The Magic Circle

The metaphorical magic circle of play is a voluntary, contractual structure that is limited in time and space. In Huizinga’s definition of play, it is defined that the participants agree that some activities in some places by the players are interpreted playfully as a part of the game instead of ordinary life.

The magic circle of a game is the boundary separating the ordinary from the ludic and real from playful.  Regular game is played in certain spaces at certain times by certain players.

The magic circle is a metaphor for a barrier that forbid players from bringing external motivations and personal history into the game world. It also forbids the player from taking the game world into the realm of ordinary life.

The conflicts are artificial. In boxing; the pain is real, the conflict is not. This conflict is negotiated by rules. If you cheat, you will be punished or banned. There is one set of rules inside the circle another outside. You cannot go around beating other people in real life as you do in a game of boxing.

But is it true? Are we never affected by what happens in the game world? In the world of sports one would have to disagree. Athletic stars are treated like royalty and paid large sums of money to play for certain teams. As soon as you are paid to play, there is a spillover effect from the game world as your everyday life very well may change because of it. Players are suddenly millionaires and superstars that cannot walk anywhere without signing autographs. None of that would happen if they did not play or if society and people did not care for the sport.

But is this relevant for computer games as well? One might argue that computer games are only a part of a device and therefore cannot cross into the real world. However, if you are chatting with your friends while playing are you then truly within the border of the magic circle or are you somewhere between? What if the game is on your mind in the real world does it then transcend the borders? Or what if you use game slang in your everyday life? There seems to be a spillover effect present for video games as well, since when we play the digital world becomes your context and a way for us to experience new things. It becomes a part of our identity and therefore transcends the device and the magical circle.