Playing in a virtual world : Exploration and aspects of play

My research is concerned with 'explorable virtual worlds', usually those that are 'artworks, dealing with aesthetic and affective domains. Whilst developing theoretical enquiries I have come across a number of issues of terminology and word use. Particularly problematic are terms such as 'game, 'games, and 'play'. This paper is a broad survey of some of those issues and key theorists in the field.