Halo 3: ODST

Hyper-Ludicity, Contra-Ludicity, and the Digital Game

Steven Conway's 2010 Eludamos article, "Hyper-Ludicity, Contra-Ludicity, and the Digital Game," proposes "ludicity" as an analytical spectrum for measuring how far a digital game permits players to act upon its world.

• Steven Conway's 2010 Eludamos article proposes "ludicity" as a spectrum measuring how far a digital game lets players act upon its world, ranging from hyper-ludicity (heightened player power via items, abilities, and tools) to contra-ludicity (resistance, restriction, and removal of means).
• Conway argues hyper-ludicity enhances effectance and sociability, but its value depends heavily on player skill and knowledge, and overuse can bore players while exploits like the Modern Warfare 2 "javelin glitch" can undermine fairness.
• Drawing on Roger Caillois's categories of agon and ilinx, Conway contends that these design tendencies shape the pleasures players experience and the social interactions that form around play.