In the past 20 to 30 years, German humanities have increased their research on game theory and discourse, but it is difficult to define the concept of game. The verb and noun for "game" in German have a common root, referring to various behaviors and activities, such as competitions, gambling, etc. Etymologically, games originated from the Old High German word spil and had multiple meanings from the beginning. Literary theory researcher Stefan Matusek pointed out that the meaning of the term "game" is reflected in its usage, and it has multiple uses in the "Grimm Brothers Dictionary", demonstrating the breadth and diversity of the concept of game. Games are also opposed to concepts such as seriousness and labor, but they are not completely separated. Historical anthropologist Gunter Gebauer emphasized that the concept of games needs to be distinguished by delineating it from its opposition. In the digital society, games have become an integral part of daily life. Game culture researcher Julian Kukridge coined the term "game labor" to describe players who participate in games for a living, reflecting the fusion of labor and games. This article will start from the definition and classification of games, horizontally analyze their characteristics, and vertically trace their historical evolution.

1、 Definition and classification of games

Deeply explored the definition and classification of games, emphasizing the complexity and heterogeneity of game concepts. Dutch theorist Johann Herijinha defined gaming as a voluntary behavior with a fixed temporal and spatial scope, rules, and purpose, closely related to art. He regards games as the origin and element of culture, believing that all primitive large-scale events are intertwined with games. French philosopher Rochelle et Loire refined the definition of games based on six formal characteristics, dividing them into four fundamental categories: competition, chance, disguise, and intoxication. He explored the classification of game genres and human behavior, as well as the institutionalized nature and free creativity of games. Kailuo's category provides specific and implementable coordinates for the essence and organizational form of games. In addition, the chapter also points out the importance of sorting out the development of game discourse in different historical stages, involving the categories involved in games, interactive factors, and human self-examination.

2、 Pre modern: "God Man" Game and Imagining World Order

In the Western pre modern era, the concept of games had a duality: first, specific activities in daily life were often devalued; The second is abstract metaphor, which reflects people's imagination of the essence of the world's operation and existence. Heraclitus regarded games as the original imagination of the world's operational order and power relations. Plato belittled games and believed that humans should obey God's rules. Aristotle regarded games as intervals of work, not the source of happiness. In the Middle Ages, games symbolized the relationship between God and believers, and religious drama became a medium for conveying doctrine. The agricultural and commercial revolutions promoted the secularization of carnival, and Bakhtin believed that carnival constructed a second world relative to the official world, providing a channel for the public to vent their emotions.

3、 The Sprout of Modernity: The Concept of Games and Humans

The humanistic spirit of the Renaissance period promoted a reevaluation of rationality and human positioning, and the scientific and artistic revolution progressed simultaneously. Literature, painting, and improvisational drama broke through traditional artistic norms. In the process of secularization of religion, people are gradually liberated from the jurisdiction of God. The understanding of game concepts changes with the evolution of human imagination, and modern exploration of game concepts began in the 18th century. Rousseau regarded childhood as an independent stage, naturalistic education respected children's nature, and games were rationalized. The rise of the civil class led to the formation of a conflict between gaming and labor, and elements of palace games were incorporated into the aesthetic education of citizens. Kant regarded play and labor as opposite concepts, with labor embodying rational principles, play as a form of rest and freedom, and the absence of interest, pleasure, and aesthetic experience seen in play. From the perspective of education, artistic activities originate from the instinct of play and emphasize the autonomy of art. Descartes' dualism of mind and body triggered the opposition between the body and the soul, with reason dominating the Enlightenment movement and imagination, emotions, and desires being relegated. Anthropological research inherits British sensualism, examining the body, senses, and desires. The tension field between rational and emotional discourse collided and merged in the late 18th century, forming the ideal construction of a "complete human". Schiller diagnosed the symptoms of the times in "Aesthetic Education Letters" and proposed that the impulse to play as a rational and emotional community can reconcile conflicts and relieve coercion. Schiller continues Kant's association between aesthetic activity and play, referring to "living forms" as objects of game impulse, implying beauty in the broadest sense. Schiller constructed the ideal human scheme through games: "Only when a person is a fully human being, will he play, and only when he plays, will he be fully human." Schiller focuses on the educational and aesthetic significance of the concept of games, creating "illusions" in aesthetics to free people from the constraints of reality's inevitability and make beauty the object of desire. Games have become a means of aesthetic education and a path for people to shape themselves. The constructive significance of art relative to reality is reflected in literary expression. Schiller wrote in the preface to "Wallenstein": "The dark images of truth are transferred to the bright kingdom of art... Life is serious, art is joyful." Art provides people with the pleasure of play by creating illusions. German Romantic theorist Friedrich Schlegel saw eternal playfulness within art, elevated it to an aesthetic concept, and applied it to artistic practice. Schlegel envisioned Romantic poetry as a "progressive poetry of all things," pointing towards "the infinite that constantly arises" and "the inclusiveness that integrates opposing categories," which is a model of applying the spirit of play to literary practice.

4、 Entering the 20th Century: Games from Different Disciplinary Perspectives

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, different disciplines began to focus on the origin and functionality of games. Herbert Spencer proposed the theory of surplus energy, which suggests that games contribute to individual development. Carl Gruss believed that games are a manifestation of innate impulse, used to cope with survival struggles. Freud compared children's games to writers' creations, emphasizing the constructive significance of games. Jean Piaget believed that children learn things through games. Simmel explores the function of games in social interaction and compares it to art. Heyzinha regards games as the origin of culture and is concerned about the decline of the spirit of gaming. Benjamin examined the phenomenon of labor alienation from a literary perspective and pointed out the subject alienation in games. In the mid-20th century, game research became specialized. Wittgenstein proposed the concept of "language games", Bateson examined game characteristics from a linguistic perspective, Geertz studied games as cultural texts, and Kailuo explored the performance of games in modern society. McLuhan emphasized the importance of games for individual emotional release, Bern understood interpersonal communication as the process of playing games, and Erikson saw games as the driving force for individual action updates. The evolution of game concepts is closely related to human self-concept, social and cultural context development, and has dynamic characteristics, showing different development paths in different eras.

5、 Postmodern Evolution: Games as a Model of Thought

Explored the evolution of games in the history of modern to postmodern thought and analyzed their role as a model of thought. In the 1950s, Heidegger viewed the world as a game and believed that human existence is a process of adventure and play. Eugen Fink explores the essence of gaming phenomena from an ontological perspective, believing that gaming is a fundamental phenomenon of existence. Gadamer examined the reflexivity of games in "Truth and Method," emphasizing the purposeless and self-contained nature of games, and proposing similarities between games and works of art. Derrida deconstructed the consistency between signifier and signified through games, launching an attack on logocentrism. Iser applied game models to the relationship between fictional texts and the real world, exploring the uncertainty and gaps in texts as prerequisites for readers' aesthetic activities. Forrest Gump analyzed the blasphemy function of games from a religious perspective, believing that games have opened up new dimensions of use. In the transition from modern to postmodern, games have gradually surpassed the phenomenon itself and become an expression that summarizes postmodern trends, involving keywords such as aesthetics, education, freedom, and existence, and extending to multiple fields such as anthropology, education, and aesthetics.

conclusion

Emphasizing that games, as autonomous behaviors from an anthropological perspective, have specific temporal and spatial boundaries and rules, transcend material life, contain social content such as emotions, imagination, and creativity, and become symbolic cultural activities. Games are closely related to the development of human beings, culture, and society, and explore how games are in a dynamic state of development. For nearly half a century, the development of media and digital information technology has driven the rapid growth of electronic games, moving from physical entities to virtualization, becoming a new carrier of ideas and culture, while also triggering a spiritual crisis. The gaming industry has become one of the largest cultural industries in terms of economic scale, and e-sports has become an intercontinental event and an important component of popular culture. The popularity of electronic games has changed the survival and communication patterns of individuals and groups, triggering reflections on subjectivity issues and cultural construction. The practice of gaming has spurred the development of emerging disciplines and interdisciplinary research, covering aspects such as game design, operation, and experience, focusing on dimensions such as cultural production and construction, narrative structure, ethical order, technological aesthetics, virtual idols, and artificial intelligence applications in games. The interpretation of games has broken free from human cognitive frameworks and specific disciplinary barriers, and urgently needs to be updated and developed. Games are activities that contain tremendous ideological thrust, constantly updating and revealing themselves through speech and behavior, which not only constitute human understanding of survival, but also become a way of interpreting the operation of the world.