Universal Paperclips

Frank Lantz argues that games create meaning through the gap between a simulation and real life, letting players become absorbed in an activity and then reflect on what it means. He describes game design as shaping spaces for thinking and doing, and sees games such as Universal Paperclips and Shadow of the Colossus as examples of that double movement. He discusses how communities can develop games and play styles through modding, why deep competitive communities matter, and how games can become sports over time. He also explains how NYU's Game Center teaches both coding and artistic judgment, and why creative work and entertainment are hard to predict.