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Five Player Types Compared
On the following page is table that summarizes the five kinds of players discussed in this schema. Several fascinating patterns arise when we compare player types in this way. The slippery slope between the dedicated player and the cheat becomes particularly clear. An enthusiasm for playing a game can quickly become a zealous winning-for-its-own-sake, which can lead to unsportsmanlike behavior and outright cheating. In their shared investment in the outcome of the game, players and cheaters have a great deal in common.
Degree of lusory attitude | Relationship to rules | Interest in winning | |
Standard Player | Possesses lusory attitude | Acknowledges authority of rules | Typical interest in winning |
Dedicated Player | Extra-zealous lusory attitude | Special interest in mastering rules | Intense interest in winning |
Unsportsmanlike Player | Sometimes resembles the Dedicated player, sometimes resembles the Cheat | Adherence to operational rules, but violates implicit rules | Intense interest in winning |
Cheat | Pretends to possess lusory attitude | Violates operational rules in secret | Intense interest in winning |
Spoil-Sport | No pretense about lack of lusory attitude | No interest in adhering to rules | No interest in winning |
It is sometimes difficult to identify exactly when an instance of cheating is a true transgression of the magic circle or merely part of the play of a game. Is hacking into an online server to inflate a high score on a public ranking board cheating? The transgression is not taking place within the magic circle of a particular game, but it certainly demonstrates an overly serious interest in the act of winning. How about fouls in sports? And what about games that encourage rule-breaking as part of their play? Where do they fit into our understanding of formal transgressions? We end this chapter by looking at a series of games that incorporate rule-breaking into the game design itself.
