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A game is basically a structured form of interactive play, normally undertaken for fun or entertainment, and at times used as an educational instrument. Games are quite different from work, which most often is performed for remuneration, or in the case of computer games, to entertain. Games that involve tools, such as counters or games boards, are considered learning tools by many educators. In educational settings, games are used to help students learn new concepts through the active engagement with the material, rather than passive reading or listening participation.

In the last few years, computer games have grown in popularity with every passing year. Most people have a personal computer, video game console system, or Internet access. Computer games are played on computers, on a web-connected browser, or with downloadable content provided through websites. Today there are thousands of computer game titles available, ranging from simple word processors to highly complex programming tools, to be played directly on the computer, or downloaded to a portable media device such as a portable CD or flash drive. These titles are often developed commercially, with the objective of selling as many copies as possible.

The world today is literally filled with websites, ranging from simple games involving chat rooms and text-based interfaces, all the way to massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs). There are more than twenty million daily users playing online games, according to industry experts. Due to the fact that so many people now spend so much time on their computers, companies that develop computer games are experiencing unprecedented growth. In fact, Chris Crawford, a game designer at the award-winning multimedia development company Artifex, believes that “there is definitely a new breed of game designers”. He continues, “with the proliferation of PC and game consoles, more people are demanding more complex games from designers. While traditionalists may view this as a problem, I see it as a opportunity.”

The fact that more people spend so much time in front of their personal computers is creating many new career opportunities for those trained in this specialized field. Game design and development positions can involve a wide range of responsibilities, from creating the initial concept through to programming, artwork and sound, all the way through to providing live services and support for other players, or providing critical feedback to enhance the design and development process. With the explosion of multiplayer online role-playing games like World of Warcraft, Runescape and eve Online, there is also a realisation that more people are spending more time together in these massively multiplayer online games. Chris Crawford argues that the real future for this industry lies in providing more opportunities for people to get into the world of the game.

Many experts believe that the rise of massively multiplayer online role-playing games has a huge impact on the way people interact with each other, both in and out of the game world. “The single player game world is rapidly becoming a very public space,” says Crawford. “We’re beginning to see this with websites like Facebook, where millions of people are interacting with one another. There’s absolutely no doubt that the interaction that occurs within the game will continue to grow as more people spend more time within it.” This change in the game world means that players can socialise with each other in a way that they might not have been able to when the consoles were first introduced.

The use of game theory in computer games may have its roots in mathematics, but experts believe that it has more to do with understanding how humans react to changes in the environment. In this sense, players tend to build up a particular strategy, often based on game theory, that enables them to exploit the environment to the advantage of themselves and their friends. They may be actively seeking a win, but when they find it, they often try to achieve this by forming sub-organisms that form what is known as a stable, network-based society in which all the members can profit from the collective effort. This type of environment fosters social interaction and cooperation rather than competition, and experts believe that this is what is behind the popularity of online multiplayer games.