Games as the Play of Meaning - Ch 25

Two kinds of representations, “games can represent” and “games are representations”.
Games can represent: by character, settings, ideas, etc. Games represent within the system of meaning.
Games are representations: representations of territorial conflict, hand to hand combat etc.
System of meaning: meaning requires a formal system (rules) to generate relationships between signs.
Meaning is emergent - possible outcomes exceed the formal complexity of the rule system.

Meaning emerges as player actively interprets the system

Context of meaning: space of experience where the interpretation takes place.
e.g pressing a button:

interaction is discernable - outcome of the action is there right after the pressing

interaction is integrated - the player discovered how the buttons operate

    action > outcome

Cognitive frame: way of organizing how we look at the world.
  creates contexts for interpretation and affect how we make sense of things
  mirrors the magic circle
  play as a system of behaviour that is framed within the bounds of rules regarding space, time,meaning and consequentiality.

Metacommunication: e.g dogs playing biting each other:
bite means: aha! i bit u
bite also means: i didn’t bite u, I am just playing

Bateson refer to this double meaning as metacommunication

takes place in the context of the play

player’s communicate with the game’s actions and also with the fact that  “they are just playing”