In rituals there are certain accurances that must take place; honoring deities and steps which work towards a desired change. In games there are steps to be followed in order to be able to complete the game (win, conquor, etc); but there is no desired change. In rituals there is an acknowledgment of a higher being, the one who controls the outcome of the ritual or who has pased down these guidelines. However, in a game, the player doesn’t take into account who the programmer is or feel the need to pay s/he respect at all. The argument made to connect ritual to game playing is pretty weak. It seems that the key points which are being compared could be found similar in stories, sports, and other cultural groupings if the concept is swayed enough towards the intended answer.
The idea of magic circle , where the player is inside the game and the laws of reality (morals, consequences, etc) are lifted. This allows players to kill, speed in vehicles, have magic powers, or whatever the game entails that would normally seem impossible in real life. Because of the physical freedom allowed in the “magic cirlce,” it can be metaphorically compared to the churches and temples and any sacred space. The freedom to enact in forbidden behavior in the game’s “magic circle” is the similar to these sacred places becuase they are considered “safe places.” Their safe place to worship, connect with deities, etc, which was considered “forbidden behavior” in the past.
