Pop is an intense game of war - with slim to no blood shed. Two teams, each comprised of three people, charge at each other, hungry for the annihilation of the other team’s balloons. Pop is an active battle, played in a large open space, with only one’s feet for weapons, and cunning, quick footed, coordination as defense. The loud noises and team work make for an exciting, highly interactive game, designed to get players moving, laughing, and strategizing, but more than anything else, having fun!
The game is completed after one team conquers the other, in two out of a possible three rounds. The object of a round is to be the first team to pop the opposing team’s master balloon, after first popping a balloon on an opposing payer’s leg and then writing ‘POP’ on their dry board.
At the beginning of the game each player starts out with a long balloon tied to each ankle as shown in the instructional photographs. Players must keep their hands clasped behind their backs through out all game play. Each team begins by standing on their side of the playing field, divided by a line of tape which must be placed through the middle of the field. Dry erase boards, markers and the happy face master balloon must be placed at each team’s end prior to play.
Once the game is in play, all players are allowed to cross the center line as they wish. When the game has begun both teams charge at each other attempting to stomp on one of the other team’s ankle balloons. When the first of your ankle balloons has been popped you must raise your hands in the air and walk back to your team’s side of the playing field. During the trek back, while your hands are in the air, the opposing team must not try to stomp on your remaining balloon. If you are already on your side of the playing field you may continue without crossing the line. When your last balloon has been popped you must leave the playing field immediately - you are OUT!
After an individual has popped an opponent's balloon he/she is now eligible to write ‘POP’ on the other teams dry board. This is the only time when a player is allowed to remove their hands from behind their back. No player may write ‘POP’, or pop the master balloon until they have first taken out one of the opposition’s ankle balloons. Once “POP” has been written, the large happy faced master balloon must be popped for the round to be won. The word ‘POP’ must legibly say ‘POP’ and fill the entire board. ‘POP’ must be written before the master balloon has been popped. If these actions occur out of order the guilty team automatically loses that round. If a player accidentally pops their own team's master balloon, that team automatically loses.
In the following rounds players continue with the same rules as in the first, but with no replenishing of ankle balloons. A game can be won by eliminating all opposing players from the game.
The game is monitored by two referees, armed with a whistle. Referees are responsible for maintaining the rules. When a whistle is blown all players must freeze and listen to the referees.
In playing our game ‘Pop’, with students who very graciously volunteered their time, we discovered many problems and success. Our original plan was to have a capture the flag type game with three players on each team. The players were to have a small balloon tied to their ankles with string which would be popped by the other team, eliminating them from the game. The object of this game was to conquer the other team’s base.
Once we gathered to try the game out for the first time we, by lucky accident, ended up with long balloon-animal balloons as opposed to the traditional variety. This turned out to be great as these balloons could be tied to the ankle without the use of string and, as they are relatively stiff, their movement along with the foot turned out to be more predictable. These balloons also happen to look quite hilarious, adding humor to our game of war. In playing the game, we recognized the excitement and drama added by a loud popping sound which we hadn’t thought about before.
On our first round we had each team attempt to pop the other team’s master balloon. This lasted about 45 seconds, and gave very little incentive for players to pop each other's balloons as they were mostly interested in capturing the other team’s ‘base’ which took the form of the master balloon. To make the game longer and to encourage the players to go after each other first, we made a rule that before popping the other teams master balloon, each individual must first pop a balloon on the leg of an opponent and then proceed to write the word ‘pop’ on a piece of paper before finally popping the master balloon. This made the game much more exciting and fun, but still lasted a very short period of time. Our final solution to this problem was to have several rounds of the game and to have the balloons lost, carry on to the next round. Our rule to keep ones hands behind their back was of good intentions, but turned out to be mostly redundant as most players forgot to follow this rule, which was designed to keep players from pushing and grabbing. Luckily the players were decent enough not to grab at each other anyway. We decided to keep the rule as a reminder that hands were not to be used, but to be lenient on the policing of the rule as long as no one was using their hands for any naughty business.
We discovered that in this game everyone is not equally equipped to play. Some people, and thus teams, by virtue of aggressiveness or coordination, were simply better than others, so well matched teams are desirable.
In McLuhan's dissertation on the nature of games and how they reflect human nature, he asserts that games are “an extension of the people who play them.” Through games, new relationships and mentalities are established between the people who play them. Indeed, games can be seen as a method of identification for countries and groups. For example, baseball is seen as the “American Sport”, and many, many European soccer fans identify with each other through the game. Games make this identification “fun”, McLuhan argues, because they reflect the elements of life in an appealing way.
ReplyDeleteThis identification was created when we did the second trial run of the game that we had developed. As our game was a team-oriented, “war” style game, players had to rely on each other in order to keep from getting knocked out—or from losing entirely. Our test players were people who had never met each other before, and who wouldn’t associate with each other normally. However, the drafting of the players into teams led them to create a new identity—that of a “team member”. “…games,” McLuhan says, have “the power to impose its own assumptions by setting the human community into new relationships and postures.” Indeed, the competitive nature of this team-oriented game verified this statement. For instance, the assignment of team colors helped reinforce the teammates’ identification with each other. In fact, it even inspired them to create more elements of identification on the spur of the moment, such as team mascots and victory hand signs. The collaboration each team needed in order to win made each player more inclined to help their teammates come up with strategies and support each other. Regardless of each player’s personality, interests, or acquaintanceship with their teammates, they were quickly drawn into the experience of the game. This allowed them to connect with their fellow players, as well as cement the “moment” of player identification.
Mcluhan describes ways in which games are a reflection of life. “Games are popular art, collective, social reactions to the main drive or action of any culture.” He argues that games are an extension of human life and that hey are social reactions to culture. Playing games are popular responses to the everyday stresses of life.
ReplyDeleteWhen setting up for the test run of PoP!, we had a difficult time rounding up test subjects. We immediately comb the studios for any able bodied friends to help us out. As usual we saw everyone hard at work in their respective studios stressing out with bags under their eyes. Initially they all turned our invitation down due to their work load, moaning and groaning asking if it had to be now and only wanting to continue on their projects. It was only after much persuasion and the promise of cookies for participants did they drag themselves to the arena (an empty classroom). They only agreed to play one round so they can get back to work.
After explaining the rules and one round of play, they were hooked. They were strategizing and finding loop holes with in our rules to unite and conquer. Due to the dynamic of the war game of PoP!, some people got hurt and bruised but in the end they all stayed and played for an hour, 3-4 times the amount of time they said they were willing to participate. One test subject verbalized the adrenalin rush and intensity that takes over, not worrying or thinking of the potential pain.
Mcluhan explains war games through the lens of the New Guinea tribe who schedules wars every other week for the fun of it. “This perpetual bloodshed is carried on for none of the usual reasons for waging war. No territory is won or lost; no goods or prisoners seized. . . They fight because they enthusiastically enjoy it, because it. . . “ The test subjects were reacting to the mundane acts of studio of this sterile sitting and clicking away at a computer like a machine and realized the rush of excitement of physical play, the mimicry of war.