Software as a Game [SaaG]

Software as a Game [SaaG]

A game is a rule-based system with a quantifiable but variable outcome (value). Each outcome can impact goals in ways that affect work (effort) differently, mutating the environment and causing new rules to create new variations[1].

SaaG conflates game-defining traits and their software equivalents. Rules establish how a system should elicit or inhibit behavior—they control actions in pursuit of a goal. In a game, a player's actions (work) determine outcomes. In software, it is the result of statements (work) predicated on the state of the environment[2] that determines outcomes.

Software, like a game, is goal-oriented—it has desired outcome(s). Unlike a game, software's outcome has aspects of correctness that demand validation. Still, the work to value and quantify outcomes and possibly redefine rules (behavior) is similar. Both evolve through trial and error; by quantifying satisfaction of their outcomes.

Conceptually, they have similar aspects:

• Work: what does it do
• Rules: how does it do it
• Outcome: how is it quantified, measured, materialized
• Valorization: how is the outcome valued
• Goal: what outcomes satisfy the user

According to Juul[3], games can proceed in two ways: the rules can structure a progression from one challenge to another, or they can create emergent challenges based on the interaction of rules—some combine both. Emergent software makes choices based on state with no guarantee of a satisfactory outcome. What's essential is the ability to take corrective actions to achieve a quantifiable goal.

Game Theory

Game theory is a study of strategic decision-making—specifically, the study of models of conflict and cooperation between decision-makers. Game theory applies to a wide range of behavioral relationships.

A game is any context where agents interact and, in doing so, come to be interdependent. Interdependence implies the correlation of properties between associated agents where one agent's goal becomes correlated with others. In this way, agents make choices and take actions that affect others and their environment.

The concept of a game is a fitting simile for exploring and exploiting cybernetics. A game removes the burden of proving cybernetics through a contrived business problem. Game Theory is well-suited for such a study; it's a model of conflict and cooperation.

Conflict

In games of pure conflict, actors have unbalanced goals—a gain for one is a loss for another; they avoid coordination.

Cooperation

In games of pure cooperation, actors have balanced goals—a gain for one is a gain for another; they seek coordination if it produces mutually beneficial outcomes.

Combinational

In games with mixed types, actors have incentives to cooperate but conflicting ways of achieving their goals. Cyborg—the game is a combination model.

Cyborg

The term cyborg is a contraction of 'cybernetic organism' whereby an organism is any entity that embodies the properties of life; that reinforces its existence in an environment—something that exhibits:

• Adaptation: the ability to mutate in reaction to environmental events
• Growth: the ability to increase in size
• Metabolism: the ability to consume resources to produce elements
• Organization: structurally composed of one or more elements
• Response: an action (or event) that causes another action (or event)
• Reproduction: the ability to produce new individual organisms

In his book[4], Jeff Hawkins states: "The recipe for designing an intelligent machine can be broken into three parts: embodiment, parts of the old brain, and the neocortex." Cyborg—the game is that embodiment. It seeks to mimic reflexive actions of the old brain[5] and eventually incorporate the neocortex's complexity through Numenta's technology—to attain higher-level intelligence.

Game Play

"Evolution via Assimilation"

~Cyborg?by gplicity

Cyborg?is a first-person figure that roams apocalyptic landscapes looking for various (Artificial Sensory) gadgets to assimilate—suppressing its deteriorating humanoid body. In this way, Cyborg is a life simulation game that emulates the mutation of a human into a hybrid cybernetic life-form.

Like 'SimCity,' 'Forge of Empires, and other simulated construction games, the player transforms an ecosystem. Here, the player transforms an existing ecosystem into something less inhabitable by introducing toxins, radiation, and weather.

The first-person figure compensates and evolves through a collection of artificial parts—to become a Cyborg. The reward (goal) of the game is the extent of one's lifespan. Players are ranked by it and other facets, such as quantity and quality of the disturbances introduced.

In short, players do not win a game; they survive it. Prestige and honor go to those who survive the longest under the worst conditions.

In game speak, Cyborg?is a (mixed) game type: Combinatorial: 'Sequential w/Perfect Information & Extensive Form.'

• Sequential: actors have some knowledge about earlier actions—State.
• Perfect information[6]: each actor, when deciding, is correctly informed of all the events that have occurred previously[7].
• Extensive form: played on (decision) trees?

Cyborg?Bill of Rights

Besides the laws of physics, Cyborg—the game has no restrictions regarding gameplay, except for some ethics as purposed by the Cyborg Foundation:

• Freedom from disassembly: A person shall enjoy the sanctity of bodily integrity and be free from unwarranted search, seizure, suspension, or interruption of function, detachment, dismantling, or disassembly without due process.
• Freedom of morphology: A person shall be free to express themselves through temporary or permanent adaptions, alterations, modifications, or augmentations to the shape or form of their bodies. Similarly, a person shall be free from coerced or otherwise involuntary morphological changes.
• ?Equality for mutants: A legally recognized mutant shall enjoy all the rights, benefits, and responsibilities extended to natural persons.
• Right to bodily sovereignty: A person is entitled to dominion over agents and intelligence. Activities, whether acting as permanent residents, visitors, registered aliens, trespassers, insurgents, or invaders within the person's body and domain.
• Right to organic naturalization: A person shall be free from exploitive or injurious 3rd party ownerships of vital and supporting bodily systems. A person is entitled to the reasonable accrual of ownership interest in 3rd party devices affixed, attached, embedded, implanted, injected, infused, or otherwise permanently integrated with a person's body for a long-term purpose

Conclusion

In my upcoming book [biocybernetics[8]], I present principles, patterns, and practices that promote emergent software—resiliency. Specifically, structures and sequences that attain some goal. In Nature, all living things have a goal—survival, an optimal working state—homeostasis.

I assert that software is a living thing, and the principles of homeostasis are relevant. I introduce models based on Nature related to software's survival. I present observations, hypotheses, and structures (in C# code) that support these claims—wetware.

Nature. The ultimate architect shows a better way.

I assert that game theory reflects Nature—an expression of conflict and cooperation—the essence of software. That software, too, may be successful if it mimics models found successful in Nature.

I assert that software reflects game theory. I write Software as a Game [SaaG].

Links

I invite you to join constructive debates on my (LinkedIn) group as I continue a journey through cybernetic principles, patterns, and practices:

Group: https://www.dhirubhai.net/groups/14027931/

Book [coming soon]: https://leanpub.com/biocybernetics

[1] Paraphrasing Jesper Juul’s definition of a game

[2] Including but not exclusive to hardware, network and the application itself.

[3] Jesper Jull: Danish Game theorist: https://www.jesperjuul.net/

[4] Jeff Hawkins, "On Intelligence," 2004; "A Thousand Brains," 2021

[5] And other intelligent behaviors exhibited in the natural world like ants and slime mold

[6] Often confused with ‘Complete Information’ whereby each actor is aware of the sequences and state of all participants

[7] Reflective in ‘state’—the accumulative effect of prior events

[8] https://leanpub.com/biocybernetics