Emma Westecott play as performance

Emma addresses not only ho we might perceive play as performance but what this performativity reveals about games. Emma makes linkages between the act of play and the distinctions laid out by traditional performance studies, that make a good case for played performance. the act of play shares that liveness, that temporal presentness of performance, it lives within generic distinctions that require and command different things from the performer for viable execution, all based around a possession of skill. The notion of character (avatar) is integral to the game scenario and the assuming of a character suggests performance. This also hails notions of identity as the player is both in and out of the game and posses interesting questions about the location of performance that is topical with the inception of intuitive controls. And it is in that respect that the player can be aligned with the puppeteer.   

the act of play has to work between the player and the designated game rules and its navigation i that respect could be perceived as improvisation. Yet it makes interesting stretches on performance theory as it erodes the boundaries between audience and performer as the player plays to produce the performance and enjoys its affect as viewer.