Why Do We Play?

Good Morning, Splinterites!

I spend a lot of time strolling through the Splinterblogs and quietly observing Discord chat, and I see some things. Many of the things I see make me incredibly excited for this game's future, but I also see certain detrimental temptations, thoughts and tendencies that have only begun to rear their ugly heads.

I'd like to take this opportunity to ask an important question:

Why Do We Play?

I'll start. I play to escape. I have always loved games; they allow my creativity to run wild as I explore the limitless reaches of my imagination. I play to relax. Honest to God, nothing can take my mind off of my problems like a round of Kirby's Dream Course. I play to stay sharp. Games require a special kind of critical thinking, and if you don't want your brain to become mush, you should be playing something from time to time.

I'm not just referring to video games. From sports to tabletop games to twenty questions, games are everywhere you look. Why? Because play is part of the human condition. We may not be able to explain why or how we are fulfilled by it; we simply are. Of course, as people get older, they tend to lose sight of what it means to play, but we never completely forget. Playfulness is a part of us all.

What About Rewards

From my perspective, games have always been incredibly rewarding (see above), but with the advent of the professional gamer, and now as we enter the world of blockchains and tokenized gaming, the concept of "rewarding" has become a bit more complicated.

This was bound to happen. It's the natural order of things, but were games already rewarding enough? I think they may have been, because now I see people struggling to appreciate (or even recognize) the non-monetary value of gaming. As a teenager in the nineties, I spent fifty dollar bills over and over on cartridge video games that promised me absolutely zero dollars in rewards. In fact, the only guarantee was that I would have to pay fifty bucks to purchase the ability to play that game. The idea that someone would pay me to play that game was absolutely preposterous.

Now I play this amazing game called Splinterlands. I'm sure you've heard of it. Not only do I play every day, but I am on the team as the Lore Master. Would you believe that I earn real rewards for playing this game every day? It's true, and these rewards can be sold instantly for cryptocurrency that I can use for anything from buying fireworks to transferring the money into my bank account. Basically, the more I play, the more I earn, so I play every day. It truly is a new era of gaming.

If You Want a Job, Get a Job

I understand the dream. I feel it too. Gaming full-time and living off the rewards. I'm not going to say it's not possible, but I'm pretty sure it takes a ton of hard work and dedication, just like anything else in life that pays.

Splinterlands even lets you invest to earn greater rewards. Some of the top investors have made amazing returns on their purchased cards, but to get the best rewards, they have had to play regularly. Players have used multiple accounts, bots, and every form of collusion, trickery, and borderline cheating imaginable, but nothing has halted the success of the Splinterlands powerhouse...

Then What's the Problem?

First I'll tell you the little story of what prompted me to write this post, then perhaps you'll see where I'm coming from.

Someone was opening a bunch of packs, giving a play-by-play in chat. The interesting thing was that this player's only concern was the current market value of their cards. This player actually felt that if the current tradable value of the cards was less than what they spent on packs, then they were a big loser.

What? This game is still new. Are you already that sure of its constant meteoric growth that you are entitled to profit simply for opening packs? I saw another player threatening to drop out of the crowdfund if their profits couldn't be proven. What?! It's a crowdfund. You ought to be doing it because you believe in a project that deserves your support, not because you expect, nay, demand profit from your contribution.

We are all incredibly lucky that Splinterlands has found a way for us to be rewarded for our time. This aspect of the game raises the stakes, makes it more enjoyable and keeps everyone coming back again and again. Still, I feel like a lot of the Splinterlands players out there need a reminder that there is a huge difference between a game and a job.

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Keep Work and Play Separate

As long as you designate some time for work and some time for play, you probably won't get your motives all screwed up. Work hard, work effeciently, work every day if you want, and do it for the money. Play as much as you can, but do it because it's fun.

Don't let Your Expectations Run Wild...

...and be Grateful for Everything you Receive.

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It is not my intention to simply complain about complainers in this post. I love Splinterlands and everything that it stands for. I want all the players to love it as much as I do, but I must come to terms with the fact that some people in the world have already lost sight of what it means to play. They constantly expect something from nothing without realizing that everything comes from somewhere. They are entitled, and they "play" in dull, joyless apathy. I'm sad whenever I am reminded of these players. I wonder sometimes if they even wish for the success of Splinterlands, or if they mean simply to cut and run as soon as their required return is met.

Time will tell. In any case, there are plenty of die-hard Splinterfans just like me who will do whatever they can to help Splinterlands rise to glory.

Where Do You Fit In?

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