 2005: 54-55)

McGonigal sets out the four main aspects of a game; goal, rules, feedback and voluntary participation. The rules make the goal hard to reach, this is what challenges the player and ultimately sets out the game as a whole. Without rules, the goal would be a one move completion. Feedback is a way for a player to know how far they are through the game. 

However, feedback, in certain instances is not necessarily important, especially for the "infinite" games which James P. Carse talks about in 'Finite and Infinite Games' (1986). These games are ones which the player does not want to finish. A loose example of this is Rockstar's 'GTA V' The player wants the story to continue and want it to be very long, because once its over, their 'other reality' is gone.

Games are being seen to form the same structure, but what has been so successful about the industry is how differently this structure can be interpreted. 

Bibliography

McGonigal, J. (2011). Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World. Penguin Press HC.

Suits, B. (2005, The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia, Broadview Press.
Carse, J.P. (1986), Finite and Infinite Games. New York: Ballantine Books.