The document discusses the evolving nature of children's play spaces from wild outdoor areas to structured urban playgrounds and confined apartment settings, emphasizing how video games serve as an alternative play medium in the context of restricted physical environments. It highlights the difference between various play spaces, the impact of urbanization and parental fears on children's freedom and creativity, and the emergence of video games that allow for creative expression and exploration. Ultimately, the document underscores the importance of providing opportunities for children to modify their play environment to enhance their social interactions and autonomy.

1. VIDEO GAMES
AS PLAY SPACE
GENERATOR
Alvaro Gonzalez
Game Designer
/PLAY SPACES: From Then to Now --THE GAME A POWERFUL TOOL

2. PLAY SPACES: From Then to Now
 Video games are often blamed because children chose playing them rather than playing outside,
when, in many cases, no such a choice is available.
Play in Wild Space
• Let the children modify their physical environment.
• Children gain recognition from their companions for their brave, often proven through stunts.
• Children make various forms of role-playing, often imitating the activities of adult males.
• Play activities were seen as opportunities for social interaction and friendship.
• Children enjoy freedom and autonomy because they could occupy an environment largely unsupervised by adults.
• Children make undergoing active exploration unsupervised by adults.
urbanization
 Rapid urbanization saw the development of urban playgrounds in the midst of city streets, responding
to a growing sense of children’s diminishing access to space and an increased awareness of issues of
childe welfare.
Play in Playground Space
• Don’t let the children modify their physical environment.
• Children gain recognition from their companions for their brave, often proven through stunts.
• Children make various forms of role-playing, often imitating the activities of adult males.
• Play activities were seen as opportunities for social interaction and friendship.
• Children have pre-structured forms of interactivity and limited space always supervised by adults.
• Children make undergoing active exploration supervised by adults.

3. insecurity
 Parents, for variety of reasons, are frightened to have their children on the streets. They become more
and more protective. Now children return from school and lock themselves in their apartments.
Video games did not make backyard play space disappear: rather, they offer children some way to
respond to domestic confinement.
Play in Apartment Space
• Don’t let the children modify their physical environment.
• There is no space for children to be brave.
• Children role-playing, is limited by the physical space and adult supervision.
• Social interaction is difficult because children often play alone.
• Children have pre-structured forms of interactivity and limited space always supervised by adults.
• Children make undergoing active exploration supervised by adults.
locked
 Today, many of our children have access to the one to five rooms inside their apartments. Video game
technologies expand their imagination.
Play in Room Space
• Let the children modify their physical environment.
• There is no space for children to be brave.
• Children role-playing, is limited by the physical space.
• Social interaction is difficult because children often play alone.
• Children enjoy freedom and autonomy because they could occupy an environment largely unsupervised by adults.
• Children tend to be passive.

4.  One of the limitations of some video game is that it provides only pre-structured forms of
imagination
interactivity, and in that sense, video games are more like playgrounds rather than wild-spaces.
Play in Virtual Playground Space
• Don’t let the children modify their physical environment.
• Children gain recognition from their companions for their brave, often proven through stunts.
• Children make various forms of role-playing, often imitating the activities of adult males.
• Play activities were seen as opportunities for social interaction and friendship.
• Children have pre-structured forms of interactivity and limited space unsupervised by adults.
• Children make undergoing active exploration unsupervised by adults.
 Today some video game are trying to escape adult intervention in shaping children’s play
imagination
environments. This games have tools to allow children's to construct their own playspace and
then give them the space to do what they want. This are commonly known as sandbox-
games, open-world games or some type of rol playing games.
Play in Virtual Wild Space
• Let the children modify their physical environment.
• Children gain recognition from their companions for their brave, often proven through stunts.
• Children make various forms of role-playing, often imitating the activities of adult males.
• Play activities were seen as opportunities for social interaction and friendship.
• Children enjoy freedom and autonomy because they could occupy an environment largely unsupervised
by adults.
• Children make undergoing active exploration unsupervised by adults.

5. DIAGRAM PLAY SPACES: From Then to Now
urbanization insecurity
Play in Wild Space Play in Playground Space Play in Apartment Space
locked
Play in Virtual Playground Space
Play in Room Space
Play in Virtual Wild Space

6. thanks
alvarogonzalez.mail@gmail.com
Alvaro Gonzalez
alvarogonzalez.skype
Game Designer
@WASDCtrlSPACE
“I work as a Lead Game Designer and Senior Producer for the Kef
Sensei game developer company, which in turn provides the well
W www.alvarogonzalez.us known international game publishers Playfirst, BigFishGames among
others. I have a kin sense of effectiveness for the games I passionately
www.linkedin.com/in/alvarogon design. I work writing the plot, developing the idea, and supervising
the programming. I also deal with the client and respond requests.
My investigative approach is the generator of thousands of very
original game ideas and designs that I thoroughly carry out and put in
Meet Latin American Game Developers the street with efficiency. Both Kef Sensei projects and my personal
Boardgames projects are done with passion and creativity.“
meetlatinamericangamedev@gmail.com
@LatAmeGameDev
References:
Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals, Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman
Cambridge MIT Press, 2004
From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games, Henry Jenkins and Justin Cassell.
Boston MIT Press, 1998