Further to lionheart's post on why we play games and my question of could we survive without games/play?
A cynical non-gamer might, on a lazy day, dismissively answer the question of "why do we play games" with reference to the fact that "Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier" and that it must have something to do fantasy and wish fulfillment.
As a non-gamer I can see the potential that games may share with the other arts to allow underlying patterns to be discerned.
Personally when this happens to me (with music, literature, maths or code) I feel comforted that all is not chaos.
Its not a big leap from pattern to meaning.
I like my patterns to be indifferent to me (my taste in music tends towards plinky-ploink electronica). In light of this and following Alan's review of Halo Reach I feel this one may have something to offer me.
