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Essays About Video Games: Top 12 Examples and Prompts

Video games have revolutionized the way we have fun today. If you are writing essays about video games, check out our guide to inspire your writing.  

Few can contest the fact that video games have taken over the world. From the basic, almost “primitive” games of the 1970s like Pong to the mind-bending virtual reality games of the 2020s, they have been a source of entertainment for all. Moreover, they have proven quite profitable; countries like Japan and the United States have made tens of billions of dollars solely from the video game market.

Despite their popularity, much has been debated over the potentially harmful side effects that video games may have, particularly on children. One side argues that playing certain video games can lead to people exhibiting violence in the future, while others believe that video games teach players essential life skills. Regardless, they will continue to be a part of our lives for the foreseeable future. 

For engaging essays about video games, read the essay examples featured below for inspiration.

1. What electronic games can teach us by Kendall Powell

2. designers are imagining video games without guns by keith stuart, 3. playing video games all summer won’t make you feel worse by nicole wetsman, 4.  violent video games bad by andrea newman.

  • 5. ​​The health effects of too much gaming by Peter Grinspoon

Writing Prompts For Essays About Video Games

1. video games: good or bad, 2. the benefits of video games, 3. what is your favorite video game, 4. do video games cause people to become violent, 5. video games in your life, 6. video games vs. traditional games, 7. is the video game rating system enough.

“In other studies, researchers found that gamers who trained on Tetris were better at mentally rotating two-dimensional shapes than those who played a control game. Students who played two hours of All You Can E.T., an educational game designed to enhance the executive function of switching between tasks, improved their focus-shifting skills compared with students who played a word search game.”

Powell explains a few possibilities of applying video games to education. As it turns out, certain video games can improve players’ skills, depending on the mechanics. Researchers are inspired by this and hope to take advantage of the competitive, motivational nature of gaming to encourage children to learn. New games are designed to help kids improve their focus, coordination, and resilience, and game designers hope they will succeed. 

“Imagine a game where you’re a war reporter seeking to capture the most iconic, representative images in a battle environment: You’d still get the sense of peril that audiences expect from action adventures, but your relationship with the environment would be more profound. It would be Call of Duty from the perspective of a creative participant rather than a violent interloper.”

The graphic nature of some video games is said to make kids violent, so it is only natural that some creators try to change this. Stuart writes that it is possible to maintain the fun that shooter-type games induce without using guns. He gives examples of games where you do not kill your enemy, simply stunning or capturing them instead. He also suggests photography as an alternative to killing in a “shooting” game. Finally, he suggests basing video games around helping others, making friends, and doing more peaceful, creative tasks.

“Any role video games play in skewing well-being that did pop up in the study was too small to have a real-world impact on how people feel, the authors said. People would have to play games for 10 more hours per day than their baseline to notice changes in their well-being, the study found.”

Wetsman counters the widespread belief that video games “destroy your brain.” Research done with a sample of 39,000 players over six weeks has shown that whether one plays video games for long or short periods, their mental health is not impacted much. There are some exceptions; however, there are not enough to conclude that video games are, in fact, harmful.

“Some people believe that the connection between violent games, and real violence is also fairly intuitive. In playing the games kids are likely to become desensitized to gory images;which could make them less disturbing, and perhaps easier to deal with in real life. While video games aren’t about violence their capacity to teach can be a good thing.”

In her essay, Newman writes about the supposed promotion of violence in some video games. However, she believes this violence does not cause people to be more aggressive later. Instead, she believes these games expose children to certain atrocities so they will not be traumatized if they see them in real life. In addition, these games supposedly promote connections and friendships. Finally, Newman believes that these “harmful” can make you a better person.

5. ​​ The health effects of too much gaming by Peter Grinspoon

“Gamers need to be educated on how to protect their thumbs, wrists, and elbows, their waistlines, their emotional state, their sleep, and their eyes. Simple education around taking breaks, stretching, eating healthy snacks, and resting and icing your thumb, wrist, or elbow when it starts hurting can address injuries early, before they become significant. For the eyes, gamers can try the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, try to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.”

Grinspoon discusses both the benefits and the health risks of gaming. Video games allow people to interact with each other remotely and bond over specific missions or tasks, and some research shows that they have cognitive benefits. However, some gamers may develop vision problems and hand and wrist injuries. Gaming and “staring in front of a screen the whole day” is also associated with obesity. Overall, Grinspoon believes that gaming is best done in moderation.

Looking for more? Check out these essays about hobbies .

Many parents believe that their children’s “bad behavior” is because of video games. Based on your experience and others, decide: are video games good or bad for you? Make sure to read viewpoints from both sides and write an essay based on your position. Would you encourage others to play video games? Discuss these pros and cons for an interesting argumentative essay.

Like anything else, video games have both positive and negative aspects. Explain the good that video games can do for you: the skills they can equip you with, the lessons they can teach, and anything else. Also, include whether you believe their benefits outweigh the disadvantages they may pose. 

For your essay, write about your favorite video game and why you chose it. What is its meaning to you, and how has it affected your life? Describe the gameplay mechanics, characters, storyline, and general impact on the gaming community or society. You can write about any game you want, even if you have not played it; just ensure the content is sufficient.

Many claim that playing violent video games can make you violent in the future. Research this phenomenon and conclude whether it is true or not. Is the evidence sufficient? There are many resources on this topic; support your argument by citing credible sources, such as news articles, statistics, and scientific research.

Video games have been a part of almost all our lives. Recall a treasured experience with video games and explain why it is significant. How old were you? Why do you remember it fondly? How did this experience make you feel? Answer these questions in your own words for an exciting essay.

Essays About Video Games: Video games vs. Traditional games

There are stark differences between video and traditional games, such as board games and card games. For an engaging essay, compare and contrast them and write about which is more entertaining, in your opinion. Be creative; this should be based on your own opinions and ideas.

The video game content rating system is used to classify video games based on their appropriateness for specific ages. However, parents complain that they are not strict enough and allow the display of violent content to children. Explore the criteria behind the rating system, decide whether it needs to be changed or not, and give examples to support your argument.

If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips !

Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

an essay on a game

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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How to Write an Essay about Video Games: Presenting Effective Arguments in Papers

an essay on a game

Gaming on video consoles is becoming more and more common. In actuality, the typical gamer plays for roughly six hours each week. There are many who claim that video games are harmful to one’s health since they promote inactive lifestyles like prolonged sitting and isolation from the outside world. On the other hand, some people say that playing video games is a good way to unwind and relax, and they are not wrong. So, what is the real story of video games? Are they good or bad? The controversy of playing video games presents an opportunity for students to either be proponents or antagonists of the issue through essays. Accordingly, this article discusses how a learner can write an essay about video games.

It would be best to do thorough research before writing an essay about video games

Research is often the most challenging aspect of preparing an essay. While writing your video games essay, you’ll have to employ the information you get from research to define video games, describe different genres, and give relevant examples to support your claims. Students must recognize that the amount of research they conduct totally affects how good their essays turn out. Your video game essay will benefit greatly from your careful attention to detail and thorough investigation. Just keep in mind that you are trying to convince your audience to see things from your point of view. This is why having a great deal of background information is essential. Researching your favorite video game would give you an added advantage. Additionally, to support your claims, you must include relevant examples and research-based data.

You should develop an introduction that captures your reader’s interest

The whole point of the opening paragraph is to capture the interest of the audience. To achieve this, it should pose an intriguing topic or provide a contradiction or paradox. You ought to add a good hook to grab the reader’s attention so they can’t help but keep reading your paper. Given that there are numerous motivations for why individuals engage in video games, the introduction is where you have to specify the reasons. Moreover, it would be best to incorporate your thesis statement in the introduction. A thesis statement is basically the writer’s primary concept, summed up in one or a few sentences. A well-formulated thesis statement expresses the work’s central argument in a way that makes sense in light of the inquiry or issue at hand. It would be the correct response to the question, “What is the primary theme of this essay?” from the instructor. Nonetheless, you should perceive your thesis as an opinion that may be debated at any time, rather than an established fact or objective reality. In other words, now is the time to speak your mind regarding the impact of video games on today’s youth.

You must present your arguments in the body paragraphs

The arguments are what learners utilize to support their thesis. A single contention and one or two examples must each have their own paragraph. It would be best to provide your reasoning for your video game position and be sure to explain why you firmly disagree with the opposing viewpoint. Examples include your own experiences and, where appropriate, references to data from studies, forecasts, and statistics. Students should provide answers to contentious topics like “Do video games promote addiction and violence among players?” The arguments you employ ought to back your main point rather than contradict it.

You may offer vivid illustrations as you write an argumentative essay about video games

Learners should offer evocative examples of the genres and video games under consideration. Instead of stressing about whether the material you discover online or the game’s publishers are legit, dedicate yourself to writing a fun and vibrant paper for the person who reads it. This approach piques the audience’s attention and facilitates their comprehension of the argumentative essay about video games. Additionally, these vivid examples assist you in conveying your ideas in a manner that words can’t. Even if you aren’t convinced that your assignment requires an example, using one might perk up your reader and provide your arguments additional weight.

You should write a conclusion for your essay

The last section is meant to sum up the college essay. You may accomplish this by restating the thesis statement and briefly mentioning the arguments you presented in your body paragraphs. This approach will help the audience understand how you systematically addressed the issue and made conclusions. For instance, suppose you had to respond to the question, “Do games negatively affect us?” A topic like that can’t be satisfactorily answered by psychology, particularly when it involves something as novel as video games. Consequently, it is actually way easier to just pick a side and support your position with some research. In the end, your readers don’t expect the argument to be elaborated upon but rather summarized. No new material should be introduced in the last paragraph.

Identifying the sources you employed would be best

When you are writing an essay about video games, it is essential to cite your sources. That means you got to make a list of every resource you used in your paper. References to diverse books, scientific studies, statistical data, and remarks made by well-known experts are acceptable. It would help to make sure your research is from the past five years.

Proofreading is vital for developing a top-notch paper

Students must make sure that their essays about video games have been edited and proofread prior to submission. So basically, you are going to check your assignment for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical mistakes. Completing an essay that is free of errors increases a learner’s likelihood of academic success. Here are some tips to help you proofread your work:

  • Read the text aloud. This will enable you to detect any mistakes.
  • Take your time proofreading and revising your work. Spend sufficient time on it to ensure you catch any possible oversights.
  • Concentrate on correcting a single mistake at a time. Avoid the hassle of searching for spelling and grammar mistakes at the same time. Prior to checking for punctuation and spelling problems, you may concentrate on grammatical issues.
  • You may also create a list of the most typical errors that students make while writing essays, then review your work for each one.

Using these suggestions will guarantee that your essay is devoid of all types of mistakes that might undermine how persuasive your argument is. Alternatively, you can delegate your “ write my essay ” request to online essay writing services like CustomWritings which may allow you to complete a high-quality paper about video games.

Extra tips for presenting better arguments in essays about video games

Today’s youth often engage in video gaming, and this trend will only spread in the coming years. Composing a paper about video games can help you learn more about the subject while also providing readers with information they can utilize in their lives. Just consider the potential for them to be inspired by and gain new knowledge from your essay about video games. Following this article’s recommendations should take you a step closer to achieving your academic goals.

Nick Sinclair

Nick Sinclair, a gaming aficionado since the Commodore 64 era, studied Creative Computer Games Design in university before founding his own gaming company. Discovering a passion for content creation, Nick now helps gamers squeeze every drop of fun out of their favorite gaming hardware

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The Field of Dreams Approach: On Writing About Video Games

an essay on a game

Tony Tulathimutte on the future of video game criticism

an essay on a game

Every year, more and more great essays are published on literary sites concerning video games. In the past year I’ve especially loved entries like Janet Frishberg’s “On Playing Games, Productivity, and Right Livelihood,” Joseph Spece’s “A Harvest of Ice,” and Adam Fleming Petty’s “The Spatial Poetics of Nintendo: Architecture, Dennis Cooper, and Video Games.” But for each great essay there are a handful of others written like apologies, seemingly perennial pleas to take video games seriously as a form of meaningful narrative.

I hoped to have a conversation with a writer about games that went a little deeper. There were two main reasons I turned to the Whiting Award-winning writer Tony Tulathimutte. The first was because of his response in an interview with Playboy , in which he said that his interest in gaming probably “had something to do with my desire to bend or break formal conventions in fiction.” The second was his three thousand word essay about Clash of Clans , “Clash Rules Everything Around Me,” which was exactly the type of essay about gaming I wanted to see more of. Tulathimutte is the author of Private Citizens , which we listed as one of the 25 best novels of 2016 .

What I want is long-form literary criticism. But writers should just write what they want to read. The body of work will be there and the audience will follow it. The ‘ Field of Dreams’ approach.

Graham Oliver: Can we have this conversation without getting stuck trying to legitimize video games as a medium?

Tony Tulathimutte: “Are video games art?” “Have we had the video game Citizen Kane  yet?”

GO: That’s such a boring and overdone conversation. I think it’s more interesting to look at the ways in which video games actually do interact with literature, and not to hold the conversation just as a demonstration of our respect.

TT: Take the respect for granted and go from there. I thought about starting a literary magazine about video games a while back, but the discourse had by then become so toxic that, even with the most anodyne academic essay you could write, the best you could hope for was that it would be ignored. There needs to be more space for this kind of writing, but I just didn’t want to wade into it then. I feel a little better about it now, which is why I did the Clash of Clans  essay.

GO: What is the difference between video game-related essays showing up on a literary site, versus a site where the primary purpose is the intersection of video games and literature? What could that site do that can’t be done (or isn’t being done) otherwise?

TT: Part of it is just volume. You can’t have a general interest magazine like the New Yorker covering video games to the same depth or degree as it does film or music or even theater. Every big magazine at this point covers video games occasionally — I know the New Yorker has written about Minecraft and No Man’s Sky , for instance. New York Magazine just did a big essay on gaming more broadly.

an essay on a game

But for some reason, there’s no video game editor at the New Yorker , no dedicated departments or verticals, except at newer places like VICE, Vox , The Verge . Unlike music or movies, video games aren’t equally distributed through the culture; it’s more compartmentalized. This owes in part to a marketing apparatus around games that caters to and fosters a specific audience, and because the audience for certain genres — responding to these pressures — became self-selecting, especially with respect to gender. Video games may be art, but they are also a STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics] industry, which makes them no different from any other STEM field in that regard.

GO: It’s a question of access. I was thinking about your Clash essay; you have this entire paragraph that has to explain this massively popular and mechanically fairly simple game. Does that automatically turn off an audience who are already proficient in those basics? In which case, are you only writing for people who don’t game? I suppose that’s another conundrum of coverage in a general interest publication…

TT: If you read an essay by Susan Sontag or Martin Amis about the great books, or by André Bazin about film, they can assume a certain level of knowledge about the text or film from their audience. I can write that way about games on my own time and my own dime, but there’s no presumed canon or general readership for games, because they’re not taught in schools and not regularly discussed in big publications. So you either write for the diehards — the equivalent of film buffs or bookworms — or for novices.

GO: Is that why we haven’t had novels which interact with video games the way David Foster Wallace did with tennis, or Ann Patchett with opera? Neither of their books included explanatory paragraphs; it’s so ingrained in our culture that it seems almost impossible to have grown up without some idea of what tennis or opera are.

TT: Most people have played a game, and the average gamer spends six hours a week playing them. I think it has less to do with the medium inherently than just the failure of writers who have approached the subject. I haven’t read everything on games, but so far, the fledgling efforts have been too literal or kind of corny. Some writers seem to think that you’re supposed to transpose the form of games into fiction — to provide this very lightly remediated experience of reading a book so that it feels like you’re playing a game.

The last thing you want to do is create a watered-down experience of gaming in a text. A book should still work as a book. It’s the usual difficulty of writing about other mediums; there’s that old chestnut that writing about music is like dancing about architecture. But there are special considerations for how to write about any form in a way that conveys deep presence and vividness comparable to the experience itself.

GO: When you’re writing about games in one form or another, do you find you prefer to write for someone who is like you — very interested in both writing and video games — or is your preference for someone in that liminal space somewhere between them?

TT: I approach it as I do with all my creative writing, which is to write for the audience of Tony. That frees to me to write things irrespective of their publishability. Right now I’m working on a long essay about Metal Gear Solid  — the whole series. That’s between ten and twenty games, depending on which ones you call canon. The dialogue alone stacks up to something like sixty thousand words each. And the companion synopsis is almost three thousand words. I’m just trying to make points about the series that haven’t been made before. Would Kill Screen or The New York Review of Books ever run that? Hell to the fuck no.

an essay on a game

If writers keep doing this, eventually there will be a readership equipped to deal with it. For the longest time there have been really smart people playing video games and wondering where all the good criticism was. It’s a discoverability issue, to a certain extent. There’s so much good writing out there about games, but most games-writing outlets cater to fairly niche perspectives. Action Button is extremely good, irreverent creative criticism, probably my favorite. Five Out of Ten is academically oriented, Kill Screen is mainstream journalism. What I want is long-form literary criticism. But writers should just write what they want to read. The body of work will be there and the audience will follow it. The Field of Dreams approach.

GO: You said earlier (and you’ve also mentioned it in your Playboy interview) that the discourse around games is toxic and partisan. Are you talking about within or outside of the gaming community?

TT: All of it. Partisan lines have been drawn within it for purposes far beyond aesthetic disagreement. In part because so much of this discourse occurs in a medium where people are not held accountable for their words, i.e. on the internet.

GO: How does that compare to conversations within the literary community? You’ve written before, for instance, about the MFA vs. NYC debate .

TT: I want to do my part to de-estrange gaming discourse. Not de-stigmatize or demystify, but de-estrange. This cancerous shit happens everywhere — it just happens in a spectacularly aggressive and organized way in gaming.

GO: When you’re not actually writing about video games, what place do they hold in your life? Are they the stress relief at the end of the day, the reward after two hours of writing? Or something you try to avoid when you’re in the middle of a big project?

TT: I’ve played video games since I was three years old. I have loved video games a lot longer than I’ve loved literature — which is not to say more. Actually… yeah, probably more. It just so happens that I’m a writer. I don’t feel the guilt that some people do who, even if they enjoy gaming, approach it feeling as if it’s a waste of time, or a form of entertainment which takes them away from their “real life.” You wouldn’t condemn a cineaste or a lover of literature. But a fug of non-respectability still attends video games.

That said, the reward mechanisms in most games are designed to get you hooked in cognitive motivational ways that don’t apply to most literature. So it’s absolutely possible for games to displace other things that you would want to do just as much. I don’t struggle to fit them into my life, but I probably would, if my life consisted of much more than just teaching and writing.

GO: I suppose I was thinking more about the effect on your mental state. For instance, I have to save video games for the end of the day, because I have a hard time going from the almost meditative state of game-playing into writing. How does it fit in, not in the sense of time but in how it interacts with your ability to produce writing afterwards?

TT: If a visual narrative enters my head before I start writing, it’s enormously difficult to pull myself back into writing. A huge amount of psychic inertia has to be overcome to transition from consuming a narrative to assembling one. I have a lot of wacko bird theories as to why. Perhaps language is such an information-poor medium that it demands a sparseness of input, so that you can have room to envision or create new stuff in your head. Maybe the act of viewing, which puts you in the posture of evaluation and judgment, beefs up the inner critic that makes it hard to write. That’s all pure superstition, I have nothing to base that on.

GO: What about when it comes to the type of video game? You’ve mentioned playing DotA 2 in other interviews, which is very different from more narrative-heavy single player games. In the middle of a big writing project, do you find yourself drawn more to one type of game over another?

TT: With the caveat that writers are the worst self-appraisers, I’ll say that I have not noticed any influence from the type of games I’m playing on what I write. I think games engage an entirely different part of my brain, which might also account for the difficulty I have toggling between those two modes. That said, I think longer games can work like long books — immersively — where you have to pinch your nose and take a deep breath before plunging into the Neapolitan books and it just becomes the medium you swim in for months. Some games demand a higher or more frequent degree of engagement to get any kind of nuance at all. You can play a thousand hours of DotA 2 , without coming anywhere near understanding it.

an essay on a game

GO: How does that compare to the relationship between reading and your own work? Do you avoid other people’s writing when working, or do you keep books on your desk for the sake of referencing them?

TT: I do. I try to keep a messy puddle of books around my work area, in case I want to steal something from somebody else. But I Google as much as I refer to other books. I don’t disconnect from the internet when I’m writing, like some writers who have this almost mystical anathema against technology. I generally find I benefit from my procrastination.

You can have a rom-com game, a campus game, an adultery game, or a boring-but-important game that will get taught in high schools circa 2110.

GO: You referred to language as being information-poor a minute ago, which reminds me of the AGNI essay you wrote on boredom. The thesis of that essay was basically that boredom in literature is okay. Can you also apply that idea to video games? Can there be meaningful or productive boredom while playing, through the act of repetition, for instance? I just played Her Story, which I know you enjoyed, and while it has a super interesting story you have to slog through a certain amount of repetition to get to it.

TT: The democratization of game creation is producing a wider range of games, like the Super 8 camera did with film. You can have vignette-style games like Nina Freeman’s —  Cibele , how do you Do It? , Freshman Year , etc. You can have “walking simulators” that are almost purely meditative, like Gone Home , Firewatch , or Dear Esther . I just saw a piece on a game based on Thoreau’s Walden .

an essay on a game

The impulses and tendencies that make people want to create literature are present. It will happen more as people are able to do what they want to do, without enormous corporate financial support or even crowdfunding, which, to an extent, just moves the bottom line to having to be crowd-pleasing. Games can be plenty boring in spite of themselves, even if that’s not what they’re trying to do. It’s a cliché by now to point out that the most time investment-heavy games like World of Warcraft consist largely of “grinding.” Or, if you play something like DotA 2 , queuing for a game.

GO: For DotA 2 you also have to spend a lot of time reading up on viable builds. Work that’s not in actually playing the game.

TT: Yes, although I will say that that intellectual work doesn’t feel like tedious labor to me. I have fun looking up builds. The deep strategy and understanding are coextensive with the pleasure of playing the game.

Moments of boredom are built into games for reasons that range from comedy to suspense. I think a lot about the moment in Final Fantasy VI where you’re directed to just wait at the edge of a floating continent for a character to come along. On the one hand you’re sitting watching a clock tick down. On the other hand, it’s extremely tense.

Contrasting aesthetic effects in games to those in other media is not always productive, because it’s like playing Twenty Questions. Can games do X like books? Can games do Y like films? In the same way we should assume games are art, and that there’s an audience out there hungry to make something of them, we should assume that games can do anything. You can have a rom-com game, a campus game, an adultery game, or a boring-but-important game that will get taught in high schools circa 2110.

GO: I go to these academic conferences where a similar conversation is happening among professors who write in the field of gaming studies. Some bring in literary and film theory, and try to lay that on top of video games, while others reject that. The tools and the language are already there from other fields, so it seems easy. On the other hand, it can be kind of reductive, and perhaps prevents you from having the more meaningful conversation.

TT: Right, or even just the conversation you’re trying to have. There are also those efforts to create a language around game studies, partly I think try to legitimatize it in the eyes of the academy. You get people going on about the Ludologists versus the Narratologists, about ludonarrative dissonance, copping these quasi-academic terms. I can see the point of systematizing things, but my favorite criticism helps you not to just describe and understand, but to enjoy stuff more.

GO: How much do you worry about the effect that being an “out” gamer will have on your literary career?

TT: If I were bashful or coy about my love of video games I wouldn’t do this interview. The same goes for pornography or television. Even the language of being “out” implies a political and social pressure or an importance that just doesn’t exist. I’d hate to believe that being a writer means living in a constant state of deposition, publicizing everything you do, think, or feel. The fact that I like video games isn’t interesting. Video games are interesting. I love talking about them with smart people, both within and outside of gaming culture. But I’m also perfectly happy to be left alone with them.

GO: Do you hope there’s a day around the corner where a game developer decides to make a narrative-heavy game like Life is Strange , Her Story , or Kentucky Route Zero , and they look at a list of literary authors to figure out who should write it?

TT: Not at all. I believe that I can do a lot of things in writing, but I haven’t felt an urge to create a video game since the third grade. It’s always good to have some kind of interest that is totally pure, where you’re going to be an eternal fan, because sausage-making can disillusion you fast. If part of the charge of art comes from mystique or sheer baffled admiration, that’s something I want to preserve in at least a few departments of my life.

GO: As a writer, you’re expected to be both a creator and a thoughtful critic as well. It seems like once you publish a book, there is an expectation that you’ll be reviewing or blurbing for other books for the rest of your life. How does your approach to writing about literature differ from your essays on games?

TT: I review books as a practitioner; I know what goes into putting one together, so I can pan one that isn’t well-made. I write about games as an appreciator, in that I want to take something I like and enlarge people’s sense of pleasure or wonder at it. This doesn’t mean that I can’t be critical of a game. I have negative things to say about everything. But because I’m not highly qualified to trivialize or disparage a game on the level of craft — for instance, a sunbeam in a video game might look shitty and aliased because of technological or budgetary constraints that I’m not aware of — my main task is to study its narrative and to add value.

GO: You’ve been thinking about games critically for a long time. I read that you wrote your theses — both in undergrad and for your first master’s degree — on video game interaction. What were you looking at in those?

TT: I majored in something called Symbolic Systems, which would be called cognitive sciences anywhere else. They add linguistics and philosophy to the standard curriculum of formal logic, computer science, and cognitive psychology. I applied the extremely specific language of human-computer interaction studies to video games. So I wrote pretty dry literature surveys of game-writing and interaction theory, and how the latter could be applied to the former.

One was about game controller design, which ended up anticipating the Nintendo Wii controller by a couple of years. I talked about the potential for modular design and gestural input. The second thesis was about menus. They’re the basis of turn-based RPGs, and in games their definitional boundaries are weird. Take the Warp Zone Pipes in Super Mario Brothers . You go over a ceiling and drop into a room where you’re invited to select one of three pipes to go through. It is very clearly a menu, where you’re selecting one of three options, but it’s also a part of the action.

God, I sound so stoned when I talk about this.

an essay on a game

GO: I hate to keep mentioning Her Story , but I just started it today. In that game, the user interface also has this blurry boundary. You read a ReadMe file to learn how to use the system, but that’s all part of the in-game computer you interact with as part of the story.

TT: Yeah, it’s brilliant. Any computer interaction can be extrapolated into a game premise. Here it’s basically Database Search: The Game, but it’s fun and well written. To analogize with literature, there are plenty of stories whose premise comes from its formal conceit. My favorite is “ Going for a Beer ” by Robert Coover. He takes a simple sentence gimmick — where two things that happen at different times are written as though they’re simultaneous — and it becomes the conceit of the story. The story is, “what if your life was composed of moments with endings and beginnings but no middles?”

GO: Form matching content. That happens in all types of art, right? There was a piece on Hamilton which pointed out that, as the first half progresses, the Marquis de Lafayette’s rhymes get denser and faster, coinciding with him being in America and increasingly speaking English. The music reflects the plot.

TT: Form generating content, I would say. It’s a classical idea. Sometimes it’s done very explicitly, like with Oulipo. It can be super corny, but it’s a dependable source of inspiration.

It’s Tristram Shandy-levels of batshit.

GO: Going back to your idea for a game-writing website, were you imagining a place that just collected the kind of long-form writing you want to see, or were you also imagining a community that would be built around it?

TT: I am not too concerned with building community. The idea was simply to get critical essays on games­ — not fiction, poetry, reviews, or personal essays, but literary analysis. Like the essay I’m working on about the Metal Gear Solid series… So many of the male characters lose their hands and are sterile and have daddy issues and misinterpret the will of one female character, The Boss. Aside from the glaring Freudian overtones, what’s that about? This is not stuff that figures into the plot as it plays out, but is something that I think screams out for conversation.

GO: I was a Nintendo kid and then jumped to PC gaming, so I never got into the Metal Gear  games.

TT: It’s like the Infinite Jest of games. As far as I know, it’s the longest continuous scripted narrative in games. You can make a strained case for things like Zelda or Metroid , but this is the most sustained vision from an auteurist figure, Hideo Kojima, and it’s just bonkers. It’s Tristram Shandy -levels of batshit.

GO: Well, that sells it. I now have to ask the big, speculative question, since you just called it the Infinite Jest of games. What do you think David Foster Wallace’s writing would have been like, had he been obsessed with video games rather than television?

TT: This question is so enormously counterfactual it might as well be a novel. The guy was hugely tech-avoidant. He typed with one finger on an old computer. But games seem very contiguous with his concerns in Infinite Jest . Though who’s to say Virginia Woolf wouldn’t have also gotten equally invested in games? Wallace is a gimme because of the technological overlap, but to me the more interesting speculative question is, What would a game written by P.G. Wodehouse be like? I want to see an essay on  that .

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How to Write an Essay About Your Favorite Game

Essay

Writing an essay is a difficult task, especially if you are writing about your favorite game. Drafting a game essay is not always as easy as you might think. It takes dedication, commitment, and sheer will if you want to pull off the perfect game essay in English. Luckily, we have come up with some best tips.

Brainstorming

When it comes to brainstorming, not many people pay attention to this part of writing an essay. Of course, professional writers always start their work with brainstorming, but teen students nowadays often tend to neglect this crucial part. However, there are many reasons why brainstorming is imperative and inevitable if you want to write the perfect favorite game essay. Think about it. If you do not have the content in your mind, how do you suppose to jot it down in the paper? For instance, let us take an example of a situation. Imagine you are a very athletic person, and you have an interest in several games. After a while, you come down to two topic options. However, you are still unable to decide between basketball or football. So, what do you do in such a situation? Yes! You start brainstorming. Start jotting down the points you have in mind about both the topics and choose whichever you find the most suitable. To make it easy for you, below are written some of the steps which will help you in brainstorming,

  • Start jotting down anything that comes up to your mind about basketball and football.
  • Use the technique of mind-mapping to come up with the essay idea.
  • Once you have the list of potential ideas or topics, start further elimination until you find the right one.

So, brainstorming can be much more beneficial than you think. It can help you ace your essay without any inconvenience. So, the myth about brainstorming being a wastage of time is not true. If anything, brainstorming enables you to save time.

Opt The Desired Type Of Essay

One of the second and most essential parts in initiating the essay on my favorite game is choosing the story’s writing style. Yes! Some of you might not be aware, but there are several styles you can conduct writing an essay. It is imperative that you choose the type according to your desired topic; otherwise, your whole work would be irrelevant, consequently getting rejected by your teachers. Students worldwide struggle with this task, as it is challenging to choose a style and start writing on it. It would also help if you did thorough research, which takes up a significant amount of your time. However, worry no more because, luckily, we have come up with some of the most used and universal essay writing styles. After reading the points below, you would easily pick a style for my favorite game essay.

  • Narrative essay – A narrative essay is mainly used for stories that need a background voice to guide their audience. The narrative essay type is primarily used for biographies and autobiographies. To use it in telling about your favorite game would be a smart move.
  • Persuasive essay – A persuasive essay is pretty much self-explanatory. This style of writing is mainly used to convince someone for something or to request someone for something. You may have seen people using this style for writing letters or doing academic work. So, using this writing style in a favorite game essay would be irrelevant as you do not need to convince anyone.
  • Descriptive essay – An essay with many adjectives and words that describe something is a descriptive essay. Using this style for your favorite game paper would be a wise move as it would keep the reader hooked through the description.
  • Argumentative essay – An argumentative essay style is one of the most commonly used by students. Here, you have to use the kind of language which will support your claim. In addition, it means that you have to be defensive about something throughout the essay.

So, in short, out of all these essay types, it would be better if you used the argumentative, narrative, and descriptive essay style. However, if you are new to this type of writing, you can always find argumentative essays for sale on any topic at EssayZoo.org.

Researching

‘I want to write about my favorite game essay in English. Will you help me?’ A question we all have been asked by our juniors at least once during student life. However, many fail to help them as they are unaware of the main component of writing a perfect game essay. If you are one of these people, do not worry because we are here with the answer, researching! Yes, when it comes to writing about games, researching helps you a lot, even if you know a lot about the topic.

There are two types of teachers, one who lets you decide your own topic, the other who assigns you one. If your teacher is the latter, you have tough luck, as now you would have to start researching from scratch. On the other hand, if your teacher gives you the option of opting for your own topic, you can easily pick the easiest one, something you remember around the back of your head. In such situations, researching can be disadvantageous. For instance, if you have a little time and already know a lot about the topic, then it is suggested that you go on without researching. This will save you a lot of time and resources. Some of the benefits of researching are,

  • Widens your knowledge base
  • You have the updated information
  • Your content is more credible
  • Your scope gets narrow

Creating an Outline

When it comes to writing an essay about your favorite game, an outline is crucial. An outline may not seem as impactful as you think, but in reality, it is the forty percent reason why your essay is good. The outline of your essay is like a road map to your work. Wherever you get off track, you can always track back from where you drifted off.  That is why it is highly significant that you always draft an outline before starting.

Proofreading and Editing

Proofreading is one of the crucial parts if you want to ace your essay about your favorite game. So, to gain an unbiased opinion of your essay, ask anyone but your friends to proofread your work. A teacher would be better because they would tell you about your mistakes from the point of view of an expert.

Essay writing

Writing an essay will always be a daunting task, especially if it is about your favorite game. However, that does not mean that you stop trying after the first few tries. Remember, nothing is perfected overnight; everything takes time. Apart from that, you can always take help from the points mentioned above.

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How To Write an Essay on Video Games in The Best Way?

How To Write an Essay on Video Games in The Best Way?

It is often the case that students have a lot of different hobbies to spend time on during their college or high school period. It is something that circles their youth and represents an inevitable part of it. Through that stage, people usually like to explore more and learn as much as possible new things. One that has particularly been interesting to students in the last decade, especially, is playing video games. Since they started to appear in the world of hundreds of possibilities, the fun, joy, and entertainment they bring to their users have been easily detected. Today, we can witness many video games that are popular and adaptable to multiple platforms like PCs, laptops, mobile phones, Xbox, or Sony PlayStation. With that in mind, it is a call that can’t be neglected for the students who like spending thrilling moments on such activities. As writing essays are commonly part of students’ lives, questions about how to combine it with playing video games frequently come to mind. If you have the same issues, we are here to provide you with the best ways on how you should write essays about this topic.

State Definition of Video Games

If you are planning to write essays on video games, one of the first things you should do is to state a definition of it. According to the Globenewswire , this activity represents one of the most used ways for students to relax and have some fun. As this website offers plenty of useful information about multimedia content, it is often being visited by them. And, if we know that video games belong to multimedia, perhaps you should be writing about that theme first. It would be beneficial if you start researching data about multimedia in general and find out some additional information that can help you in writing your essay. The more you know, the better the outcome will be. So, do your own exploration and don’t hesitate to visit websites that offer such info. Multimedia can sometimes be misunderstood by the students, especially by the ones that are not specifically interested in this field. However, that doesn’t stop them from playing video games, right? After all, what can persuade them not to play some PES, FIFA, or Counter-Strike with their friends?

Collect The Data About Genres of The Games

As the use of technology and its features increases by each day, it usually implies bigger amounts of video games on the market. As every year often comes up with some new game or exciting update of the ones that already exist, something that your essay should cover are the genres of it. Every individual has their own preferences. Some people like to play adventure-based games while others like sports, for example. It is all-natural. But if you want your essay to be top-notch, you must get knowledge about genres of video games. It wouldn’t be necessary to write about every single one of them though. In the sea of genres like RPG (role-playing games), first-person shooter, horror adventures, survivals, and many others, you can select a few of the most popular ones and focus on them. Write about them in general. What is their purpose? What do they bring to the players? How have they been founded? Make sure to provide brief answers to those questions.

Don’t Forget to Mention Games’ History

It is well-known that in the modern world students like to hire professional writers online that will do the job for them. Pre-written essays for sale are becoming more and more wanted. But do you wonder how those writers are able to offer their services with such confidence? Despite their probable education level or experience, they always make sure to dig out all information available about the topic they will write about. If we take video games, for example, something they definitely wouldn’t skip to search is their history. So, you should do exactly the same. Make sure to reach the deepest places on the Internet and sites that are displayed even on the 5th or 6th page in the Google search bar. If the website is not well advertised or shown on the 1st page, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t contain useful data. You can always find valuable info only if you research it in-depth. Don’t forget to mention different eras of video games and how they have developed throughout history. From the beginning of the 2000s and Console Wars, across the Network Games Era in the 2010s, all the way to currently present ESports and VR games in the 2020s.

Use Colorful Examples

Something that is constantly present in today’s world is a sense of fear and doubt in the credibility of things online. As you know, writing services are legal , the same as many well-rated websites on the Internet. So, instead of having doubts about games’ reliability or their publishers, focus on including some colorful examples in your essay. It will make your work much easier to understand and boost its authentication. Providing information through examples is never the wrong way to express your thoughts. Make sure to illustrate interesting parts from the games that need such a presentation. If they don’t need it, it will surely increase the readers’ mood and make them able to see the actual gameplay. What more can they ask for?

Playing video games is an activity that will be present for many future generations. Writing essays about them will not only increase your knowledge about this topic but also provide others with useful data. Just think about how your work can inspire them and allow them to learn something new. Cool feeling, isn’t it?

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Essay on Sports and Games for Students and Children

500+ words essay on sports and games.

sports and games are essential for both physical and mental of the students. Moreover, it increases the immunity of the person. As it increases the blood flow in the body and makes it adaptable for exertion. The main difference between a sport and a game is, we can play games both indoors and outdoors. But we can only play sports outdoors. Furthermore, there are various advantages to sports and games. Some of them are below:

Essay on sports and games

Advantages of sports

Physical Fitness- Sports and games play a major rule in keeping a person fit and fine. Furthermore, it increases the blood flow in the entire body. So this helps in keeping the heart in the best condition. Moreover, the immunity of the body increases by playing outdoor sports. Also, it helps in keeping your body fat percentage low. This makes the appearance of the body better and makes a person good-looking.

Increase mental health- Games like chess , card games increase the mental health of a person . As it develops Spontaneity and the response time of a person. As a result, a person’s mind can make a decision under pressure. Thus this helps in increasing the IQ of a person and its’ presence of mind.

Increase Stamina- Outdoor Sports like Football , cricket, basketball, swimming builds the stamina of a person. As all these sports require a lot of running, the stamina of a person automatically increases. Therefore a person can work for a longer period of time without getting tired.

Builds a sense of teamwork- Some sports need individual participation, while some require teamwork. Thus sports enlists teamwork in a person. Which is essential in every fieldwork. A company can only run by working together and not individually. So it is important for a person to know how to work together in a team. Only then you can achieve the desired goal .

Stress-relieving- Sports can bring a change to your day to day routine. Moreover, it can relieve you from stress as your body will experience a change. It gives your mind a boost of enthusiasm and happiness. As a result, it will fill you with energy for the next day.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Disadvantages of sport and games

Dangerous- Some sports like football, cricket , basketball, swimming can be dangerous. Because any injury can occur while playing these sports. Therefore you should wear proper safety gear before playing it. Moreover, it can be harmful if you are playing it while you are sick.

Exhausting- Sports require energy, so a person needs to have proper meals. Moreover, the body needs rest to recover from the exertion. Therefore you need proper sleep every day if you are indulging in any sport.

Takes time- In order to play any sport, you have to take out time from your busy schedule. This may be very difficult for some people. As they work day and night to fulfill the needs of their family. So a person needs to cut off some things from their busy schedule to take out time to play a sport.

FAQ On the essay on sports and games

Q1. What is the main difference between sports and games?

A1. The main difference between sports and games is, we can play sports only outdoors. But games can take place both indoors and outdoors.

Q2. Write any two advantages and disadvantages of sports.

A2. The advantages of sports are it keeps a person fit and is a stress buster. The disadvantages of sports are it can be dangerous to play, injury can occur while playing and it is can be exhausting.

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Essay on Games

Games are an essential part of everyone’s childhood. Games are a fun way to keep kids entertained. They provide an interactive and engaging way to learn something new while considering themselves and others. They give children a break from daily study routines. Playing games improves kids’ immunity and helps them stay strong. BYJU’S essay on games allows the little ones to understand the difference between indoor and outdoor games and the importance of playing games.

Essay on Games

Table of Contents

Indoor games, outdoor games, importance of playing games.

The essay on games is an article that explains why playing indoor games is vital for the development of kids in their early years. Indoor games are essential for kids who spend a lot of time indoors. There are many benefits to playing these games, like improving a child’s vision and developing memory skills. These skills help them in academics. While playing indoor games, kids can have a friendly competition.

The importance of indoor games is something that many people have probably not thought about. Indoor games can teach children how to move a coin, improve coordination, and use their imaginations. Examples of indoor games are carrom board, table tennis, chess, scrabble, charades, paper games, ludo, etc.

Outdoor games are essential to children’s health and development. Children who play outdoors experience nature, which is good for their physical, social, and mental health. Outdoor games are a fun way to get out of the house, meet new people, and take an opportunity to bond with new friends.

The little ones need to engage in physical activities to stay healthy. They help children develop problem-solving, teamwork, communication, cooperation, flexibility, and physical activity skills. Outdoor activities can be more beneficial than indoor activities because they provide more exposure to sunlight. Examples of outdoor games are kabaddi, cricket, football, kho kho , etc.

Playing games is an excellent way for kids to learn about the world and make new friends. Games improve kids’ learning experience and interest in studies, which helps them score better grades. Experts say playing games has cognitive benefits and can help increase social skills.

When playing games, kids’ brains grow stronger and wiser. Games teach children how to interact with others and think strategically while they are still young and learning new things. They also provide a safe place for kids to learn and explore without fear of judgement. You can also use games to teach your child how to communicate using a game board or cards.

To conclude, games are an essential part of early childhood, and an essay on games helps children understand the value of playing games. When kids soak in the sun while playing, they become strong, improving their vitamin D levels. In addition, playing games keep the kids engaged and entertained. For more kid-friendly activities, stories , GK questions and other games visit, BYJU’S website.

Frequently Asked Questions on Essay on Games

What are the benefits of playing indoor games.

Indoor games provide kids with a way to exercise their minds while playing. Solving puzzles or educational games help children learn new skills, strengthen maths skills and improve memory. Research is also being conducted to see how playing indoor board games can improve children’s literacy skills.

Why are outdoor games important for children?

Parents should encourage their children to participate in outdoor games to teach them the importance of teamwork and cooperation. Games like kabaddi, cricket, and hockey are fun ways for children to stay active during the summer. They also help children build their physical strength.

Why is BYJU’S essay on games vital for kids?

BYJU’S essay on games is essential for children because it explains the significance of playing and how games allow them to release stress, have fun, and learn valuable skills.

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Could a video game developer win the Nobel Prize for Literature?

an essay on a game

Profesor de Humanidades, IE University

Disclosure statement

Andrés Porras Chaves does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

IE University provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation ES.

IE University provides funding as a member of The Conversation EUROPE.

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In October 2016, the Swedish Academy announced that it was awarding the Nobel prize for Literature to the singer-songwriter Bob Dylan for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”. The decision sent out shockwaves: for the first time, a musician had received the most prestigious literary award on the planet. It sparked debate , with many questioning the decision and even sarcastic suggestions that novelists could aspire to winning a Grammy.

The controversy fed into much needed debates on the boundary between poetry and song, but the question of what constitutes literature is much broader. Does it mean the same as it did in 1901, when the first Nobel prize for literature was awarded?

High and low culture

These questions date back far beyond 2016. In the late 1950s, a group of professors from the University of Birmingham founded a new interdisciplinary area of study, called cultural studies , in order to ask new questions: What was the role of TV and other mass media in cultural development? Is there a justification for distinguishing high and low culture? What is the relationship between culture and power?

These questions are all still relevant to current debates around literature. Often, the word “literary” is a status symbol, a seal of approval to distinguish “high” culture from more vulgar or less valuable “low” forms of culture. Comics, for example, were not invited to join the club until recently, thanks in part to a rebranding under the more respectable guise of “graphic novels”.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, literature displays “excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest”. It seems that an artist like Bob Dylan can take home the Nobel prize thanks to literature’s defining feature of “excellence of form or expression”, which is not strictly limited to the written word.

But how do we account for other language-based forms of expression? If performed works such as theatre or songwriting can be considered literature, where is the limit?

Word play: text-based video games

According to data from video game data consultancy Newzoo , more than 3 billion people play video games worldwide – almost half of the world’s population. In Spain alone, 77% of young people play videogames , making them a massively relevant form of culture. But what does this have to do with “excellence of form or expression”? To answer this question we have to look back several decades.

When the first video games were developed in the 1950s, two distinct genres emerged: one was action oriented (such as the pioneering 1958 game Tennis for Two ), and the other more text based. The original written games, known as “ interactive fiction ”, were made up exclusively of text, and the player’s job was to read and make decisions that would determine the game’s outcome using a keyboard.

Screenshot of the game _Mystery House_ on Apple II. The colour white was created by combining green and purple, producing white in the centre, but into the other two colours at the edges.

The inclusion of images in adventure games would not arrive until 1980, when Mystery House became the first “graphic adventure” game. These would reach their heyday in the 1990s: famous examples include the first two Monkey Island games (1990, 1991), Day of the Tentacle (1993), Full Throttle (1995), and Grim Fandango (1998), though there were many others. Despite technological advances, these games inherited several features from interactive fiction, including the predominant role of text.

The experience of playing one of these titles is not so different from that of a book: reading, pauses, the possibility of backtracking, and so on. The player spends most of their time in dialogue with various characters in search of information, stories, or even banter and jokes that are irrelevant to the game’s progress, much like footnotes or subplots.

Several classic adventure games even have direct links to literature: The Abbey of Crime (1987) is a Spanish adaptation of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose , while the legendary insult sword fighting of The Secret of Monkey Island was written by science fiction author Orson Scott Card . In Myst (1993), the gameplay itself revolves around two books.

Literature on the screen: “story-rich” games

In more recent years, a new sub-genre of adventure games – known as “story-rich” games – has become popular thanks to independent creators and producers. In Papers, Please (2013), a border policeman in a fictional dictatorial regime deals with terrible moral dilemmas on a daily basis. In Firewatch (2016), players take the role of a forest ranger who investigates a conspiracy by walkie-talkie. In Return of the Obra Dinn (2018), the player must reconstruct a tragedy on the high seas with the help of an incomplete book and a peculiar compass. In all these cases, gameplay and visuals take a back seat to strong narratives.

Screenshot from the video game _Papers, Please_.

A quintessential example is The Stanley Parable (2011), where the player takes the role of a worker in a strangely deserted office. They have to explore several corridors while trying unsuccessfully to interact with their surroundings, accompanied by the voice of an enigmatic narrator. Upon reaching a room with two open doors, the voiceover states that Stanley “entered the door on his left”.

The player can choose to follow the instructions or disobey, provoking the wrath of the narrator much like in the denouement of Miguel de Unamuno’s 1914 novel Fog , where the main character speaks directly to the author.

Each decision then opens up new paths leading to dozens of possible endings, similar to a “choose your own adventure” book. Its fragmentary and disordered story – as well as its playful spirit – is reminiscent of Julio Cortázar’s 1963 novel Hopscotch . The experience of playing the game is marked by postmodern literary features – as described by critics like Mikhail Bakhtin or Linda Hutcheon – including metafiction, intertextuality and parody.

One of its creators – Davey Wreden, a critical studies graduate – also created The Beginner’s Guide (2015), a game in which the player moves through levels of failed video games to learn more about their mysterious creator. In one, the player’s task consists solely of wandering through a virtual cave reading the countless comments left there by other frustrated players.

Screenshot from the videogame _The Beginner's Guide_.

In recent years, the genre of digital or electronic literature has emerged, including books with QR codes, works that can only be read with virtual reality headsets, poetry collections published as apps, and so on. These works are fundamentally based on language, begging the question of why video games cannot also fit into this category.

This debate takes on added relevance today, as digital formats are having an undeniable impact on our reading habits. Just as today we accept oral cultures or popular music as literature, perhaps one day we will do the same with interactive stories like The Stanley Parable . Writing has always tried to break away from established ideas, and we know that literature is not limited to words on paper. Sometimes it pays to disobey the voice in our heads and walk through the door on the right, the one that leads to new, unexplored possibilities.

This article was originally published in Spanish

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I Just Lost the Game: An Essay

Writing an essay is a mind game. can you play without forgetting that you’re a participant writer cole cohen muses on some strategies for self-forgetting..

Everyone in the world who knows about the mind game The Game is playing it. The objective of The Game is to not think about The Game. As soon as you’ve thought about The Game, you’ve lost. Once you know about The Game, you cannot opt out of playing. You can’t really win The Game; you are only ever in a process of not yet losing it. All losses of The Game must be announced by an admission, “I just the lost The Game.” You can’t really confess to losing The Game without reminding the person you are confessing to of the existence of The Game, causing them to also lose it.

Every morning I pour a cup of black coffee, sit in front of my laptop and shove my headphones over my head. I play a little game with myself: I can’t take my first sip of coffee until I’m typing and once I take my first sip I have to keep typing throughout the time it takes me to finish the cup. According to the tenets of this game, I am allowed to stop typing after the first cup of coffee if I want to. Often the first cup of the coffee and the first side of an album on repeat are all I that I need to dissolve into the slipstream of caffeine and music. If I stop to recognize that I am corralling words into formation to make sentences to cluster into paragraphs to organize my thoughts into a blanketing narrative with a beginning, middle, and end it’s all over. I just lost my game. You can’t play The Game or my own writing mind game without forgetting that you are a participant. There are only two modes: forgetting and losing.

No one is sure of the origins of The Game but my favorite story about its conception is the one that takes place in the mid-1990s involving two British engineers stuck on a London train platform overnight after missing the last train. To try to make the best of their circumstances, they made a game of trying not to think of the situation; whoever first remembered that they were both stranded on a train platform until sunrise lost the game.

How can I manipulate someone else’s perception with only words?

Writing an essay is a mind game. What am I thinking? How do I untwist questions I have from each other and lay them out into narrative form? Why does anyone else care what I’m thinking? How can I manipulate someone else’s perception with only words? I have found that I can’t structure my thoughts clearly and express them if I think about these questions while trying to get words on the page. It’s overwhelming. So I start with what I’m thinking. In order to find out what I’m thinking I have to work from a gentle remove. My first cup of coffee in the morning and the music through my headphones are a buffer between me and my thoughts about my thoughts. Riding the high of the first hit of caffeine helps me to forget my form and shape shift into text.

Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihaly characterized the state of “flow” as a highly focused positive mental state in which one is absorbed in the task at hand beyond all sense of space and time. I first heard of this driven mental territory as a child diagnosed with ADD, one of the symptoms of which in children is a tendency to “hyperfocus” on their interests at the expense of their obligations such as homework or chores. It took many years and lots of psychological testing to determine that I actually don’t have ADD but instead a hole in the parietal lobe, the part of the brain responsible for spatial attention. I have a lot the same characteristics as someone with ADD; I still have a childishly difficult time engaging in tasks that I consider boring and once I get ahold of an interesting concept I pursue it intensely until I don’t care about it anymore. In the state of flow or hyperfocus I can relax because it allows to me live like a brain in a jar, free of the embodied confusion of the spatial world. Hyperfocus is also a trance that relieves me from judging the quality of my work. I don’t lose my game for writing badly, just for not writing. Play is a rehearsal for failure, it’s a fantastic opportunity to take a tumble and get back up. Artists have an active relationship with failure; in my feverish dream state I give myself permission to write garbage for my editor self, the adult in charge of boring things like making sense, to work out later.

Play is a rehearsal for failure, it’s a fantastic opportunity to take a tumble and get back up.

Making art is chaotic and destructive, it starts with making a huge mess and then later asking how the hell do I get myself out of this? Like The Game, if you think about how to get out of the trap while you’re setting it for yourself then you’re already in it. The Game is an example of ironic process theory; the psychological state where the attempt to suppress certain thoughts brings them more frequently to the forefront of your mind. In his trilogy Childhood , Boyhood , and Youth , Leo Tolstoy recalls playing a childhood game with his brother where one stands in the corner and tries not to think of a white bear. In Childhood , Tolstoy wrote, “Will the freshness, lightheartedness, the need for love, and strength of faith which you have in childhood ever return? What better time than when the two best virtues— innocent joy and the boundless desire for love— were the only motives in life?” One of my earliest memories of play is of when I first learned to walk and run. Chasing groups of pigeons in the park until they took flight gave me absolute unbridled glee. To me, though probably not to the pigeons, this was a game that I was playing with them. In this game I was effortlessly present in making mayhem without considering the consequences. On my best days working on a first draft, I’m mowing down blank space on the page with that same manic joy I felt terrorizing pigeons as a child.

Read part 2 .

(Image credit: Courtesy Denis Bocquet via Flickr .)

Cole Cohen  is the Brooklyn-based author of the memoir Head Case: My Brain and Other Wonders . Her previous work has appeared in Vogue and The Atlantic .

Le Jeu: An Essay

The paradoxical usefulness of nonutilitarian motion, a.k.a. “play”: an essay, the gentle verb: an essay.

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  • How Roblox Became a Global Online Game Platform Phenomenon, How Roblox Changed People's Lives, and How to Earn Revenue As a Roblox Game Developer

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This essay sheds light on how Roblox became a global online game platform phenomenon, explicates how Roblox changed people's lives, and expounds upon how to earn revenue as a Roblox player. Roblox was able to achieve the stupendous feat of becoming a global online game platform phenomenon during its incipience. There are a multitude of reasons as to why Roblox was able to become a global online game platform phenomenon during its genesis as one of the utmost popular online game platforms of all time as of November of 2023. Roblox's extreme popularity among gamers is not solely attributed to Roblox launching as a free-to-play online game platform. Roblox is far more than a conventional online game platform. Roblox not only allows players to develop their own games via the usage of "Roblox Studio, an engine of Roblox, and Luau, a gradually typed embeddable scripting language", but also allows players to develop purchasable content to sell for their games in Roblox. Developing purchasable content to sell for their games in Roblox allows video game developers of games in Roblox to avail themselves of the opportunity to generate wealth from gamers purchasing their purchasable content. This is because "the Roblox Developer Exchange Program, also known as DevEx, allows Roblox creators to exchange their earned Robux for real money". As of August of 2023, it is estimated that over 40,000,000 games have been developed via the usage of "Roblox Studio, an engine of Roblox, and Luau, a gradually typed embeddable scripting language". "As of April of 2021, Roblox has 202,000,000 monthly active users". Roblox appeals to gamers since it is able to offer them access to tens of millions of games. Roblox has far more games than a gamer can ever play in his lifetime. Even if you were to expend the vast majority of your waking hours playing games on Roblox as a heroic character, you would still not even be able to experience the totality of the prodigious Roblox game library.

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Are Video Game Titles Italicized? (APA, AP, and Chicago)

The laws of when to use italics and when not to can be very confusing for learners of English. This article looks at how to cite a video game in formal writing and breaks down how they vary depending on the style.

Are Video Game Titles Italicized?

Most of the time, for MLA, APA, and Chicago styles, the title of the game is in italics. In MLA, it is sometimes in quotation marks too. In AP Style, you should not use italics. Furthermore, board games are also in italics in APA, Chicago, and MLA.

are video game titles italicized

When referring to video games in an essay or any type of formal writing, it is essential to know how to cite them correctly. The rules vary depending on whether you cite in-text or at the end of the document on a reference list.

For MLA Style, if you mention the video game as a stand-alone program in the text, you should use italics without mentioning the developer or year.

However, if you mention it on a reference list, you should use italics and include the developer, year, and format, as shown below. Also, some institutions demand that the game title is in quotation marks.

This is the format for a reference at the end of a text in MLA:

  • Developer, title (in italics), distributor, year, platform

Here is an MLA reference for a video game:

  • Pac-Man was one of the most popular video games of its generation. (in-text)
  • Pac Man . Atari, 1982. (Reference list)
  • Firaxis Games, Sid Meier’s Civilization III, Take-two interactive, 2001, PC. (Reference list)
  • Firaxis Games, “ Sid Meier’s Civilization III ” Take-two interactive, 2001, PC. (Reference list)

For APA Style, the guide states that “stand-alone” works such as books, films, and games should be in italics.

APA Format – Developer, (Year Released). Title of Game [Video game]. Location: Publisher.

Which looks something like this:

  • Players reported not enjoying Sid Meier’s Civilization III (2001) as much as the previous version. (In-text)
  • Firaxis Games, (2001). Sid Meier’s Civilization III {Video game}. France, Atari Europe. (Referencing list)

Are Video Game Titles Quoted?

In APA Style, video games will never appear in quotation marks. However, in MLA Style, you may see video game titles with quotation marks at the end of a text on the reference list.

The 8 th Edition of the MLA Style guide says that in-text references of video games should just be in italics, whereas when listing them on the final reference page, they should also have quotation marks.

Are Video Game Titles Italicized in APA Style?

In APA Style, you should use italics for the titles of video games in-text and on the reference list. On the reference list, you must also add {computer software} or {video game} after the title to indicate that it is a video game.

Furthermore, when writing the title of the game, unless they are proper nouns, only the first word of the title should use capital letters.

The APA format should be as follows :

  • Developer , (Year Released). Title of Game [Video game]. Location: Publisher.

Therefore, a citation would look like this:

  • Players said that Call of duty (2003) was the most realistic game ever. (In-text)
  • Infinity Ward , (2003). Call of duty {video game}. USA: Activision. (Reference list)

Are Video Game Titles Italicized in AP Style?

Media and news organizations mainly use AP Style to report the news. Therefore, it is not usual to have a reference list at the end of a text; instead, people use in-text citations to reference sources.

In AP Style, it is not necessary to use italics in any part of a video game; however, it is needed to put the video game title in quotation marks.

  • The video game “Grand Theft Auto” has caused a great deal of controversy.
  • In the 1980s, “Donkey Kong” was one of the first worldwide video game hits.

Are Video Game Titles Italicized in Chicago Style?

When referencing a video game in the Chicago Style, it is necessary to put the title in italics for both the in-text citation and the reference list.

The format for listing the game in Chicago Style is as follows:

  • Production company. Game title. Version. Production company, release year. Platform.

Therefore a reference for a video game in Chicago Style would look something like this:

  • Super Mario Bros (1983) , which was released by Nintendo, was one of the most successful platform games of its time. – (In-text)
  • Nintendo.  Super Mario Bros . Nintendo. 1983. Nintendo. – (Reference list)

Are Video Game Titles Italicized in MLA Style?

In the MLA Style, it is necessary to use italics for the names of video games for both in-text citations and on the reference list.

Here is the format that a video game should follow in MLA Style:

  • Developer, title (in italics), distributor, year, platform.

This is how video games would look referenced in MLA Style:

  • The popular video game Settlers IV was a successful role-playing game. – (in-text)
  • Blue Byte, Settlers VI, Ubi Soft, 2001, USA, PC. –  (Reference list)
  • Blue Byte, “ Settlers VI”, Ubi Soft, 2001, USA, PC. – (Reference list)

Are Board Game Titles Italicized?

The rules concerning board games being in italics vary according to the style you are using. Here is a brief description of the rules for each style: Please note that some individual institutions or professors may vary the rules slightly for board games or websites; however, the descriptions below are a general guide:

APA – Board game titles should use italics for both in-text citations and on the reference list. They should follow the same format as a stand-alone work such as a film or video game.

  • Darrow, C, D, (1980) Monopoly: the board game. Hasbro, USA

Chicago – Board games should follow the same rules as films and books, so they would be in italics.

  • Darrow, C, D, Monopoly: the board game. Hasbro, USA, (1980).

MLA – This style uses the same rules for board games as for video games. Therefore, the title of board games should be in italics.

AP – You do not need to use italics to refer to a board game in AP style. Considering that there is not usually a comprehensive reference list for many AP articles, here is an example of an in-text citation.

  • The game of Monopoly has been enjoyed across the world for almost a hundred years.

Final Thoughts

For APA, Chicago, and MLA styles, you should use italics for video game and board game titles in both in-text citations and on the reference list. However, for AP Style, it is unnecessary to put video or board game titles in italics.

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Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here .

  • Are Magazine Titles Italicized? (APA, AP, and Chicago)
  • Are Podcast Titles Italicized? (APA, AP, MLA, and Chicago)
  • Are Movie Titles Italicized? (APA, AP, MLA, and Chicago)
  • Are TV Shows Italicized? (APA, AP, MLA, and Chicago)

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Taylor Swift’s ‘Poets’ Arrives With a Promotional Blitz (and a Second LP)

The pop superstar’s latest album was preceded by a satellite radio channel, a word game, a return to TikTok and an actual library. For her fans, more is always welcome.

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The album cover for Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department,” which depicts the star lying on pillows in sleepwear, draping her arms over her body.

By Ben Sisario

Taylor Swift was already the most ubiquitous pop star in the galaxy, her presence dominating the music charts, the concert calendar, the Super Bowl, the Grammys.

Then it came time for her to promote a new album.

In the days leading up to the release of “The Tortured Poets Department” on Friday, Swift became all but inescapable, online and seemingly everywhere else. Her lyrics were the basis for an Apple Music word game . A Spotify-sponsored, Swift-branded “ library installation ,” in muted pink and gray, popped up in a shopping complex in Los Angeles. In Chicago, a QR code painted on a brick wall directed fans to another Easter egg on YouTube. Videos on Swift’s social media accounts, showing antique typewriters and globes with pins, were dissected for clues about her music. SiriusXM added a Swift radio station; of course it’s called Channel 13 (Taylor’s Version).

About the only thing Swift didn’t do was an interview with a journalist.

At this stage in Swift’s career, an album release is more than just a moment to sell music; it’s all but a given that “The Tortured Poets Department” will open with gigantic sales numbers, many of them for “ghost white,” “phantom clear” and other collector-ready vinyl variants . More than that, the album’s arrival is a test of the celebrity-industrial complex overall, with tech platforms and media outlets racing to capture whatever piece of the fan frenzy they can get.

Threads, the newish social media platform from Meta, primed Swifties for their idol’s arrival there, and offered fans who shared Swift’s first Threads post a custom badge. Swift stunned the music industry last week by breaking ranks with her record label, Universal, and returning her music to TikTok, which Universal and other industry groups have said pays far too little in royalties. Overnight, TikTok unveiled “The Ultimate Taylor Swift In-App Experience,” offering fans digital goodies like a “Tortured Poets-inspired animation” on their feed.

Before the album’s release on Friday, Swift revealed that a music video — for “Fortnight,” the first single, featuring Post Malone — would arrive on Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern time. At 2 a.m., she had another surprise: 15 more songs. “I’d written so much tortured poetry in the past 2 years and wanted to share it all with you,” she wrote in a social media post , bringing “The Anthology” edition of the album to 31 tracks.

“The Tortured Poets Department,” which Swift, 34, announced in a Grammy acceptance speech in February — she had the Instagram post ready to go — lands as Swift’s profile continues to rise to ever-higher levels of cultural saturation.

Her Eras Tour , begun last year, has been a global phenomenon, crashing Ticketmaster and lifting local economies ; by some estimates, it might bring in as much as $2 billion in ticket sales — by far a new record — before it ends later this year. Swift’s romance with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been breathlessly tracked from its first flirtations last summer to their smooch on the Super Bowl field in February. The mere thought that Swift might endorse a presidential candidate this year sent conspiracy-minded politicos reeling .

“The Tortured Poets Department” — don’t even ask about the missing apostrophe — arrived accompanied by a poem written by Stevie Nicks that begins, “He was in love with her/Or at least she thought so.” That establishes what many fans correctly anticipated as the album’s theme of heartbreak and relationship rot, Swift’s signature topic. “I love you/It’s ruining my life,” she sings on “Fortnight.”

Fans were especially primed for the fifth track, “So Long, London,” given that (1) Swift has said she often sequences her most vulnerable and emotionally intense songs fifth on an LP, and (2) the title suggested it may be about Joe Alwyn, the English actor who was Swift’s boyfriend for about six years, reportedly until early 2023 . Indeed, “So Long” is an epic breakup tune, with lines like “You left me at the house by the heath” and “I’m pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free.” Tracks from the album leaked on Wednesday, and fans have also interpreted some songs as being about Matty Healy , the frontman of the band the 1975, whom Swift was briefly linked to last year.

The album’s title song starts with a classic Swift detail of a memento from a lost love: “You left your typewriter at my apartment/Straight from the tortured poets department.” It also name-drops Dylan Thomas, Patti Smith and, somewhat surprisingly given that company, Charlie Puth, the singer-songwriter who crooned the hook on Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again,” a No. 1 hit in 2015. (Swift has praised Wiz Khalifa and that song in the past.)

Other big moments include “Florida!!!,” featuring Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine, in which Swift declares — after seven big percussive bangs — that the state “is one hell of a drug.” Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, the producers and songwriters who have been Swift’s primary collaborators in recent years, both worked on “Tortured Poets,” bringing their signature mix of moody, pulsating electronic tracks and delicate acoustic moments, like a bare piano on “Loml” (as in “love of my life”).

As the ninth LP Swift has released in five years, “Tortured Poets” is the latest entry in a remarkable creative streak. That includes five new studio albums and four rerecordings of her old music — each of which sailed to No. 1. When Swift played SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles in August, she spoke from the stage about her recording spurt, saying that the forced break from touring during the Covid-19 pandemic had spurred her to connect with fans by releasing more music.

“And so I decided, in order to keep that connection going,” she said , “if I couldn’t play live shows with you, I was going to make and release as many albums as humanly possible.”

That was two albums ago.

Ben Sisario covers the music industry. He has been writing for The Times since 1998. More about Ben Sisario

Inside the World of Taylor Swift

A Triumph at the Grammys: Taylor Swift made history  by winning her fourth album of the year at the 2024 edition of the awards, an event that saw women take many of the top awards .

‘The T ortured Poets Department’: Poets reacted to Swift’s new album name , weighing in on the pertinent question: What do the tortured poets think ?  

In the Public Eye: The budding romance between Swift and the football player Travis Kelce created a monocultural vortex that reached its apex  at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Ahead of kickoff, we revisited some key moments in their relationship .

Politics (Taylor’s Version): After months of anticipation, Swift made her first foray into the 2024 election for Super Tuesday with a bipartisan message on Instagram . The singer, who some believe has enough influence  to affect the result of the election , has yet to endorse a presidential candidate.

Conspiracy Theories: In recent months, conspiracy theories about Swift and her relationship with Kelce have proliferated , largely driven by supporters of former President Donald Trump . The pop star's fans are shaking them off .

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an essay on a game

A'ja Wilson Named One of Time's 100 Most Influential People, Garners Praise from Tom Brady

  • Author: Patrick Andres

There is a sense, as the WNBA nears tip-off of its 28th season, that the league's old guard is being overshadowed by its once-in-a-lifetime draft class.

However, before players like Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese become stars, they will have to get through Las Vegas Aces forwad A'ja Wilson.

On the heels of her second WNBA title in 2023, Time named Wilson to its list of the world's 100 most influential people. Former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, a part owner of the Aces, wrote an essay for the publication praising her accomplishments.

"A’ja Wilson is not just an incredible athlete, she is also an inspiration to all who witness her talent and drive. Her journey is a testament to the power of passion and fearlessness in achieving greatness," Brady wrote.

In six seasons in the WNBA, Wilson has won two championshps and two MVP awards while making five All-Star teams. She also has a college championship, an Olympic gold medal, and two FIBA World Cup titles on her resume.

"A’ja Wilson is not just a champion; she is a symbol of resilience, compassion, and unwavering dedication. Her story is a reminder that with passion and fearlessness, anyone can achieve greatness," Brady wrote.

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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Video Games — Video Games: A Sport or Not

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Video Games: a Sport Or not

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Words: 689 |

Published: Jan 31, 2024

Words: 689 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, definition and criteria for a sport, video games and their competitive elements, factors that distinguish video games from traditional sports, arguments against video games being considered a sport, counterarguments and rebuttals.

  • Physical exertion
  • Competitive nature
  • Organized structure and rules
  • Skill requirement
  • Blomberg, R. (2019). Video Games Can Never Be Sport. Huffpost. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/video-games-sport-no_n_5bec5f35e4b0a043787eceeb
  • Bromberg, M. (2020). What IS a Sport? And Why Does It Matter? ABC News. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/sport-matter/story?id=67409964
  • WHO (2019). WHO | Physical Activity. WHO. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity
  • Norris, E. (2021). Esports’ global revenue will break $1 billion in 2020. Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@blakepanzinoesports/esports-global-revenue-will-break-1-billion-in-2020-c8c2f608b368

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an essay on a game

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Essay on Life Is A Game

Students are often asked to write an essay on Life Is A Game in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Life Is A Game

Life is like a board game.

Imagine life as a board game. Each player starts at the beginning and moves forward, turn by turn. In life, our turns are days. We make choices, like picking a card or rolling dice, which lead us on different paths. Some moves are good, bringing joy, while others are tough and teach us lessons.

Rules and Challenges

Every game has rules, and so does life. We have to go to school, respect others, and follow laws. Just like in games, breaking rules can set us back. Life also throws challenges at us, like a tricky part of a game that tests our skill.

Playing With Others

Life is also about playing with others. We share our journey with friends and family. Sometimes we compete, like in sports, but often we help each other, working as a team. It’s important to play fair and be kind, making the game enjoyable for everyone.

Winning Isn’t Everything

In games, winning is the goal, but in life, playing well matters more. Being happy, making others happy, and doing our best are like the highest scores. Even when the game ends, it’s the fun and lessons we remember, not just the wins.

250 Words Essay on Life Is A Game

Life is like playing a game.

Imagine life as a game. Just like in a game, we all start at level one. This level is our childhood where we learn the basic rules, like how to talk and walk. As we grow older, we move up levels, facing new challenges. Think of school as a higher level in the game where we must pass tests and make friends.

Rules and Choices

Every game has rules, and so does life. Our parents and teachers tell us what is right and wrong. These rules help us make good choices. For example, studying hard helps us get good grades, just like practicing a game helps us win.

Winning and Losing

In games, sometimes we win, and sometimes we lose. Life is the same. We have happy days when we feel like winners, and sad days when things don’t go our way. But, just like in games, we should not give up. We learn from our mistakes and try again.

Playing Fair

In any game, playing fair is important. Cheating may help you win once, but it is not good in the long run. In life, being honest and kind earns us respect and friends. It is like having the best teammates in a game.

Fun and Teamwork

Games are fun because we play them with others. Life is also about sharing moments with family and friends. Working together with others can help us achieve big things, just like in team sports.

Remember, life as a game is not about who finishes first or who has the most points. It’s about enjoying the game, learning, and growing up to be the best player you can be.

500 Words Essay on Life Is A Game

Introduction to life as a game.

Imagine life as if it were a game. This idea might seem strange at first, but if you take a moment to think about it, you’ll see many similarities. Just like in a game, we all have different levels to pass, challenges to face, and goals to achieve. In this essay, we will explore how life can be compared to a game, using simple words and ideas.

Rules to Follow

Every game has rules, and so does life. In a game, rules tell us how to play to win or score points. In life, we have rules too. These can be laws made by countries, or they can be rules that we learn from our families and schools, like being kind to others and working hard. These rules help us live together peacefully and help us know what is right and what is wrong.

Challenges and Levels

In games, players often face different levels, each harder than the last. Life is like that too. As we grow up, we face new challenges. For a young student, a challenge might be learning to read. Later, the challenge could be passing a big test or making friends. Just like in a game, we need to use our skills and brains to overcome these challenges.

In games, sometimes we win, and sometimes we lose. Life has its ups and downs in the same way. There will be times when things go well, like when we do great on a project or make a new friend. But there will also be times when things don’t go our way. It’s important to remember that losing is part of the game of life too. What matters is that we keep trying and learn from our mistakes.

One important part of games is playing fair. Cheating spoils the fun for everyone. In life, being honest and fair is just as important. When we play fair, we earn the trust and respect of others, and we feel good about ourselves. It’s like being a good sport in a game, even when we don’t win.

Many games are played with teams. In these games, working together is the key to winning. Life is similar. We often need to work with others, whether it’s with family at home, friends at school, or later with colleagues at work. Teamwork helps us achieve big things that we couldn’t do alone.

Finally, games are meant to be fun. Even though life can be serious, it’s important to have fun too. We should find time to laugh, play, and enjoy the things we love. Having fun gives us the energy to keep going through the tough times.

Life really can be seen as a game. It has rules, levels, challenges, and even teammates. Like any game, there will be moments of winning and losing. But the most important thing is to play fair, work together, and have fun along the way. If we look at life this way, we can enjoy the journey and learn from every experience, just like we do when we play our favorite games.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

  • Essay on Life Is A Blessing
  • Essay on Life Experiences
  • Essay on Life During The Pandemic

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An npr editor who wrote a critical essay on the company has resigned after being suspended.

David Bauder

Associated Press

NEW YORK – A National Public Radio editor who wrote an essay criticizing his employer for promoting liberal views resigned on Wednesday, attacking NPR's new CEO on the way out.

Uri Berliner, a senior editor on NPR's business desk, posted his resignation letter on X, formerly Twitter, a day after it was revealed that he had been suspended for five days for violating company rules about outside work done without permission.

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“I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems” written about in his essay, Berliner said in his resignation letter.

Katherine Maher, a former tech executive appointed in January as NPR’s chief executive, has been criticized by conservative activists for social media messages that disparaged former President Donald Trump. The messages predated her hiring at NPR.

NPR’s public relations chief said the organization does not comment on individual personnel matters.

The suspension and subsequent resignation highlight the delicate balance that many U.S. news organizations and their editorial employees face. On one hand, as journalists striving to produce unbiased news, they're not supposed to comment on contentious public issues; on the other, many journalists consider it their duty to critique their own organizations' approaches to journalism when needed.

In his essay , written for the online Free Press site, Berliner said NPR is dominated by liberals and no longer has an open-minded spirit. He traced the change to coverage of Trump's presidency.

“There's an unspoken consensus about the stories we should pursue and how they should be framed,” he wrote. “It's frictionless — one story after another about instances of supposed racism, transphobia, signs of the climate apocalypse, Israel doing something bad and the dire threat of Republican policies. It's almost like an assembly line.”

He said he'd brought up his concerns internally and no changes had been made, making him “a visible wrong-thinker at a place I love.”

In the essay's wake, NPR top editorial executive, Edith Chapin, said leadership strongly disagreed with Berliner's assessment of the outlet's journalism and the way it went about its work.

It's not clear what Berliner was referring to when he talked about disparagement by Maher. In a lengthy memo to staff members last week, she wrote: “Asking a question about whether we're living up to our mission should always be fair game: after all, journalism is nothing if not hard questions. Questioning whether our people are serving their mission with integrity, based on little more than the recognition of their identity, is profoundly disrespectful, hurtful and demeaning.”

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo revealed some of Maher's past tweets after the essay was published. In one tweet, dated January 2018, Maher wrote that “Donald Trump is a racist.” A post just before the 2020 election pictured her in a Biden campaign hat.

In response, an NPR spokeswoman said Maher, years before she joined the radio network, was exercising her right to express herself. She is not involved in editorial decisions at NPR, the network said.

The issue is an example of what can happen when business executives, instead of journalists, are appointed to roles overseeing news organizations: they find themselves scrutinized for signs of bias in ways they hadn’t been before. Recently, NBC Universal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde has been criticized for service on paid corporate boards.

Maher is the former head of the Wikimedia Foundation. NPR's own story about the 40-year-old executive's appointment in January noted that she “has never worked directly in journalism or at a news organization.”

In his resignation letter, Berliner said that he did not support any efforts to strip NPR of public funding. “I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism,” he wrote.

David Bauder writes about media for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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  29. An NPR editor who wrote a critical essay on the company has resigned

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