Caillois opens up the passage by exploring J. Huizinga’s definition of “play” which he delivered at an oration titled, “The Cultural Limits of Play.” Huizinga aimed to further develop the topic in an original and moving work he published in 1938 called Homo Ludens. Huizinga takes a strategic approach to defining play – he analyzes the several fundamental characteristics of play and demonstrates the importance of its role in the very development of civilization. First, he sought an exact definition of the essence of play; second, he tried to clarify the role of play present in or animating the essential aspects of all culture: in the arts as in philosophy, in poetry as well as in juridical institutions and even in the etiquette of war.
One of the things that strike me about Caillois definition of play is his assertion that “we might call it a free activity standing quite consciously outside “ordinary” life as being “not serious,” but at the same time absorbing the player intensely and utterly. It is an activity connected with no material interest and no profit can be gained by it. It promotes the formation of social grouping which tends to surround themselves with secrecy and to stress their difference from the common world by disguise or other means.”
Caillois notes another distinction in Huizinga’s definition of play with regard to games of chance – property is exchanged, but no goods are produced. Furthermore, the players control the degree to which they are affected by this exchange through a conscious decision “remade at each game, the probability of such transfer.” At the end of the game, all can and must start over again at the same point. Huizinga asserts that “a characteristic of play is that it creates no goods, thus differing from work or art.” He argues that play is an occasion of pure waste: waste of time, energy, ingenuity, skill, and often of money for the purchase of gambling equipment or eventually to pay for the establishment.
At the same time, Caillois submits that “there is also no doubt that play must be defined as a free and voluntary activity, a source of joy and amusement.” Play must be defined as a free and voluntary activity, Caillois says, a source of joy and amusement. One of the basic characteristics of play is that the player devotes himself spontaneously to the game, of his free will and for his pleasure, each time completely free to choose retreat, silence, idle solitude or creative activity. Valéry’s definition of play is derived from this. Valéry says such play only occurs when the players have a desire to play, and play the most absorbing game to find diversion, escape from responsibility and routine. Caillois believes that most importantly, it is important that they be free to leave whenever they please, by saying: “I am not playing anymore.”
Game Studies 