The Truth of Participation

From Kevin's Blog on Customer Service, quoting an article about:

The Next Sims:

"For the longest time, games have been considered almost a new form of movie, but that ignores the really interesting opportunities we have in games. Games are in a unique position to bring content consumers into the role of creators.

"In short, this game will engage participants in the creation of their own characters and worlds, and will allow players to eventually enter the worlds created by other players.

"Not only does this participation make sense from the perspective of the players...but from the designers as well - they are now co-creators of the game with the players.

"If the game keeps this universal truth of participation in mind, I believe it will be a runaway hit."

It's what I call "The Fun Community." Sometimes, I also call it "The Play Community," as is my wont. But it amazes me nevertheless, to see the principles I wrote about 28 years ago to describe the dynamics of games, play and community in the world of the flesh become as valuable, if not more, to the virtual world. I know, I know, it's why that very chapter of Well-Played Game, published, mind you, in 1978, was included in Salen and Zimmerman's Rules of Play, and it's what Tracy and Janine and Celia wrote about in their well-researched and visionary article called "Sustainable Play - Towards a New Games Movement for the Digital Age" in which they conclude: "we propose a reexamination of the New Games Movement and its methods as a means of constructing shared contexts for meaningful play in virtual and real-world spaces."

I know I shouldn't be. Natheless, I am both excessively proud, and immoderately amazed.