Definitions
A widely accepted definition for game comes from the Dutch cultural anthropologist Johan Huizinga. In his main work homo ludens he writes:
"Play is a voluntary act or employment, within certain fixed limits of time and space according to voluntarily adopted, but necessarily binding rules is carried her goal in itself, and is accompanied by a feeling of excitement and joy and an awareness of, - different, 'than the ordinary life'. "
-- Huizinga: 1938/1991, p. 37
Conversely, are the activities of a human or an animal not a game but seriously, if they are enforced, or earmarked, which means immediate livelihood, duty, nature's call, addiction satisfaction, averting injury or pain avoidance. There is also a (necessary) "holy seriousness" of the game, the game has also religious traits. [1]
There is, however, no precise boundaries, as in educational, the purpose of learning is used, but still be playful.
Roger Caillois sees the game and the company organized under principles similar [2] [3]:
Agon (race)
Alea (random)
Mimicry (mask) and
Ilinx (ecstasy).
Playing wins a special quality when creative aspects prevail, which means further developments of the participating personalities, and their social relationships could be envisaged. Although such games to economic criteria no work, so they made sociological point of view but very important job characteristics. It depends on the role and function of the parties involved in the game or non-game and on the perspective of the observer.