This book bounces around with a lot of ideas and different theories from Wark and is just a little bit hard to follow sometimes. However, from what I could understand is that Wark sees not just video games but the actaul real world as a gamespace. You can see in this book that he’s a guy who has really gone full on digital. He does however really care about games and how we should enjoy them in our “Cave”.
His chapter about Allegory and algorithms was interesting to as he use The Sims to show how the game responses to the real world and the goals that you strive to achieve for your Sim. You also can tell he is very aware of game theory as a lot of what he talks about can relate back to what we have discussed this whole semester, Especially the magic circle as that seems to almost be chanlannge by him and definatley Juul’s art of failure theory of why we play games.
I do appreciate his book though because it simple reminds us to just enjoy that we are gamers and appreciate these games we play and enjoy them but understand why the function the way they do and the mean and effects they give us.
Game Studies 
I completely agree with you in that Wark seems to live a very digital life. I honestly believe that they are a little biased and rooted in their own opinions throughout the book, because they speak so concretely about concepts that are much more complex than Wark makes them seem. I understand their point of view and their reason for writing this book, but I think they gave up too quickly on their own idea and didn’t see it through completely. From seeing so many similarities between games and real life, Wark makes a generalized statement that society has become a gamespace and stops there. However, I believe it makes more sense to see society and games as sharing many similar characteristics and influencing each other through a mutualist relationship rather than to concretely say that society is exactly like the digital in every single way.
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The Sims serves as an allegory to the real world given the goals you set for your Sim to achieve. Wark suggests that “perhaps a game like the Sims could be a parody of everyday life in “the society of the spectacle.” Will Wright, the Sims game designer says that all the accessories that you spend time building and adding to your virtual world that had been promising to save you time is actually kind of a parody of consumerism.” And at some point, Wright says, it takes over your life. Conversely, Frasca argues that “while the game may be making fun of suburban Americans,, but since it rewards the player every time she buys new stuff, I do not think this could be considered parody.”
I agree that the Sims is a parody in a sense but at the same time, it imitates life because it mirrors the American dream.
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As I read through your essay about Wark’s theory. I could understand more about the theory itself and the concept. I didn’t understand Wark’s theory that much because his theory has complicated thoughts. I also agree with your points of the real game world. The real game world concept is good to know and apply to my experience.
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