Cobbling together elements from the previous definitions and whittling away the unnecessary bits leaves us with the following definition:
A game is a system in which players engage in an artificial conflict, defined by rules, that results in a quantifiable outcome.
This definition structurally resembles that of Avedon and Sutton-Smith, but contains concepts from many of the other authors as well. Here are the definition's primary ideas:
System: We introduced the concept of a system in chapter 5. Systems are fundamental to our approach to games.
Players: A game is something that one or more participants actively play. Players interact with the system of a game in order to experience the play of the game.
Artificial: Games maintain a boundary from so-called "real life" in both time and space. Although games obviously occur within the real world, artificiality is one of their defining features.
Conflict: All games embody a contest of powers. The contest can take many forms, from cooperation to competition, from solo conflict with a game system to multiplayer social conflict. Conflict is central to games.
Rules: We concur with the authors that rules are a crucial part of games. Rules provide the structure out of which play emerges, by delimiting what the player can and cannot do.
Quantifiable outcome: Games have a quantifiable goal or outcome. At the conclusion of a game, a player has either won or lost or received some kind of numerical score. A quantifiable outcome is what usually distinguishes a game from less formal play activities.
For the rest of this book, this definition is what we mean when we say "game." It applies to all kinds of games, from computer and video games to parlor games and sports. We can also use this definition to define the field of study at the center of this book:
Game design is the process by which a game designer creates a game, to be encountered by a player, from which meaningful play emerges.
Aren't you happy to finally know what it is this book is about?