Games as interactivity.

Are games interactive?

From this lecture I was given this question and some useful pieces of information to help me discover what interactivity actually is. From my mind i believe that we interact with everything. Whether sitting on a chair, reading a book or evening listening to music are all forms of interaction with 'something'. You doesn't have to necessarily be conscious of it actually happening, but the more you think about it the more you understand that you interact with your surroundings. However, there is far more to the thought than just my hypothesis.

'Interaction is a relationship between two objects' this is a statement that I side with from this question. As previously stated I believe we interact with everything, subconsciously or being full aware of it. So the interaction between us and games is a definite bond or relationship. It's not just watching or listening, it's actually playing and thinking with choices that you make when you play a game. If anything you are far more connected with a video game than a lot of entertainment devices. It takes multiple interactions instead of just one. For example listening to a CD is just listening, but playing a game is watching, listening, thinking and reacting depending on tasks set out for you. There is a much larger connection with this form of interaction, and that is when you begin to look at emotional as well as physical interactions.

Connecting with entertainment devices has far more interaction than what we do in day to day lives. You may side that true interaction is things you are aware of, instead of subconscious connections such as laying bed or sitting on a chair. Watching movies, playing games, reading a book and listening to music all have stronger interactive bonds as we as humans react to it in both physical and emotional ways. Like with music can come a happy, sad or angry sensation as well as the motivation to dance  or express movement. Video games I believe, are the strongest form of interactive entrainment out there. As previously stated, games invite you to new realms of interactivity by making you react to different elements of the game through emotional connections, that can make you act physically. Playing a scary game makes you interact with the music, atmosphere and imagery that add to your emotions causing you to be fearful of the concept. Development in the video game's plot can make you react physically because you're so emotionally attached to the game. For example, the music and scenery of a scary game would add to the tension in your mind emotionally. When the game unfolds the plot you react in fear, by jumping or sweating and becoming frightened.

That is how I recognize games as a source of interactivity. As you bond with the entertainment emotionally and physically, more so than any other form.