In the latter half of Huizinga’s Homo Ludens, he attempts to describe play as an element that is both serious and not serious simultaneously.
At one end, the fact that play holds no inherent risk or chance for profit. On the other, play naturally invokes a sense of intensity and tension that forces the player into a more serious state. I feel, however, that in Huizinga’s idea of play being a serious matter, he fails to consider the possibility that a player can play a game simply for the enjoyment of the game. As previously mentioned, play is an essential part of a game, but you don’t need a game to engage in play. However, I’m inclined to believe that the player whose ultimate goal is not winning, but rather to attain the maximum enjoyment possible from the game, plays in an almost tension-free state, as that tension would detract from the ability for the player to have fun. Does a gamer like that fit into Huizinga’s model of gaming and play? I’m inclined to believe that no, they don’t.
